Computer future-proofing explained: Why future-proofing is so popular

What is futureproofing?

Future-proofing is a design process used in many sectors such as medical, industrial design, and electronics industries. These design principles are used by anticipating the future to develop products or strategies that continue to be valuable in the future. This prevents the product from becoming obsolete in the distant future.

In terms of computer technology, future-proofing means that you won’t have to buy a new computer for a long time. This process makes sure you have the right tech and hardware on your computer that can last you a long time.

When you buy a laptop or desktop computer, you might want to look into its hardware specs, the model’s build and repairability. Realistically, a future-proofed computer doesn’t mean that the computer won’t break at all. It just means that its capabilities and performance will still hold up a few years into its lifespan. All computers will likely run into some sort of hardware issue during its lifetime, so you might want to consider something that is easy to maintain.

Why should I future-proof my computer?

Simply put, if you don’t want to have to buy a new computer for the next 3-5 years, you might want to look into future-proofing your tech. The truth is, all technology, including computers will become obsolete eventually.

Think of some of your old gadgets, for example. The Walkman was quite popular for a long time in the 80s and 90s, but then it was replaced by the more compact mp3 player. Then somewhere along the line, the iPod was introduced and changed the game. Then again, the popularity of Apple iPods went down as soon as music streaming platforms came in. This is why we can only go so far to adapt our tech to future trends. So to realistically future-proof a computer, we’re simply looking to choose something that can last around 3-5 years.

Here’s what a future-proofed computer can do for you: you can spend less on your computers. With a computer that can last pretty long, the most that you’ll need to spend on it will be on repairs. Depending on what you choose, you might not even need to spend that much if you run into hardware issues. The bottom line is, the money you spend on computer repairs won’t be as much as a new computer. You might also want to look into computer models that can be accessible for upgrades down the line. Things like hard drive upgrades or extra RAM storage could give you a bit of a boost when you need it. All in all, future-proofing your laptop or desktop computer could be something to think about when you want to get the most out of your tech.

Things to consider

Depending on what you need out of a computer, your criteria for future-proofing can change. Say if you only use your laptop for basic stuff like browsing the internet and word processing, it’s much more simple.

You’ll need to match what you do with the hardware specs of a computer to find something that can keep up. Looking over the different computer brands and models would also be useful. You might also want to find out how the computer is assembled and how accessible it is.

What you intend to use the computer for

Like we just mentioned, it’s easier to get a future-proofed computer if you only need an everyday laptop for basic tasks. Pick something with a solid-state drive (SSD), with at least 4-8 GB of RAM, and you should be set.

For processors, you might want to set yourself with an i3 or i5 Intel processor. You probably won’t need something as powerful as i7 for a personal laptop. Integrated Intel graphics cards should do you just fine, you’ll be able to do some basic photo editing and watch movies smoothly.

For professionals

If you’re looking for something like a workhouse model for professional photo or graphics editing, there’s a little more to consider. An SSD is a good place to start, along with at least 16GB of RAM. Then you might want to go with an Intel i5 or i7 processor and a 2-4 GB dedicated video card.

Take a look at the software that you normally use for work. Software like Adobe Photoshop often have a list of hardware requirements, so you can match what you need when searching for a new computer. These hardware requirements shouldn’t change that often, and these software are usually optimised for hardware. So a laptop or desktop computer that matches these requirements should be able to keep up with the software updates.

What about gaming computers?

Let’s face it, realistically there’s no way to future-proof a gaming computer for it to be able to last 5 years. Gaming specs change a lot at rapid speeds, with new models of graphics cards coming out every few months. It’s easier to future-proof a gaming desktop computer, with it’s tower form factor and all, but you might come across some troubles if you want to keep it top of the line. You’d be switching out upgrades frequently or even be met with incompatible newer parts that you can’t use.

The brand and model of the computer

It’s important to look at the different specs of the model, but also the brand and how it’s assembled. This informs you on the repairability and accessibility for upgrades. Here are a few notable examples of models that you should be aware of.

Apple iMac and tower desktop computers

Considering how powerful Apple iMac computers are, they make for a pretty good future-proofed piece of technology. You can probably tell that from the price tags of most Apple computers. Even the most basic entry-level iMac computers can achieve great performance for graphics editing work.

