Is Your Hard Drive Failing?

We Can Help!

Unfortunately, your hard drive has failed or is failing. This is one of our most common repairs at Computer Works. Please read this article for more information as to why this may have happened. 

Is Computer Works able to recover any data from the drive? 

If YES, then we will immediately try to copy anything in your common folders such as Pictures, Movies, Videos, Documents, Desktop, Downloads, and Music. Then, anything else that may look important (in that order). Please email , text, or call us (248-738-8700) immediately if other data is needed such as Outlook, QuickBooks, Quicken, or anything else.

If NO, we can send the drive out to a Data Recovery Specialist. Bear in mind, this service does not come cheap. Average prices are about $1000. Hopefully, you have a backup of your data!

Let’s talk about a new hard drive.

The hard drive that failed on your computer was most likely a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) . HDD technology has been around since 1956 . It’s the cheapest method of storage and good for large amounts of data. But there are better options today.

An HDD might be the right choice if you:

• Need lots of storage capacity, up to 10TB 
• Want to keep costs down
• Don’t care too much about how fast a computer boots up or opens programs

SSD (Solid State Drive) - It’s like comparing an old jukebox to an iPhone. The iPhone will play music almost instantly while the jukebox has to physically go get the record.  Solid State Drives will cost more than HDDs but the benefits they provide will FAR outweigh the extra cost! Please watch this short video from Samsung on the benefits of an SSD. If you have 5 minutes, this video explains it all. 

An SSD might be the right choice if you:

• Are willing to pay for faster performance
• Don’t mind limited storage capacity or can work around that
• Are prone to accidents with your computer
• Need the best possible battery life

Should I just buy a new computer?

We get asked this all the time, but It all depends on if you like your existing computer. Does it do everything you want? Do you have your heart set on a new computer anyway? If your computer is really old, it might be time for a new one. However, an SSD will bring new life into any computer.

Please keep in mind that new computers do not include SSD’s unless you’re buying a fairly high-end unit. Most still come with an HDD. HDD’s are still a good choice and will keep costs down. If you decide to buy a new computer, we offer data transfer and we may even offer to buy your existing computer from you. A good article to read.

What will Windows or OSX look like when you are finished? 

Clone: This is our first choice. If we are able, we will clone your failing hard drive to the new hard drive. That way all should look the same to you. There's still a chance of some data loss.

Fresh install: If we are not able to clone, the only option left is to install Windows from scratch. This means that previous programs will not be in the system like you had before. We will do our best to restore your data to their original locations (if service is chosen above), but programs that you may have had installed will unfortunately not be there. There's still a chance of some data loss.

Visit our SSD upgrade page for more info

 For additional information or to discuss your hard drive issues, please don't hesitate to contact us .

If we've already diagnosed your drive and were unable to help...we recommend Gillware in Madison Wisconsin.   1-877-624-7206  Please give them this referral code:  14702  We would greatly appreciate it