
If the hard drive is still responding, there are a variety of suitable diagnostic software products that individuals can use to assess the condition of the device. Many users find it irritating and do not know how to react is it a one-off event or is it a recurring problem? Hard drive failures can happen relatively quickly, especially as the average lifetime of these devices is usually only around three to five years. Unlike the usual symptoms of a loud scratching or ‘clicking’ noise, it's not always immediately clear whether a hard drive is physically defective or not.

Whether you're a private user or work within an IT department, you can sometimes face a horrifying reality – the hard drive I am using is no longer working as it should.
