Choose a trustworthy hard disk: Hard drives vary in quality, so choosing a well-known and trustworthy brand may reduce the risk of firmware issues. Seagate, WD , and Toshiba may be trusted companies.

The motor of a hard disk drive (HDD) is responsible for spinning the platters. If it fails, the drive can no longer access the data stored on it.

Whether it’s a solid-state drive (SSD) or an older mechanical hard disk drive (HDD), this component won’t keep going indefinitely.