They have quite a standard level of repairability. You can easily upgrade the hard drive or add more RAM to it. Unfortunately you can’t upgrade the graphics card, but they are already quite powerful, so you won’t have to worry about it.

Business issue laptops

Business issue laptops are made quite powerful as well. Models like HP’s Probook and Elitebook, or Dell’s Latitude or XPS can deliver great performance for most tasks. These are top-of-the-line models that have a great expected lifespan.

Finding out the repairability of a laptop computer

It can be quite a disappointment when you want to add more RAM to your laptop computer, to find out that the RAM is soldered on the motherboard and you can’t do anything beyond that. That’s why the repairability of a laptop is an important thing to factor into your future-proofing process.

When you have a few options to think over, try looking through the specs of the model or look up teardown videos on YouTube. Just search the model of the laptop and “teardown”. There you’ll be able to take a look inside to see how it’s assembled. This determines how accessible it is to repair or upgrade.

Professional future-proofing advice

If you look online, there’s a whole lot of talk on future-proofing computers. There’s tons of tech forums where computer enthusiasts discuss future tech trends, PC building, and so much more. Feeling the information overload? We can help.

At Safemode Computer Service, we can consult you on finding the right computer for what you need. Just tell us what you use the computer for, and we can offer a few recommendations that best suits you. We can advise you on computers that actually works for you. Unlike retail salespeople who try to sell you on something by mumbling techspeak, we actually know what’s for you.

As a trusted computer repair service in Inner West Sydney, we can also help with repairs and upgrades that you might need for your laptop or desktop computer. Give us a call or come by our Enmore store today!

7 questions about your hard drive that you’ve always wanted to ask

We use our hard drives everyday on our laptop and desktop computers, but most people still have things they don’t know about their drives. Have you ever wondered what wiping the drive does to your data? Or how bad sectors can damage your hard drive?

All those questions and more will be answered in our following guide. Here’s the 7 biggest questions about hard drives, answered.

1. Is data on a formatted drive gone forever?

So you’ve accidentally formatted a drive that you didn’t intend to. Or you forgot to back it up before you did. Not to worry, data on a formatted drive is not gone forever, and can usually be recovered.

This is where data recovery services or software can help you. As long as the drive is still in one piece and that the data was not on a damaged part of the drive, you should be able to recover it. This is only possible if you haven’t started using the formatted drive though. When the data sectors are overwritten, you probably can’t recover old data.

2. Can magnets wipe a hard drive?

This is more of an urban myth. It has some truth to it though, even if it doesn’t apply anymore. Back then, consumer computer storage was mainly in the form of floppy disks. These were storage devices that can be wiped with a magnet. This information was then passed down and applied to future storage drives, which led to this urban legend.

Computer storage technology has come a long way since then, and many advancements have surely been made. Hard drives are way more sturdier than floppy disks, and can’t be wiped with simple magnets. So you certainly don’t have to worry about those fridge magnets lying around your workspace. Unless you work with industrial-strength magnets then, because that’s a different story.

3. Do hard drives last forever?

Hard drives are indeed pretty sturdy with its metal casing and all, but they don’t “last forever”. Yes they can last pretty long, up to 5 years time. However, while they can still work and last long, their performance will drop significantly within that period. So no, they do not last forever.

Bad sectors cause permanent damage on the hard drive and this can lead to data corruption and loss. This is something all computer users can’t avoid. Bad sectors come from things like physical damage and logical faults, and will accumulate over time. Some of these bad sectors, like soft bad sectors, can be repaired. But it’s not the same for physically damaged parts.

When it gets to a point where bad sectors are so spread out across the drive, the drive will start to fail. You may start to experience errors in startup or notice a drop in performance. The only solution to this problem is to replace the drive entirely with a new one.

4. Can abrupt power shutdowns cause bad sectors?

When an abrupt power shutdown happens, like a hard shutdown or sudden power cut, the hard drive also loses its power source. In situations like this, if the hard drive is in the middle of writing data on the disk, it may create bad sectors.

The good thing is though, these should only be logical bad sectors, also known as soft bad sectors. Unlike hard bad sectors, soft bad sectors can be repaired with disk repair software. Even so, it’s always safer to keep this from happening and turn off your computer properly whenever you can.

