I use 2 Western Digital external drives, and I always have them plugged in my PC. I was wondering is there life expectency for them? I read around that its about 3 years, but what happens after that? Do they simply stop working and you lose all your files?
What is the Life Expectency for HDD? |
 
You basically can't put a number on it, it depends on the environment they are used in.
As a rule once in a while you can check the S.M.A.R.T stats on the drive and if you see it becoming unhealthy backup the data and swap it out. I've had drives still working great 10+ years later, and I've had drives die within a year. 
I pull drives out the first time there is an error with them. I've done this in my computer, server, and rented servers (swap to new box or have them swap drive).
I've had drives last 2 years and drives last 7-8 years. It all just depends on the drive, reads/writes, and how often it moves (like moving the box). (Jul 21, 2018 11:53 AM)Gt403cyl Wrote: and I've had drives die within a year. What happens when they "die" ? Do you lose files in the drive permanently ? (Jul 21, 2018 12:40 PM)Dust. Wrote: What happens when they "die" ? Do you lose files in the drive permanently ? Depends on the reason they fail..... Physical damage or electrical damage usually they are fucked. If it's "wear and tear" then usually you can get recovery done but it can be expensive. If you take care of the HDD it should be fine for years and years, however that is why you should be backing up your data regularly. |
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