In the present time, where data is the asset, one cannot afford to lose it. Data is stored on different locations i.e., on physical storage devices and other drives. Many times, either due to external or internal stimuli, your data may get damaged. Of these, bad sectors are amongst one of the major reasons. Whenever the good hard disk comes up with other sectors, it goes bad and the data is lost. But, the disk functions. However, one has to mark it unusable so that the operating system stops storing data. The negative aspect of this is that, it reduces the storage space amount of the total disk capacity. There are several ways by following which you can repair bad sectors in the sectors. We have discussed some of these ahead in this blog.
What Is Meant By A Bad Sector?
To define, bad sector is a section in the hard drive that becomes inaccessible or corrupted. The cluster of storage space will stop responding to any of your read or write requests when defective. In general, the bad sectors are categorized into two categories:
- It occurs due to some software error.
- The other reason can be a physical damage.
What are the Reasons for Bad Sectors?
There are two major categories of bad sectors:
- Logical
- Physical
Below we have categorized each category along with their reasons:
| Logical Bad Sectors | Physical Bad Sectors |
| System Crash | Heat |
| Virus Infection | Dust |
| Software Conflict | Impact |
| Sudden Shutdown | Wear out |
| Reboot Of Computer | Defective Blocks |
| Sudden Power Outage | Overclocked PCI Bus Speeds |
What Are The Indications Of Bad Sectors In The Hard Drive?
Here, we have mentioned some of the common signs that indicate the presence of bad sectors in a Hard Drive:
- Some strange noises are created on booting, especially when you read/write and or try to open the disk drive.
- An error message appears on your screen when either your file gets corrupt or fails to read while running a program.
- Your system might be taking a lot of time to run a program or read a file. It may also display a Blue Screen.
- The system may display the following warning messages even when it isn’t attacked by a virus: “General error in reading drive C” or “Sector not found”
- When Windows fail to complete either Quick as well as Full hard disk drive format.
If you come across any of the above-mentioned signs or causes, it signifies that you should repair the bad sectors immediately to keep your data secure and integrated.
Methods To Repair Bad Sectors In Hard Drive
Below we have mentioned some of the effective solutions that can help you repair bad sector repair in a hard drive:
Note: If you come across situations, where the hard drive experiences one or more bad sectors, make sure you take the disk backup and then, try to repair bad sectors in the hard drive.
Method 1: For HDD Bad Sectors Repair on the Hard Drive
Option 1: Manual bad sector repair Method for Windows 10/8 Users
- Go to the Search option, then type PC> This Pc in the search field.
- Then, select the drive that you want to repair.
- Right-click on the selected drive and then, click on Properties.
- Now, go to the Error checking section and click on Check. It allows you to Review the scan results.
- Further, click on Scan and Repair drive option. This allows you to Schedule when to repair the file system.
- At last, let Windows bad sector repair tool to Scan and Repair the Hard Drive Sectors.
Option 2: Windows 7
Before you begin, make sure to close all the running Programs and File. Once done, proceed with the below-given steps:
- Click on the Windows icon and then, click on Computer.
- Further, select the Hard Drive that you want to check for Bad Sectors.
- Now, go to Properties and select the Tool option.
- Further, click on check now option under the Error-checking section.
- After that, mark the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors checkbox.
- Again, click on the Windows icon. It shows that Windows is trying to fix the error.
- At last, review the Check Disk Report
Method 2: With Hard Drive Data Recovery Software
One of the best ways to get back your lost, deleted, or inaccessible data is by using the software-directed approach. You would come across numerous Data Recovery software that help you regain data with 0% compromise. To suggest, one such software is the Stellar Hard Drive Recovery Software
Why Stellar?
It is a powerful scan engine with innovative features and helps you recover the lost or inaccessible data. The features aren’t restricted to these, it comes with an intuitive interface and the data recovery software is 100% safe and reliable. Also, it is compatible with Windows 11 and below versions. All you have to do is; download, install and then, proceed with the steps listed below:
- Launch & Select
- When downloaded, open the Stellar Windows Data Recovery and then, select the type of the data that you want to recover.
- Next, select the location from where you want to recover the data.
- Scan & Preview
- At first, click on the Scan option.
- When scanned, preview files simultaneously with scanning
- Sort & Save Recoverable Data
Once you have completed the scanning process, make sure to save the data. For doing so, the below-listed steps will help:
- To save, select the desired files.
- When done, click on Recover to store the recoverable files to the preferred location.
Closing Thoughts
It becomes difficult to access a hard drive when it comes up with bad sectors. Moreover, till the time the bad sectors aren’t increasing your data is secure and can be recovered easily. On the other hand, if it increases, then recovery becomes essential. To avoid data loss, one must try to remove the bad sectors from hard disk in the initial stage itself. You may do so either by following the methods listed above or with the help of a safe and secure Stellar Windows Data Recovery- Standard.