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  • #2204498

    How long do your hard drives last?

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    by slayer_ ·

    I had this thought last night, my original drive in my original server was a 3gig, and it still works, this is from 1997. My current 40 gig drive I got in 2002, so that makes it 7 years old, my 120gig HDD in my gaming machine is 6 years old and my 320 gig drive is 5 years old. The 10 gig drive in my current server is 12 years old.
    And they are all working perfectly, a SMART test on them shows them all well within limits. They all have 90+ fitness and 90+ performance. (except the 3 gig which has a high read error count, but no bad clusters and no write errors)

    Then there is my HP laptop, that is two years old, with a 100 gb HDD, and it has 120 remapped clusters and only shows 60% fitness and 80% performance. The BIOS test shows the drive as ready to fail.

    I remember back in school, they told us the average life expentency of a hard drive is 7 years.
    And yet, my highest activty drives, are lasting the longest, while my low activity drive (laptop) is rappidly dying an earily death.

    So what gives? Is quality of drives dropping? My newest drive is also my first one dead??? (to be fair, it has been claiming it is going to die for the last 14 months, and still hasn’t died)

    I recently bought a Lacie portable HDD, 750 gig, it is almost a year old now, and although it checks out good in the SMART test, I just have to wonder if it will suffer the same fate as the laptop drive.

    What have your experiences with hard drives been like?

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    • #2953481

      Laptop Drives

      by darryl~ ·

      In reply to How long do your hard drives last?

      tend to be smaller so right from the start, they have more clusters, cylinders, etc. on a smaller surface…add to the fact that they are portable & get moved around a lot while in use…that doesn’t help the HDD much either (when was the last time you were carrying your server around the room while it was running….or a desktop for that matter).

      My laptop drives always die first….if I get 4 years I’m happy….but like you, I have old drives that have been in use for 12 – 13 years….but they don’t get moved while their running.

      Just my opinion though.

      • #2953476

        kicked my server once, right off the stand.

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Laptop Drives

        Fell about 2 feet while it was running. Blew the case right off, CPU fan and heatsink blew apart, powersupply bent the case from the weight. Everything survived. (old 3gig server).

        But it is definitly true a laptop goes through more abuse, I have an older laptop from 1999 that is still perfect HDD wise.

    • #2953480

      Laptop

      by jellimonsta ·

      In reply to How long do your hard drives last?

      I think you are more likely to find the issue is due to the laptop HDD being it is a laptop drive, and not so much that it is a ‘newer’ HDD.

      • #2953477

        so your saying

        by slayer_ ·

        In reply to Laptop

        All your newer HDD’s all performing well and have no issues. I haven’t even moved to SATA yet, still running IDE drives.

        • #2953470

          SATA vs IDE

          by darryl~ ·

          In reply to so your saying

          I have had more touble with SATA than IDE…In the last 5 years, we’ve probably had about 2 bad IDE & 5 or 6 SATA (when they first started getting popular). I think the SATA are pretty stable now but the big ones make me a little nervous about what I keep on them… I have a 1 TB I use as a portable with USB… it’s been good so far.

        • #2953460

          USB drives

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to SATA vs IDE

          USB (both SATA and IDE) drives do not seem to last as long for several reasons. Often, they are moved/touted around and this can help cause loss of life. Often they are removed without the ‘safely remove HW’ option which can help corrupt the drives as well. And the other problem, is that the cases often do not have proper fans/ventilation because they are made for looking good and being quiet. This causes excessive heat from them which, ultimately decreases it’s lifespan. However, if treated well, even they should last for several years (4+)

        • #2953456

          Hmm good to know

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to USB drives

          I won’t rely to heavly on my Lacie then as a backup medium. But I am getting midly conerned that my two primary drives are approaching their predtict lifespans, and from a home use standpoint, they are both mission critical and have a shit load of irreplacable files on them.

        • #2953454

          Short to medium term backups

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to Hmm good to know

          on a USB drive should be quite safe. However, for important data, you should also have another backup copy — such as DVD

        • #2953453

          Im waiting for next great disc format

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          DVD is too small, i got 300gb of data to backup (seriously).

        • #2953448

          I have lots too

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          in fact, I just picked up a 1.5 terabyte drive and it looks like I may need another :0

          However, this USB drive is for backup/archive of things that I alerady have elsewhere. So, since my other drives are healthy, and this drive is healthy, I likely wont need to use cd/dvd for backup retention anytime soon.
          Also note: these backups are not holding anything that I would consider irreplaceable or important. So if I lose both copies — oops.

          For information that you have, it may be better to get a network storage system that will house several drives and mirror them.