5. Will wiping the drive get rid of bad sectors?

We all want to get rid of bad sectors. Keeping the hard drive from accumulating bad sectors is an important part of its care. Some might try wiping the drive entirely to get rid of these pesky bad sectors. Unfortunately, that will not work.

Bad sectors are physically damaged parts of a hard drive. This sort of damage is also irreversible. All you can do in this situation is to repair soft bad sectors and mark bad sectors off from the drive.

6. Are SSDs indestructible?

While SSDs do boast much better durability and longer life spans over traditional hard disk drives, they are not entirely indestructible. Solid-state drives are lightweight storage devices that do not contain moving machinery to work. This makes them sturdier and is the superior storage device.

SSDs may not be prone to shock damage or any sort of machinery-related issues, but they are susceptible to other kinds of damage. This includes extreme temperatures. SSDs are more vulnerable to overheating damage than spinning drives, which only rely on spinning rotors to work. Heat can damage the circuitry or memory chips on the SSD. It’s a good idea, not just for the sake of the SSD, to keep your system cooled efficiently. This benefits the whole system, and keeps your computing experience smooth.

7. How many backups do I need?

You definitely need at least one backup. The more the better, actually. You never know what could happen. The external hard drive might fail, or you might find yourself in a situation without an internet connection.

Backups in general are very useful for all computer users. Hard drive failure is a common computer issue that can happen at any time. You could find yourself with corrupted or lost files, or even a complete hard drive failure. To prevent this sort of tragedy from happening, having a backup would really help.

You can choose from offline backups like external hard drives, or online backups on cloud-based storage services. Both are great options that can suit the needs of every computer user.

Got more questions?

We’re happy to help! Safemode Computer Service is a trusted computer repair service in Sydney, and we can definitely help with any computer issue you have. From laptops to desktop PCs and Macs, our experienced technicians can offer you advice and the right solutions. We are conveniently located in Enmore, Inner West Sydney. Come by our store or call us for a chat today!

Startup repair not working: How to fix boot up issue

Your laptop or desktop computer has built-in mechanisms to test and fix itself as much as it can. This includes data repairs or software updates. It is a very smart machine, after all. When you’re having problems with booting up your computer, startup repair is one of the options you can do to solve them. But if the hardware problems are too far gone, startup repair might not be able to help you. Then it might be time to look for a replacement solution.

Problems with computer boot up can usually be traced back to a faulty hard drive. As the main storage drive, your local C drive is used as a boot drive that contains all the information needed for boot up and your operating system. When the hard drive fails, information needed for boot up might be inaccessible. Your computer will not be able to boot properly if this happens.

Startup repair

Startup repair is a Windows recovery tool that fixes certain system issues to do with Windows startup. It can be found at the “Advanced startup options” menu. This menu usually comes up when Windows 8 / 10 laptop or desktop computer users have trouble booting to Windows. To reach startup repair: Advanced startup options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup repair. Your computer may ask for administrator credentials at this step. Then it will do its thing to diagnose and repair what it can.

Startup repair not working

Startup repair might be able to fix your problem and boot the computer successfully again. If not, you might find yourself in a few of these scenarios:

• Startup repair infinite loop
• “Startup repair” couldn’t repair your PC”
• Start up repair taking forever

The tool can only do so much to repair system issues, and not all the issues on your hard drive. When boot up is disrupted or unsuccessful, it can mean that the damage to the hard drive has become intolerable beyond repair. This may be from physical damage or an accumulation of bad sectors on the drive. Data may be corrupted, or lost, and that will cause problems with boot up and the performance of the drive as well.

Why do hard drives fail?

Hard drives generally last 2-5 years, depending on how you use it, or the type of the drive. They do unfortunately inevitably fail over time. The main culprit for this is the accumulation of too many bad sectors. Bad sectors cause damage to hard drives bit by bit and adds to the eventual failure of the drive.

Caused by either physical damage or software errors, bad sectors can be repaired or marked to be skipped over. A traditional hard disk drive makes use of spinning platters and read / write arms to work, and these moving parts are vulnerable to physical damage. It’s also impossible to manufacture a flawless drive, so a hard drive will always come with a small amount of bad sectors. Shutting off the power while the drive is writing information, or improper app uses will also create soft bad sectors. They will gradually pile up and cause hard drive failure.

