A head crash is a physical failure of a computer’s hard drive caused by the read/write head making contact with the spinning platter, resulting in data loss. It can be caused by dust, debris, mechanical failure, or electrical surges. Newer hard drives have active protection systems. The crash is accompanied by a high-pitched or grinding sound and should be taken to a professional repair center. Data recovery may be possible but requires a clean room setup and is best left to experts. Regularly backing up data is recommended.
Head crash might be the two most devastating words a computer owner will ever hear, and for good reason. It’s one of the ways a computer’s hard drive can physically fail. The read/write head of a hard drive is meant to fly above the underlying data storage spinning platter, separated by a space smaller than a single dust particle. The gap itself is crucial, as any physical contact between the head and platter will cause extensive damage to delicate magnetic storage media. Depending on the severity of the crash, some or all of the data stored on the drive will be lost.
A head crash can be caused by the read/write head hitting dust or debris on the platter surface. One of the most common causes is the computer vibrating or dropping while in use. A crash can also be caused by mechanical failure of other hard drive components and electrical surges. Newer models of hard drives were built with active hard drive protection, a system that uses a motion sensor to detect acceleration. If the security system is triggered, park the unit to protect it from physical damage.
When a head crash occurs, physical contact between the head and the platter will scar the platter’s surface. The platters spin at a very high speed, and the damage from even a short head contact can be extensive. Scoring destroys the data in that sector and also releases electromagnetic dust. This dust has the potential to set off a chain reaction of continuous accidents if the unit is left running.
The crash itself is typically accompanied by a high-pitched or grinding sound. There may also be a repeating click, commonly known as the click of death, which is the sound of the head hitting a limiter as the unit attempts to recalibrate. Computers making these types of noises should be taken to a professional repair center, as attempting to restart them can cause further damage and data loss.
It may be possible to recover some data on a drive following a head crash, but only with the assistance of a data recovery expert. The data in the immediate contact area has been irretrievably lost. Depending on the damaged areas of the drive, recovering data from other sectors of the disk may or may not be possible. A clean room setup is required to provide a sterile environment for working on the internal components of a hard drive. This type of data recovery is not a project you can do at home.
The causes of a head injury are not always preventable and can happen without warning. Experts recommend regularly backing up a hard drive to an external device or an online backup service. Installing a new hard drive and recovering from backup is quicker, easier, and cheaper than trying to recover data from a head crash, provided you have a backup available. The services of a data recovery expert can be expensive and results are not guaranteed.
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