Data inaccessibility on a hard drive can occur for various reasons. One of the most common causes is the bad sector. A bad sector on a hard drive is a small piece of disk space that fails during operation. Such a sector does not respond to read or write requests.
There are two types of bad sectors, categorized based on the reason for the occurrence. Some result from physical damage to the drive and often cannot be repaired. Others are the result of software errors and can be easily fixed.
Hard Drive Bad Sectors Types
As was mentioned before, there are two types of bad sectors: physical and logical. These sectors occur due to various reasons but result in the same complication for the user – data loss. There are various features that help distinguish these two types of bad sectors.
Physical bad sectors occur on the hard drive after physical damage. The read/write heads of the hard drive may have come into contact with the platter, scratching the data of the disk. The damage can also occur if dust or moisture inserts the inner part of the drive.
Logical bad sectors are spaces on your hard drive that are not working correctly. The operating system is not able to read data from such a sector, and neither can it write the data on the bad sector. Such sectors are marked as corrupted, and OS will no longer use them for storing information.
What Causes Physical Bad Sectors
A bad physical sector is considered a severe problem for a user and can occur for various reasons. Your hard drive may have bad sectors due to manufacturing errors. Another reason for physical bad sectors occurrence is physical damage when the heads of a hard drive damage the magnetic platters.
What Causes Logical Bad Sectors
Software errors cause logical bad sectors. For example, if the power is turned off while writing data to the hard drive, a sector gets interrupted in the middle of the operation and becomes corrupted. Viruses and other malicious software can also cause system errors and bad sectors.
Data Loss on Hard Drive with Bad Sectors
Even if your hard drive continues to work correctly, your data can be seriously damaged, resulting in the loss of important information. Only having multiple backups on different media can keep you from losing data due to bad sectors or other disk failures. However, if you do not have a copy of your data stored somewhere safe, you will face severe consequences.
When a computer detects a bad sector, it will ignore it. The data in that sector will be moved, so the system will neither read this sector nor write on it.
Modern hard drives support S.M.A.R.T. technology and record the number of affected sectors. However, it is possible that the contents of a bad sector cannot be read or moved.
This way, the file will become corrupted and inaccessible to a user. A hard drive can have a few bad sectors, which will not influence its performance. However, if the disk’s bit sector count regularly increases and your computer warns you with error messages, you should pay attention to the drive and take appropriate steps as soon as possible.
What to Do When Facing a Data Loss due to Bad Sectors
Several warning signs can inform a user about bad sector problems on the hard drive. Frequent error messages, corrupted files, unusual noises, and slow performance are some of the common signs of data loss on your device. When noticing it, you can scan the device to understand whether file inaccessibility is caused by bad sectors or other reasons.
When ensuring that the device is exposed to data loss, there are several actions a user should perform. Powering down the device must be the number one step for each failure and data loss scenario. Continuing to use your device is very risky and can cause more issues.
When facing a physical bad sector, do not try to open the drive and replace broken components. Only professionals with years of experience can approach this case and carefully restore data from a physically damaged device. If a bad sector occurs due to a logical problem, it is essential not to use data recovery software to fix the bad sector or save the data. Using a recovery program can overwrite your valuable files, making them permanently lost.
Moreover, free downloading and installing an unverified tool on your fragile device can insert viruses, so recovering data from it will become more complicated.
The most effective strategy, in this case, is to entrust the device to a professional data recovery company. This way, you will get all the valuable files back.
Hard Drive Bad Sector Recovery
PITS Global Data Recovery Services performs data repair from corrupted, non-functioning, and failed hard drives, achieving high results. Our engineers restore data from HDDs, regardless of the type, file system, operating system, and storage capacity.
Our goal is to provide clients with a positive experience and maximum results, so we do everything to achieve it. To make the data loss situation more manageable for our client, we start the process with a free evaluation. Our engineers will thoroughly review the drive and estimate the level of damage and the most effective recovery method.
Specialists at PITS Global perform the recovery process in specialized facilities using cutting-edge technologies. By working in ISO Certified Class 10 Cleanroom, we ensure that the device is not affected by external threats. We support all the requirements to protect your HDD and all the files stored on it.
Advantages of Our Hard Drive Recovery Services:
ISO Class 10 Cleanroom Recovery
Risk-Free Evaluation & Diagnostics
Flexible Service Options
Certified & Accredited Data Recovery
99% Success Rate
50+ Locations Throughout the US
PITS Global Data Recovery Services is a reputable company which provides hard drive restoration. Our engineers are ready to assist you in your HDD data recovery anytime, anywhere. To start your recovery process with us, fill out the request form below, or call our customer service at 888.611.0737.
Request Help
"*" indicates required fields