Hard Drive Crashed? Not Working? Clicking, Grinding, Need your Data? Hard drives will fail, whether or not they are conventional or solid state drives.  The question is when, why, and how.  First, if you are here looking for a way to recover your data, then you have come to the right place.  Below you will find what causes a drive to fail, what to do, and great backup tips. Before we proceed it is very important that you heed to the warnings below: If your drive is clicking, grinding, or making unusual sounds, it is very important that you shut down the computer immediately.  These sounds can very well be the read/write heads physically hitting or scraping the platters of the hard drive.  Severe or complete data loss can result from this.  DON'T RISK IT!  This applies too as well if your drive has been exposed to fire, flood, physical shock (earthquake), etc. Sounds of a physically failing hard drive are: (To listen to the sound files below, you will need Apple's QuickTime installed.) Bad Bearings:  Continuous screeching across a chalk board. Cycle Clicking:  Sounds like rapid clicks, stops, and does it again. Excessive Clicking:  Rapid clicking that sounds like tapping a pencil on the table (annoying). Grinding:  Sound of metal being ground away (can squeal loudly) Ray Gun:  Sounds like it is from a cartoon space cadet type gun. Remember that hard drives are very sensitive to static electricity and physical jarring or jolts.  Handle them like a new born baby, gently.  Always unplug the power before removing the hard drive or any component inside a computer.  Discharge yourself by grounding to the metal of the computer chassis or a static strap to a grounded object. If you are certain that the above is your situation, then contact a reputable data recovery service like Drive Savers.  The first attempt at recovering your critical, sensitive data is always the best.  Don't fool around with software recovery tools if your drive is physically failing.  It is a really bad idea, you will only further damage the drive and further lose your data. Reasons other than the above why hard drives fail is: Accidental deletion of critical operating system files. Virus', Spyware, Mailware, Greyware, etc. Boot Sector damage, lost.  Can be caused by a virus. Power failure, and/or frequent loss of power.  This also includes shutting your computer down without seating the hard drive (Windows:  Shutdown or Turn Off) Accidental formatting (Clearing the drive)  This can happen under the false guidance of a recovery disk.  RCCS has heard many stories of people using their recovery disks, only to find out that it erased everything and restored the system back to the factory default.  Meaning they lost all their data, pictures, mp3's, etc. Encrypted data that doesn't allow you to access the files any longer (Normally do to permissions and user rights that were lost). Data Backup Tips: Never 100% trust your drive(s).  It will fail eventually, that is a guarantee.  Always back up your data to an offsite medium or a fire/water safe place.  Media that can backup your data are jump drives (flash drives), external hard drives, DVD, CD, tape drives, and online services.  Software can make backing up a hard drive a breeze, we recommend Acronis True Image.  Always have your data in two places, preferably separate or fire/water safe. Avoid loss of data and program failure by completely exiting programs before shutting down your operating system.  Resort only to a cold shut down (pressing the power button to turn off computer) as a last resort. Surge protectors and battery backups are a must for any computer system.  You can find these at Tiger Direct.com.  We recommend APC brand surge and battery backup units.  When selecting a battery backup unit, be sure that it will support the wattage that your system uses, otherwise the backup time will be decreased significantly. Never move the hard drive's chassis (computer case) while running (desktop computers).  If you must, be gentle and when seating, do so gently.  A hard jar or jolt can spell disaster for your data. Room Temperatures should be kept as constant as possible between 65F and max at 80F.  Inside your case (assuming good air flow) it is much hotter as the room temperature is hotter.  Heat will reduce the life of your drive and the rest of the computer.  The same applies with sub freezing temperatures.  If you must leave your system in the cold (below freezing) allow the components to warm up (naturally) before you turn the computer on.  This will help against stress and remove any condensation that may have occured when you brought it from a cold environment to a warm one. As mentioned in the beginning of this article, don't fool around if you hear any strange noises coming from the hard drive as described above. Getting your data back, safely and the right way: Not all data can be recovered conventionally (slaving it to another computer to copy data off).  When the drive is mechanically dead, you will want to contact a trusted and experienced recovery service.  Drive Savers is well known for this and many more reasons.  From everyday people, to Hollywood, to highly sensitive data of the Government, they serve very well. Ryan's Computer Consulting Services is an authorized partner in DriveSavers' Reseller Program. Mention our Reseller ID# DS16416 and receive a discount on your data recovery! DriveSavers has specialized in recovering lost data for 20 years and has the highest success rate in the industry. The company recovers data in as little as 24 hours from all operating systems and storage media including hard drives, RAID, disk arrays, servers, floppies, CD-ROM/DVD, backup tapes, flash memory, iPod, iPhone, removable and magneto-optical cartridges. DriveSavers is authorized by all hard drive manufacturers to open sealed drive mechanisms without voiding the original warranty. They are known worldwide as the most trusted and respected company in the industry. Visit their web site at www.drivesavers.com to learn more or: Call DriveSavers today to receive an immediate estimate: 800-440-1904 Discount Code:  DS16416