How to fix startup repair infinite loop

Now that we understand why the startup repair process gets stuck or fails, we can start to look at other solutions for the issue. This begins with testing your hard drive for issues and replacing it as a solution.

1. Using Windows diagnostic tools to test your hard drive

Just like startup repair, Windows computers has other built-in diagnostic tools for you to test your system. Tools like chkdsk and boot diagnostics can be used as a basic test for your hard drive. It will depend on whether you can get your computer to boot to Windows though, as some of these options launch as a Windows app.

Pre-boot

If you’re still stuck at boot up and can’t start your computer properly, boot diagnostics can help you test your hardware. This tool can help you run diagnostics on computer hardware and look for issues that require your attention. Components like the processor fan, battery, and your hard drive are tested for any possible hardware faults.

You’ll need the specific key used to enter the diagnostics option from the startup menu. For your specific brand of computer, this might be “ESC” key for HP, “F12” for Dell laptops, “Enter” key for Lenovo laptops, and “D” key for Apple Macs. Restart your laptop or desktop computer, then hold this key when you reach the logo splash screen.

After running diagnostics, your system will report found issues with an error message and a reference code. These codes may be specific to your computer’s brand as well. They can help you do further research on the issue reported, or be used when you report the issue to online support.

After booting to Windows

If you can get your computer to boot successfully to Windows, you may use chkdsk to test your hard drive. Chkdsk is a simple but very useful tool that tests for and attempt repairs on hard drive errors.

Chkdsk can be run as a command prompt or from the “tools” tab of the drive properties window. It can repair soft bad sectors and isolate hard bad sectors to be skipped over. If you run chkdsk every now and then, it can help to prevent premature hard drive failure.

Other than chkdsk, you may also choose to use pre-installed support apps specific to your computer’s brand. You can usually find these software as a built-in app. They may be more specialised to your computer’s model and can help you find online support solutions as well.

Want to read more from specialised guides about testing hard drives of different computer brands? We cover running hard drive diagnostics of Dell, HP, and Apple laptops and desktop computers.

2. Running dedicated hard drive support software

Using hard disk analysis software is also another option if you can’t boot successfully to Windows. Or you don’t quite find boot diagnostics to be sufficient. That’s where software such as WD Data Lifeguard and SeaTools can help you.

You won’t need your current computer to do this, so you don’t need to worry about booting to Windows or installing software on it. You do need a separate desktop computer and a USB to SATA enclosure box though. This method involves taking out the drive and testing it on a desktop computer via the USB to SATA enclosure. The enclosure box is also powered by a separate power source. All this ensures proper isolation for the drive, separate from any factors that might affect the test process and results.

By doing so with hard drive analysis software, you can truly thoroughly test your hard drive for issues that are causing your boot up issues. They often offer two options: quick test, and extended test. These tests will usually take longer than previously mentioned Windows tools.

3. Choose a replacement hard drive

If you’re getting boot up error messages, it’s likely that your drive is getting too damaged to repair. Even if you can boot up after using disk checkup software, the drive will continue to sustain damage and fail again. So getting a hard drive replacement could be an equally quick and lasting solution.

Getting to know your drive

When choosing a new replacement drive, it might be a good idea to use your current drive as a reference point. Note down your hard drive model number with the following methods, for further research:

From Device Manager, you can find properties of the drive under “Disk Drives”. You may also find the model number from entering BIOS setup from the startup menu as mentioned earlier. Another practical method is by simply opening up your computer and looking for the model number on the drive’s label.

Using your current drive as a reference can help you decide what you’re looking for. Some criteria to look out for when you’re considering a new hard drive include: form factor, capacity, and speeds.

Form factor

The physical size of the hard drive is what we call its form factor. Getting the right dimensions is important of course, or else the drive won’t fit in your system, naturally. There are only two sizes for consumer-grade hard drives, so you probably won’t make that mistake. Laptop hard drives come in a 2.5-inch size, and desktop computer hard drives are 3.5-inches each. This measurement is roughly the diameter of the platters within the drive.

2.5-inch drives are more compact to fit inside laptops. Because of this, it may not work as powerful as 3.5-inch desktop ones when installed on a desktop computer.

