how do hard drives become bad ones?
355943
That could be a temperature issue. Make sure the air vents are clean and clear and that your fans are running.
808366
Hi!\n\nFormatting your hard drive would not cause any hardware damages unto it. It is basically accessing the drive normally however removing the things from the drive. \n\nThe drive would still spin at 7200rpm(normally) and this is within the threshold of damaging the drive. You will not strain the hard drive when formatting a hard disk.\n\nIn fact, I would say frequent formatting is recommended.(twice a year) or some even say once every 3 months. It would definitely speed up your computer and organize all the cluttered stuffs you accumulate over the time.
163583
If a hard drive is making a lot of clicking noises, it's about to crash!
180623
QUICKLY SALVAGE THE HARD DRIVE!!!\n\nGO FOR THE HARD DRIVE!!!!!\n\nFASTER!!!!!!
108134
when a hard drive is makeing a noise and not being seen on the computer. then the hard drive is haveing a hardware failing. the onley people can help you are data recovery people. software will not get your data back because it is not being seen by the computer.
554546
CMOS viruses are the worst. They get into your BIOS which means you have to replace the hardware. The second worst are MBR and HDD viruses. MBR viruses get into the part of the hard drive that boots before windows giving the virus unlimited access to you hard drive and hardware. HDD viruses can burn your hard drive up. Third are system viruses but they are easy to recover from. Just reformat. Last are prank/annoyance/joke viruses. They don't do much other then send a message and take up system resources.
327274
Data stored on a hard drive could be corrupted or erased accidentally.  A traditional hard drive (as opposed to a ROM drive or key chain drive) has a set of spinning platens inside with heads very, very close to the surface.  Moving a computer that is powered on can create a "head crash" that can result in marring the magnetic surface of the platen(s).  This can result in loss of data, data corruption or even lose of the entire hard drive and some to all of the data.  Data could only be retrieved in this case by changing out the hardware inside the drive and reading what data wasn't scraped off physically.
477521
Some hard drives are just loud, and there is always something for hard drives to do even when you think it shouldn't be writing.  However a loud hard drive often has a short life ahead; keep your valuable files backed up, be careful.
673646
reformat the stick and the defrag.\nrun a diagnostic to make sure the memchip is working fine.\nrun scandisk on it. if no physical errors. then your fine. if it has physical errors mark them as bad. then format.\n the bad cluster usually occur after using the drive on a system and sometimes taking it out if the systemisn't fully usb ready. like on a 98se pc then saving from a winXP and then going back to the 98se system, the 98 system will not read the files good since it isn't as compatible. sometimes it isn't even corrupt. they just don't read good. But, if you properly disable the USB drive before removing you don't usually get the errors.
1075659
Well sice PC's can't be smart nor stupid that's not the cause.\n\nTry cleaning and defragmenting your drive. Also heat build up can cause drives to act weird and eventually fail, keep all air ways clean and clear and if needed add another fan.\n\nAlso, you can run disk check.\n\nYour RAM may need to be upgraded, you didn't really say when it freezes up.\nA new program could be a culprit as well as spyware, I use Ad awre SE personal to take care of that junk, it can really bother things! And best of all it's free just need to download it from their site, made by lava soft. That stuff can get on there even with a good fire wall running.\n\nCheck for programs that are running all of the time, when you didn't open them, they just slow things anyways, most not needed!\n\nClean out your internet files and cahe even cookies, use controil panel for that.
716024
I can give you a link that deals with hard drive problems.\nSome RAM/hard drive problems can be easily fixed yourself by using easily available tools. I found the info at http://fixit.in  useful. Try this site, if you can get what is required.
902427
You don't need to replace your hard drive.  One of the sectors of your drive has gone bad.  You just need to do a low-level format on that partition.  The software for that is available from the company that made the hard drive, although you should also be able to get it from HP.  \n\nOnce the low-level format has been done, you'll have to then format that partition, reload Windows, then on your first boot, do a ScanDisk (called Error Checking, in Windows XP), with the option to "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" enabled.
204822
I definately need more information to answer this. \n1.If you have a smasung disk, go to samsung.com and download a download to format the hard disk. It tries to repair samsung hard disks with bad sector.\n2.If you have a seagate hardisk, go to seagate.com & download a software named 'zerofill', that will definately repair your hard disk.\n\nBe sure not to use windows or dos formats, it will cause more bad sectors.\n\nIf every thing fails, just pray ur hard disk is in warranty so that it may be replaced. lest u will have to throw it away.
906343
Maybe your hard drive needs to be de-fragged?
480008
By opening the hard drive you would render it unusable.\n\nIn response to one of the answers below.  No, you cannot repair a bad HDD with software.  Software can cause the damanged areas to become inaccessible - virtually repairing the disk, but not physically.
128628
Hard Disk are not prone to failure so often.\n\nMostly malfunctions occur due to error in manufacturing stage \n\nthat is very minimal .\n\nMainly malfuctions are produced by improper connection with the Hard disk and socket wires \n\nMalfunction may occur due to excessive heat \n\none or more pins in the hard disk may be broken\n \n\nat the malfunction the pin count is checked and connection is made again\n\nplace hard disk in proper chamber and check whether the fan is running.\n\nDo not expose Hard disk to sunlight and excessive heat.\n\nif it continues do not tamper the hard disk
640495
I would go to C drive in control panel right click on C drive go to properties then tools and do a good defrag and disk check - If disk check finds and fixes just a few bad files all is well. If it finds a bunch - Start saving you pennies and backing up data!!! You can also do the above in safe mode by hitting F8 while windows is booting. This is the more effective way but it also has a little more risk of changing a few files.