How To Prevent A Hard Drive Crash

If you have ever experienced a hard drive crash, you know how devastating it can be. External drives can hold thousands of megabytes of information and can be a great way to archive files from your work and personal life. If it suddenly stops working, however, all of your files may be gone in a flash. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make sure that you buy a reliable hard drive. Buying a drive with advanced features such as an internal fan and neodymium magnets buy you time and ensure that your hard drive will keep working for years to come.

Overheating is one of the most common reasons that hard drives fail. Over time, excess heat wears on the drive's internal mechanisms and can even cause small plastic parts to melt. One way to avoid this problem is to get a drive that comes with an internal fan. The fan pulls heat away from the drive and blows it out a vent at the back. There are also a number of new, energy-efficient drives on the market that produce less heat when they run.

One of the most important parts of any hard drive is the magnet that spins inside. While many older drives were made with ferrite and alnico magnets, most high-quality new drives are made with a more powerful type. If you can find a hard drive with neodymium magnets buy it and see the difference it makes. Because they are more powerful, neodymium magnets are less likely to fail and do not need to be as big or as heavy as other types of magnets.

No matter what measures you take, however, it is impossible to ensure that a drive will last permanently. The best thing you can do to make sure that you do not lose any information is to know the warning signs of a crash. Pick up your hard drive while it is running. If you can feel the magnet inside wobbling back and forth, this means that you might be on the verge of a crash. As the drive ages, the magnet inside often becomes unstable. While there are computer programs that claim to restabilize your drive, their effects are often only temporary. If your drive is wobbling, the best thing you can do is buy a new one and transfer all of your files before they disappear forever.


Regardless of what drive you buy, it is important to make sure that your drive stays safe once it is in your possession. Do not keep it next to a heater or at the edge of a desk or table. Even a short fall can destabilize the magnet. If you find an energy-efficient drive with neodymium magnets buy it fast and keep it safe. If you do not, you may soon lose all of your information.

What To Include In Your Emergency Supply Kit

There has been a lot of talk recently about preparing for disaster. While it often seems that discussions about disaster are based on farfetched theories and apocalyptic superstition, those that say we should be prepared may have a point. After all, the last year alone has seen devastating earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and tornadoes in all parts of the world. While these disasters may not signify the end of the world, they should stand as a wake-up call to anyone who thinks it unnecessary to stash away a first aid kit, extra food and butane lighter refills. If nothing else, they prove that an emergency may always be lurking just around the corner.

The most important thing to include in any disaster relief kit is fresh water. During a disaster, it is very common for water lines to become contaminated or to stop working altogether. This means that even if your house remains intact, you may not have access to safe water to drink. Most experts advise that you store enough water to last two weeks, as it often takes this long for the authorities to get water systems up and running again. If you do not have the space to store this much water, however, you should still try to have enough to last at least three or four days.

Your emergency kit should also include a number of other items that can help you survive disaster. Make sure that you have both waterproof matches and butane lighter refills. Being able to light a fire will ensure that you can warm yourself, boil water, cook food and light candles. Fire, however, should not be your only source of warmth and light. Your emergency kit should always include candles, flashlights, batteries and at least one warm blanket.

The first aid kit included in your disaster relief supplies should be more comprehensive than the basic kit most people keep in their homes. It should include regular first aid items such as bandages, gauze, scissors, disinfectant and over-the-counter painkillers. Ideally, however, it will also include a number of more specialized items such as butterfly clips for wound closure, a hypothermia blanket and an epi-pen, used in the case of a serious allergic reaction. Remember that in a disaster, you may not only be treating your friends and family. If you are on any medication, make sure to include a back-up supply in your first aid kit.


Regardless of how you prepare, it is important to remember that a little can go a long way. Even if you do not have the room to store a full emergency relief kit, a few bottles of water and some butane lighter refills could end up saving your life. After all, you never know when the next disaster may strike.