Capacity

After the drive’s physical size, then comes its virtual size. That is, how much data it can hold. As mentioned above, think about how much storage space you normally space and what you need.

For larger files like photography projects or movies, you might want to get upwards to 1TB or more. Otherwise, personal use of documents and music should only need 500GB or so.

Speed

The speed, or performance of the drive is determined by how fast the platters spin for reading and writing. This is represented in the RPM (revolutions-per-minute) of the drive. Consumer-grade hard drives usually come in either 5400RPM or 7200RPM. The faster the drive spins, the faster the read and write speeds.

The obvious choice may be the faster drive, but that might not be so. Moving parts within the drive need to be powered, and higher speeds might draw more power from the system. So for a slightly more balanced experience, some may choose to use a 5400RPM drive.

Upgrading to an SSD

What if you don’t want to have to replace your hard disk every 3 years or so? Using an SSD as a boot drive might be a more reliable and long-lasting choice for you. Solid-state drives don’t contain any moving parts that need to be powered, and generally are more durable than traditional hard drives. It also offers a more balanced experience that doesn’t sacrifice speed or power use. Learn more about the pros and cons of upgrading to an SSD in our guide here.

4. Install the new drive yourself

Replacing your hard drive yourself is almost an idiot-proof process that you can do yourself. We always encourage DIY projects, when it comes to computer hardware repairs that you can save money on. You won’t need that many tools either!

If you’re looking for guides more specific to your computer model, popular tech guide ifixit might be able to help you. They offer all sorts of repair guides for tech hardware that are tailored to different computer models.

5. Install Windows

To use your new drive as a boot drive, you’ll need to install Windows OS on it again. Using a USB installation media is a simple way to do this. All you need to do is download a Windows installation media onto a USB with at least 16GB space. Then boot from the drive, and you’re all set. Alternatively, you may also use recovery media of your system along with backed up files as well.

A final word

Like most things in this material world, hard drives do not last very long. Still, there are things you could do to keep you from catastrophic data loss or corruption. Things like proper shutdown processes or keeping regular backups are both healthy computing habits to keep. Running checkup apps from time to time can also help you get a read on the health of your hard drive.

Professional repairs

Thinking about taking your computer to a professional instead? An authorised service centre or a third party repair should be what you’re thinking of. Both are options that can ease your troubles of having to take time out of your busy schedule to do things yourself.

An authorised service centre can usually offer free support services if you’re still under care or warranty. These support solutions are specialised to the brand and model of your laptop or desktop computer. If you’re unable to get support from them, or your device’s warranty has expired, a third party repair might be the way for you.

That’s us! Our experienced and helpful technicians at Safemode Computer Service can get you the right hard drive solution for you. We are situated in Inner West Sydney, at a very convenient location surrounded by Marrickville and Newtown. Our repair services are highly rated among Sydney, and we can offer a top-to-bottom checkup and solution for your faulty hard drive. Make an appointment at our Enmore store today.

How to repair HP laptop hard drive: 5 simple steps

Do you own an HP laptop or desktop computer? Are you detecting signs of hard drive failure like slow performance or sudden crashes? A failing hard drive might be something you can’t ignore, as your entire computer depends on it to carry out tasks. Not only is your hard drive used for data storage, but your operating system is on there as well. Performing tests to diagnose the problem can help you find the right repair solution,

A brief overview

Widely known for their personal and business IT solutions, Hewlett-Packard (HP) produces different hardware and software products. A few of these include, HP Spectre, x360 laptops, Chromebooks, LaserJet printers, and EliteDesk Desktops.

Hard drive failure is a common problem that not only HP users face, and can be very irritating. On top of that, hard drive failure is also something that is quite unavoidable. Hard drives do fail over long-term use, and will need a replacement.

Why do hard drives fail?

Traditional spinning hard drives contain moving parts to read and write data. The moving parts are disadvantageous to the hard drive’s durability, as accidental damage or natural wear and tear can cause bad sectors. The bad sectors then put a risk to the drive’s lifespan.

So what are bad sectors? All hard drives come with small amounts of bad sectors, and they do accumulate over time. When they do accumulate to a considerable amount, the hard drive will start to fail. Errors like slow boot up times and corrupt files are signs of such. Learn more about why hard drives fail and some error signs to look out for in “Top 8 hard drive issues and how to fix them yourself”.

