How does a hard drive break???
http://members.aol.com/spoons1000/break/
Although most hard drives are broken buy this method, there are a few times when hard drives break unintentionally. The hard disk's spindle system relies on air pressure inside the enclosure to support the head. If the air pressure is too low, there will not be enough lift for the flying head, the head will not be at the proper height, and there is a risk of head crashes and data loss. Very high humidity for extended periods can cause accelerated wear of the heads and platters by corrosion. Increased humidity can lead to increased stiction (the tendency for the heads to stick to the platter surface). Due to the extremely close spacing between the heads and the disk surface, any contamination of the read-write heads or platters can lead to a head crash — a failure of the disk in which the head scrapes across the platter surface, often grinding away the thin magnetic film. To the head, the platter seems to be moving at about 150 mph, and a very thin cushion of air forms between the head and the platter so that the head "flies" over the platter. If even the smallest bit of dust makes its way onto the platter, the flight is disrupted and the head "crashes" into the platter, scratching it. The crash, of course, sprays a lot more dust and debris onto the platter and then it's all over.
Where can i get more information about hard drives???
Look at these sites right 'ere
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/hard-disk.htm
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/
http://www.helpwithpcs.com/upgrading/install-hard-drive.htm
How do I back up my hard drive?
If your running a computer with Windows XP as an operating system, look here. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx
In Summary
Make certain all your essential data files are stored in one easy-to-find location.
1. Insert your Windows XP CD into the drive and, if necessary, double-click the CD icon in My Computer.
2. On the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP screen, click Perform Additional Tasks.
3. Click Browse this CD.
4. In Windows Explorer, double-click the ValueAdd folder, then Msft, and then Ntbackup.
5. Double-click Ntbackup.msi to install the Backup utility.
6. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup to start the wizard.
7. Then choose what you want to back up.
8. You then choose where you want to store your back up. You can store it on the the hard drive itself, but that is not alot of help if your hard drive crashes. My preference is on an external hard drive, stored in another location. External Hard Drives are more expensive than internal hard drives, so what many people do is: buy an internal hard drive, then buy a case and make it an external hard drive.
If you are using a Mac, there is no built in back up software, but it is still very easy to do. Just plug the usb end of your external hard drive into your Mac, and your ready to go. Just drag and drop into the external hard drive icon.
For more information check out colin's wiki right 'ere http://www.colinmbarc.pbwiki.com