Are Hard Disks Still The Most Reliable Storage Devices

The hard drive is suited perfectly for both home and office use and the public acceptance level is very high for them. All this popularity has also had a negative effect on the hard disk. Since we usually take the hard disk for granted, we often fail to back up data on them, protect them properly and handle them with adequate care, causing data loss situations that only create panic because there is a general lack of knowledge on hard disks. To correctly understand the advantages and disadvantages of any media, it is first important to know how they can malfunction, so that we can take adequate precautions.

Data Loss from Hard Drives



How does data get lost from hard drives? We feel so secure after having loaded our data on them, so it is unnerving when all that information goes out of reach. Data loss can happen in two ways from a hard disk.

Physical Loss of Data: This happens when the hard disk itself is damaged, while the data stored on it may remain intact though out of access. Apart from the disk itself, any related hardware parts such as the internal fan, read and write head, or any of the optical drives installed in the system, or any cards plugged into the disk get damaged or start malfunctioning in any way. Like all digital goods, hard drives are susceptible to fire, water, moisture, dust, heat, humidity and shock.

Logical Loss of Data: In this case, the disk itself is not affected, but the data and programmes loaded on it are either deleted or corrupted in some way. It may also happen through virus or hacker attack, over-fragmentation of files or development of bad sectors, accidental deletion, file corruption or OS crash. While the impact of not being able to reach your data suddenly may be more terrible, this type of data loss is actually easier to handle than data loss through hardware issues and also usually less costly.

Advantages of Hard Disks

Let us now look into the advantages of using hard disks as data storage devices, whether internally or externally in computers, cameras or any other device.

The storage capacity of hard disks is still massive compared to any other digital storage device. There was a time when 16GB was considered to be as big as a football ground, but now even one Terabyte is not enough. This is hardly surprising, given the changing pattern of consumer habits. Bigger and better disks are expected to land on the market any time as the demand for space always exceeds supply.

The speed of the hard disk is also an important factor in its favour. Hard disks are not just getting bigger, they are also becoming faster. SCSI, SATA, ATA and all other formats of hard drives are being upgraded constantly by manufacturers desperate to stay in the race.

The hard disk, by now, is the accepted medium of internal data storage for all computers and laptops. It is handy, easy to install, the perfect place to house the OS and the programme files, and allows the user to explore a number of options to customise the machine optimally.

The hard disk is durable physically. Its design makes it well-protected against dust or moisture, even if the disk happens to be a portable one. This makes it more of a favourite.

Disadvantages of Hard Disks

What are the disadvantages of using hard disks to store data?

The hard disk is prone to crashing. No company will give more than five years guarantee for their product. And when it crashes, the hard disk takes all data with it leaving us in the dark.

The hard disk is still very costly. It is true that the price at which portable disks are now available was unthinkable at one time, but the USB drive is much cheaper and faster.

Flash disks are giving the hard drive a run for its money. It seems that hard disks might actually become extinct.

With all the moving parts in it, and its dependency on external hardware, the hard drive has always carried a certain amount of risk.