Hardware Sexy Hard Drive Grinding

[Lanlan]

So my 500 GB HDD is making grinding noises. That can only mean one thing. It's ready to spontaneously combust. So I'm using an old laptop HDD for now until my 750 GB comes in the mail. So here's my question: what makes it worse, reading or writing? Like can I safely copy all my data to the 750? Or will that likely make it worse?

 

[Originality]

Grinding either means the header is scraping the platter or the axis breaking.

Edit: doesn't matter which makes it worse, backup everything while you can.

 

[Lanlan]

Know anything about what causes it?
EDIT: Causes the platter being scraped or the axis breaking

 

[DaggerV]

Wasn't sure what to expect when clicking this thread.

 

[ouch123]

Well, from what I remember, the head of the arm is only a few microns (or was it nanometers?) away from the platter, so even the most minor of things will offset the head and possibly send it crashing into the platter and damaging your data. Not sure about the axis though. Anyway, I agree that just backing up whatever you can while you still can is your best bet. Worst case scenario, I recommend connecting the drive to a USB 1.0 - 1.2 cable. I find that the slower read speeds makes it much more likely to successfully get data off a failing HDD.

 

[Lanlan]

I'm not too worried about my data. I have my music backed up, all my games are either Steam or Origin, really the only thing I NEED to copy are some game saves. It'd be nice to save time and copy all my games over, but if I gotta re-download em, so be it.

 

[nixshadow]

Wasn't sure what to expect when clicking this thread.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to expect, but it wasn't this and now i'm disappointed.

really the only thing I NEED to copy are some game saves. It'd be nice to save time and copy all my games over, but if I gotta re-download em, so be it.

Steam has cloud storage for most game (if not all(?)) so it automatically saves your game saves.
I don't know if Origin does the same.

 

[Lanlan]

Steam has cloud storage for most game (if not all(?)) so it automatically saves your game saves.
I don't know if Origin does the same.

Yeah I know of Steam Cloud storage. Don't think it's for all games though. Didn't work for Titan Quest.

 

[FAST6191]

I'm not too worried about my data. I have my music backed up, all my games are either Steam or Origin, really the only thing I NEED to copy are some game saves. It'd be nice to save time and copy all my games over, but if I gotta re-download em, so be it.

I believe the new steam beta added options to copy/reinstall to different folders (and so different drives), you might also be able to get something done with Steam Mover.

Edit- as for grinding I also see it for the motor spindle in the middle... it probably runs about 35 degrees external, for what 14 hours a day and will have done so for how many years? Electromechanical things do well to survive that long.

 

[raulpica]

You should have enough time to backup everything.