Introduction Hard drives have been around in some shape of form since 1954 when they were created by IBM. They essentially store all the information on your computer – those treasured photos, your expansive music collection or your financial accounts. Over time hard drive storage capacity has increased and the purchase price decreased, making it to this day a highly popular storage method. The only issue is that hard drives are one of the computer parts that are most likely to fail. Whether the damage is immediate or gradual, you might find yourself in a position where all those files you need access to have seemingly been destroyed forever.

	A hard drive failure means that the data on the drive can’t be accessed properly by your computer. The failure could be down to human error or it could be down to other factors like mishandling or heat or water damage. What is known as a head crash is one of the most common causes of hard drive failure. This is when the read and write head component of the drive collides with the delicate platter that it hovers above. This usually results in a clicking noise being heard from inside your computer case, which means that the drive is having problems accessing the data. The following articles have been designed to educate you on the topic of hard drive recovery. It’s a common issue that troubles many users and by clueing yourself up on what causes hard drive failure or signs that show the drive could be on the fritz might save you a lot of trouble. If you do end up having to recover your data, you can also explore the common mistakes that people make when attempting recovery and how you can avoid them, along with what professional data companies actually do if you need to send your drive off to them. However, sadly there are times when data recovery is impossible and you’ll have to buy a new drive altogether – both of these are also covered.		The articles have been written in a way that should be understandable by those with a minimal level of computer knowledge. Abbreviations have been explained and there are easy to understand descriptions of things such as hard drive components. This is to make it as easy as possible to know what is going on with your hard drive. Besides, when you’re stressing about data loss, the last thing you need is to read something incomprehensible that isn’t making anything clearer. Hopefully you’ll find the information provided useful and enlightening. Be sure to pass it on if you do. The more you know about data recovery the less stressful it will become should the issue arise. The bottom line is that as soon as you think there’s a cause for concern then you should address it immediately. The cost of buying a new drive and transferring all your data to it far outweighs the potential costs that could arise (not just financially) of getting your lost data back.
	3 Signs That Your Hard Drive Is Failing
	There are many different signs that your hard drive could be failing. It is useful to be clued in to them so you can recognise when something might be about to go haywire and potentially stop it before it does. Besides, backing up is easier than recovering. Sometimes there will never be any warning, but keep your eye out for any of the following indicators and you might just save yourself a load of trouble. Remember the golden rule: as soon as you think your hard drive is failing, back up all your data somewhere else as soon as possible (if you’re not already performing regular backups, which is highly advisable).
	4 Causes of Hard Drive Failure
	All hard drives will eventually fail. They may last longer than your computer’s lifespan, but due to their mechanical nature the drive will not last indefinitely. A lot of the time this can be down to the parts simply wearing out, but mistreatment from the user can speed that death clock up quite considerably. It’s worth knowing what can cause failure of the hard drive and steps you can take in order to try and prevent it from happening.
	4 Common Data Recovery Mistakes
	Data recovery is a tricky business and one that you should really only attempt if you know what you’re doing. The stress of losing data can cause people to panic, but it’s important to remain calm so that you don’t make any hasty decisions that could make things worse. There are a lot of mistakes to be made when attempting to recover data, so bear the following tips in mind and you could just save yourself a whole load of extra trouble.
	Situations When Data Recovery is Impossible
	Although data recovery is usually achievable even when it seems everything has gone wrong, sometimes it can just be impossible to get back those important files with professional data recovery companies even being unable to help.
	Buying a New Hard Drive After a Disk Failure
	After you have experienced hard drive failure it is advisable that you invest in a new drive. This is because the root of the problem could still be there and you might have to go through the whole inconvenience of data loss all over again. There are a lot of things to consider when buying a new drive and these are some of the most important aspects to bear in mind. Make sure to do your research and don’t skimp on quality on what is an important component of your computer.
	Data Recovery Professionals: What Are You Paying For?
	Sometimes when your hard drive fails it can be necessary to send it off to a company that specialises in recovering your data. Whether this is because you’re unsure of how to solve the problem yourself (or don’t feel comfortable doing so), or because you need to employ their specialist techniques and equipment, data recovery companies can be a lifesaver in getting back those precious files that you’d thought were lost forever. However, they’re usually quite costly, so just what do these data recovery companies actually do?