Fixing a faulty hard drive

HP users may use specific tools and tests to diagnose their laptop or desktop drives. This may be a good precaution against data loss from hard drive failure. Understanding the problem at hand and using the right tools can help you find the right solution.

Here’s our guide to diagnosing and repairing an HP hard drive yourself:

1. Test hard drive with HP built-in diagnostics

For your HP laptop or desktop computer, you have a few options here: chkdsk, HP Support Assistant, and HP Diagnostics UEFI. These tools can be used to test your system for any hardware issues.

“Chkdsk” can be found on all Windows PCs, and is used as a simple hard disk checkup tool. If your computer still boots successfully, you can run it from a command prompt, or the properties window of your hard drive.

Chkdsk can attempt repairs on soft bad sectors caused by software errors, and mark hard bad sectors caused by physical damage to be skipped over. If run regularly, it can be a useful tool to prevent and fix things before actual failure.

HP built-in tools

As you can tell from their names, HP Support Assistant and HP Diagnostics UEFI are HP-specific tools designed to test HP devices for any issues presented. These two apps should already come with your computer, but you may also download it from the HP Support site if needed.

If you can start your computer up successfully, you can launch HP Support Assistant for diagnostics and online support. If you can’t get your computer to boot to Windows, you’ll have to use HP Diagnostics UEFI at bootup.

HP Support Assistant

HP Support Assistant is where you can find all the information you need about your computer. It is also where you can run diagnostics on all components on your system. You can launch the pre-installed app to do so.

To test your system, you may run simple checks like Performance Tune-up Check for system optimization. Or run HP Hardware Diagnostics to test for potential hardware issues. This not only includes the hard drive, but also components like memory and the video card. So you might even find other hardware issues that you can fix yourself.

HP Diagnostics UEFI

You can still test your hardware for issues if you can’t boot successfully to Windows (blank or stuck at HP splash screen). To use HP Diagnostics, just hold the “Esc” key when you restart your computer to reach the startup menu. Then press “F12” for System Diagnostics.

HP Diagnostics performs a full system checkup, and will report any hardware faults with failure codes. After you note down any failure code you get, you may check with HP Customer Support to find the right solution to the failure

2. Test your hard drive with dedicated analysis software

Sometimes simple system tests aren’t enough to fully test your hard drive. Then the next step might be testing it with dedicated hard drive analysis software. Software like WD Data Lifeguard (Western Digital) or SeaTools (Seagate) are some tools you can use.

Hard drive analysis software often offers two test options: Quick and Extended. With quick tests, data on the drive is verified and and a SMART test is performed. This tests for any potential soft errors and failures. Extended tests are more thorough, with stress tests that diagnose bad sectors. They usually take longer, up to an hour or more.

With this method, you’ll have to do a little more prep than just launching an application. This involves taking out the faulty hard drive from your laptop or desktop computer, and connecting it to a different desktop computer via a SATA enclosure box. Testing the drive on a desktop computer keeps it isolated from other factors that may affect its performance. The SATA enclosure being powered by a different power source also helps for this thorough check.

While the above options can test and repair rising problems, bad sectors are unavoidable and can still cause the eventual failure of the drive. So if you may want to choose a long term solution over a short fix that may only buy you another year on the drive. This brings us to hard drive replacements.

3. Choose a hard drive replacement

Understanding what you need and want in a drive and its performance can help you choose the right drive for your computing experience. Here are a few things to look out for.

Finding your own hard drive model

Your current hard drive model can be your reference while you’re looking for a new one. By judging your experience with your current drive, you’ll be able to gauge what kind of experience you want out of your computer. You may want a faster drive, or more storage space. And comparing that with the drive you have been using can help you decide.

You can find information about your hard drive model on HP Support Assistant, along with other hardware and software information. Or you can find it from Device Manager, under “Disk Drives”. The properties page can help you find information for further research.

If your computer can’t boot correctly to get to the above methods, you can check your hard drive model from BIOS setup. This is F10 from the startup menu that is prompted by holding Esc during boot up.

Or you could just open your laptop up and see for yourself. Hard drives have information such as model and serial number printed on the front label. Taking it out for a quick look is also an easy way to familiarise yourself with your laptop.

What should I look for in a hard drive?