        • #2953446

          funny thing

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          Said machine IS the network stoarge system for the house, everyone backs up to it because its biggest and fastest.
          Everyone in the house could hammer it with data from other computers, and I’ll be gaming on it and it still won’t slow down, it’s a beast :).

        • #2953440

          Mirror the drives

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          and you will have less to worry about in case of a drive failure

        • #2953434

          I could do that, need bigger case though

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          I have this habbit of never upgradding a drive, just buying new ones and adding them, so my main machine has 4 HDD’s in it right now. The bulk of the data is on the 320 gig which is the newest in that machine at 5 years old.
          I’d have to mirrior them all :(.

          I need a much bigger case lol.

        • #2953432

          Since I believe you said that

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          they were IDE based, you can only have 4, so look at this
          http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3952307&CatId=207

          then pick up 2 drives for it and you are all set.

        • #2953429

          Heheheh

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          I got 2 on board IDE controller, and 2 on RAID controller, 2CD drives also on RAID controller.

          I’d need another RAID controller to add more.
          But my board has no more slots left :(.

          I do have plenty of sata ports, I think I got like 8 sata ports, so I can start using those. I trust both IDE and sata can be used together right?

          And I actually saw one of those at best buy, I was tempted, only 200 bucks for a terabyte of network space. But my router is full… If I got one of those, I’d be upgrading to gigabit router first. 4 machines wired and 2 wireless right now…. need better router lol.

        • #2953428

          Yes, both

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          IDE and SATA can be used together, but, you may run into config problems initially. Also, make sure it boots to the right drive or you can spend some time trying to reconfigure it.

          And, if you ever flash your BIOS it may come into play to reconfig again. I recommend using all IDE or all SATA based drives.

        • #2953421

          If my C drive still alive

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to Short to medium term backups

          I would likely be running both IDE and SATA, I saw a boot which first option in my BIOS where you choose IDE or SATA. So I guess that is it. Perhaps I could borrow a friends Sata drive and see if it can hook up properly. I generally never throw out a drive until it dies…. so far that means I have never thrown out a drive.

        • #2953469

          4-7 yrs average

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to so your saying

          before I replace them due to storage needs anyway.

          However, I have some 7-10 yrs old as well. Mostly, things that I have noticed, if they are stored (not in use) with data on them for long periods of time, they become corrupt quicker ?:| — however, ones that are in use more often seem to last just fine.

          Also note — notebook drives are an issue as pointed out by others.

        • #2953468

          notebooks might aswell be solidstate

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to 4-7 yrs average

          They might last longer than their current equivelent.

        • #2953466

          SSD getting better and better…

          by tonythetiger ·

          In reply to notebooks might aswell be solidstate

          I was just looking at a 16 GB unit estimating >8 year life writing 50 GB per day.

        • #2953465

          really seems worthwhile

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to SSD getting better and better…

          ATM I use my portable drive for everything needed on that laptop as I don’t trust the drive, but I am too cheap to replace the drive. A 16gb SSD would be just fine by me.

        • #2953449

          Here ya go :)

          by tonythetiger ·

          In reply to really seems worthwhile

        • #2953459

          I have been saying that for almost 8 years now.

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to notebooks might aswell be solidstate

          😀

        • #2953365

          Did they even have SSD 8 years ago?

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to I have been saying that for almost 8 years now.

          8 years is a pretty long time. I don’t think I was even in high school yet.

        • #2953464

          I was always told

          by darryl~ ·

          In reply to 4-7 yrs average

          to set the power settings so the hard drives never turned off & to leave the computer on 24/7 if you wanted to get long life out of the drives (something about them always spinning down then back up)…that would be pretty much in agreement with the “storage” thing (in storage, you may run into a problem with lubricant drying up, etc. too I suppose)….and server drives go 24/7 & I very seldom have a problem with them…always workstations & laptops.

        • #2953462

          I just remembered

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to I was always told

          I have an old 1gig HDD in an old 133mhz machine that still works perfectly, too old to even do SMART on.

    • #2953362

      Dropped a 320 gb Simpletech Sata

      by reisen55 ·

      In reply to How long do your hard drives last?

      Four times. It survived three attempts at an early death. Nothing like pulling a usb drive and cable off a desk with the foot.

      Fourth time was too much. It is buried in the back yard.

      • #2953359

        You didnt melt it down

        by the scummy one ·

        In reply to Dropped a 320 gb Simpletech Sata

        and put it in a mold? What is wrong wit ya :^0

        • #2951493

          The sole benefit

          by reisen55 ·

          In reply to You didnt melt it down

          With a dead drive, I cracked the case open and purchased a 500gb drive which I keep separate in a protected pouch. Always. So when I visit client, I put it together, use it, dismantle it and bring it home.

