Though they're able to hold gigantic amounts of data, just about any external hard drive has one basic weakness: vulnerability to drops and bumps. If you're going to keep your data safe, you're going to have to do your best to keep the drive safe as well. "They contain a very precise mechanism with very fast moving discs," a Professor fro Munich explains. The drives are especially vulnerable when they're in use and the drives are spinning. When shut down, the chances are better that a drive will be able to retain its data. If a drive just produces read errors or can't be recognized by a computer, users don't have a lot of options. Some experts can recover data, but there are no guarantees. "It obviously costs money and it's only really worth it for really important data,".
Looking for online tips about saving an external hard drive will yield suggestions ranging from connecting the drive to another computer to lightly tapping it with a hammer. Experts say be cautious. Only consider these options when the drive is clearly broken and all other options have been tried. After all, some of these tricks might cause even more damage. Even if used properly, mechanical drives will always grow less reliable over time. "Anything that moves, ages,".