Form factor

A 2.5-inch hard drive.

SATA hard drives mostly come in two physical sizes, 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch. This refers to the rough diameter of the spinning platters on the drive. Laptops generally use 2.5-inch drives, while desktop computers contain the latter. As the 2.5-inch drives are smaller to fit into the laptop bodies they relatively have less storage capacity than 3.5-inch ones.

Capacity

If you’re happy with the storage space you’ve been using before, it could be a good idea to stick with that. This helps to avoid buying too much space that you won’t be using anyway.

Still determining how much space you actually need can be hard to imagine. For reference, you’d normally require 250-500GB for personal use of documents and media files. For professional use of larger media files such as creative projects, you might need at least 1TB or more.

Speed

The revolutions per minute (RPM) of the spinning platters determines how fast the drive can read and write data. It goes without saying, the faster the RPM, the faster the performance of the drive.

Consumer-grade drives usually come in either 5400RPM or 7200 RPM. As mentioned, you’d of course want to choose the higher RPM. Even so, as the moving parts do need to be powered, the higher the RPM, the more power the drive will draw. So for a more balanced but not as fast performance, 5400RPM might be the way to go.

Replacing HDD with SSD

Samsung 840 EVO 2.5-inch SSD.

An SSD upgrade can get you the best of both worlds. By using NAND memory, it does not contain machinery that needs to be powered. This means it draws much less power, and offers better durability and performance. SSD upgrades are more and more popular these days as a quick performance boost. Learn more in our guide to SSD upgrades.

Where can I buy a hard drive replacement?

There are many options in the world of tech hardware these days, both online and in-store. Buying from trusted retailers like Amazon or directly from HP can usually get you a reliable purchase.

If you’re keen to get some in-person advice, shopping in store can also be a great option. By going to a local retailer you may be able to get useful pointers on the right hard drive replacement for you.

4. Install your new hard drive

Now comes the real stuff. Installing your hard drive by yourself should take nothing more than a few simple tools and a few guidelines to follow. This is an almost-immediate solution to hard drive failure as you’ll be able to replace it and use it in no time.

HP Support’s YouTube channel has a lot of resources and video tutorials that show people how to replace and repair their own HP devices. Here’s one about replacing the hard drive or SSD on an HP EliteBook 840 G3 Notebook PC:

Popular tech DIY site ifixit also offers repair and upgrade guides for all sorts of hardware products, including HP products. Find a repair guide specific to your HP laptop or desktop computer there.

5. Install Windows on new drive

You won’t be able to use your computer once you’ve only installed it as there is no operating system on it. Starting it up will only prompt errors like “no operating system found”. To start using your new drive as a boot drive, a Windows installation will naturally be needed.

An easy way to reinstall Windows on your new drive is by using a USB installation media. First, download a Windows installation media onto a USB with at least 16GB capacity. Then, at startup, hold “Esc” just like before to enter the startup menu. But this time we’re not looking for F2 Diagnostics. Select F9 Boot options menu and choose which device to boot from. Install Windows, then you’re done!

Summary

To sum up, fixing hard drive issues by yourself can be a very simple and rewarding thing to accomplish. We take pride in giving the right DIY solutions, as we very much enjoy making tech easy for people. A quick tip though, always remember to backup your data. Creating regular backups not only secures your files from potential crashes, it also puts your mind at ease. Knowing that your data can be accessed from a safe place anytime is always a good feeling.

Professional repair

While everyone is totally capable of doing all this themselves, you may find yourself too busy or you might not have the right hardware tools. Choosing to go with a professional repair can then be something to think about.

For specialised professional repairs, you can take your computer to an HP-authorized service centre. Bringing along any information about errors reported will also be a great help to support technicians. However, their replacement and repair services offered may depend on your computer model and the state of the hard drive.

Checking your warranty before doing all this might also be a good idea. If your HP laptop or desktop computer is still under warranty, you might be able to get a free replacement and servicing from an HP-authorized service centre. If not, your only professional repair solution will be from a third-party repair service.

Speaking of third-party repairs, that’s where we can help! Located in Inner West Sydney, our technicians at Safemode Computer Service are highly rated and knowledgeable. We offer full checkup services and can provide you with the right repair solutions to any problem you might have. Call us today or drop by our Inner West store for a friendly chat.