          SATA connections – which I initially did not trust at all – make life much easier.

          Dropping that drive was my own stupid fault for not watching where the feet where going.

    • #2951488

      So, I found reason I wanted Win95 back

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to How long do your hard drives last?

      So I still had that old 3gig drive hanging around in a bookshelf. And I wanted to play Red Alert. Which only works on 95. It actually crashes, like just straight up shutdown, if you run it on XP. Computer blacks out and turns off, doesn’t even blue screen, impressive eh :). So, I stuck the old 3gig drive, which still have a fresh 95 install on it from my last use. Into my newly fixed machine, and unplugged the newly fixed machines drive. Fired it up.

      Invalid system disc.

      Crap…. So I stick in hirens, it doesn’t support smart so I try the various tools. It’s a Fujitsu so I try their scan, it says it doesn’t recognize the drive. So I try Disk Doctor, says bad MBR, but can’t fix it. Now I have the case open, I can hear the drive doing its thing, its spinning, I can hear the heads moving (the familiure grinding noises the old drives always made). So I tried one of them that scans for bad sectors. It said 100% bad sectors :(. I guess the drive is dead afterall.

      So, this is my first drive death EVER! from my first computer ever.
      What is a proper burial procedure for such a legendary computer and drive (computer also recently died). Was the most important computer in my life and got me interested in IT, before that I hated everything and was interested in nothing. That baby was a life changer, it deserves a proper burial.

      Ideas?

      • #2951474

        format and re-install

        by the scummy one ·

        In reply to So, I found reason I wanted Win95 back

        it may still work. What happened is corruption from what it appears.

        • #2951470

          If it was unformated…

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to format and re-install

          Should it not show up in XP disc management service?

          WHen I tried to boot into XP with the drive hooked up, it took almost 5 minutes to get into XP, then it found the drive, but couldn’t display it. Also took it another 5 minutes to display the disk management console and it didn’t display the drive there.

          Though the system does have a floppy drive, I can probably stick in the 95 or 98 boot disk and give it a try.

        • #2951467

          You may be right then

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to If it was unformated…

          open it up — pull the platters, post them on the wall for memories.
          find something useful to do with the case — oh, and the magnets in older HDD’s are much stronger than in newer ones.

        • #2951466

          magnets?

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to You may be right then

          They have magnets in them? What for?

        • #2951460

          open it up :)

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to magnets?

          also, check out how well the platter assembly spins — just goes and goes.
          I once thought of ripping up old HDD’s and turning them into tiny windmills. get a row of em and try to power a UPS 😀

        • #2951454

          Hmmm, I don’t see any screws to open it

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to open it up :)

          How do you open it, pry it open?

        • #2951429

          There are screws — and likely a nut as well

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to open it up :)

          get creative while looking (under stickers)

    • #2951450

      Western Digital has done me no wrong. Seagate has done me no good. Hitachi

      by hypnotoad72 ·

      In reply to How long do your hard drives last?

      Hitachi is a brand some people have had problems with, but I’ve had good luck with so far (2 year old notebook 7200RPM drive still works, though it’s not like I have it on 24/7).

      I noted my new MacBook pro came with a Hitachi. Based on current experience I will hold my breath…

      Also, the more data on a drive means drive access will be slower, larger chances of corruption… Vista itself eats up 15GB of RAM, oinky oinky…

    • #2951380

      Laptop HDDs die faster

      by cryosilver ·

      In reply to How long do your hard drives last?

      Based on work experience, supporting home users and small businesses, and mostly working on laptops, I’d say that the average lifespan of a laptop HDD is about 2-3 years, though I’ve seen many drives 4-5 years old, a few only months old, most fall into the 2-3 year range. Seagate and WD drives seem to last the longest on average, and the crappy Toshiba drives that Dell uses die quicker, averaging about 2 years. In the last month alone, I’ve had to replace 10 HDDs, and 6 of them were Dell laptops with Toshiba HDDs, most produced in 2007.

      • #2951372

        My exp. by brand

        by the scummy one ·

        In reply to Laptop HDDs die faster

        changes often enough that I pay little attention to brand anymoe.

        in the 90’s and early ’00 WD seemed to give me lots of problems. in ’00-’07 Hitachi drives were the biggest problem.

        I havent had too many issues with Seagate, however, recent web searches show lots of issues.

        • #2951365

          *sheds tear for Fujitsu*

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to My exp. by brand

          If only those 10gig drives didn’t ruin them 🙁

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