Correctly identifying the source of the problem lessens the risk of inflicting more damage to your device. Before performing any DIY data recovery, study up on these eight common hard drive failures and how to remedy them.

Another common failure is data corruption. Data corruption occurs when programmers make an error or the program (or drive) is unexpectedly closed or ejected. Signs of data corruption include pop-up messages that read “file not found” or “file unavailable” when attempting to access the file.  When your device falls prey to failures like this, the corrupted files may not be recoverable. However, you might be able to repair them with manual HDD recovery fixes like the CHKDSK utility for Windows or drive reinstallation.

While malware infections are less common today than they were 20 years ago, they still happen quite often.  When malicious software is downloaded, it installs a virus. This virus is designed to eat all of the data on your drive. Often, data that is corrupted by malware is impossible to recover, but you might have some luck with recovery software.  Another variant of malware is what’s known as ransomware. Ransomware is insidious software that encrypts your data and holds it for ransom. To recover your data, either pay the fee or take it to an expert.  One of the best ways to protect you, your data, and your computer’s operating system from malware is to install antivirus software. If you’ve recently been a victim of an attack like this, it’s wise to look into your options to prevent them in the future.

When your drive is plugged in to your computer but isn’t accessible, your file system may be damaged. Failing file systems are either localized to the boot sector or generalized to the entire disk.  You’ll likely be alerted that your hard drive is inaccessible by your operating system via a pop-up message. To resolve issues like this, it’s best to either bring the device in for servicing or use data recovery tools that specifically resolve failures like this.

Drops, spills, natural disasters, and other mishaps happen all the time. When a hard drive sustains physical damage, an array of potential problems arise. In rare instances, the drive may start beeping or clicking. This occurs when an internal block prevents the head of the drive from returning to its home position.  Other times, the drive may stop spinning entirely. This is typically caused by a voltage spike that blew your diodes.  Regardless of what caused the damage, DIY repairs of this type rarely see results. It’s best to bring the device to your local repair shop for services.