How old is my hard drive?

Knowing the age of your hard drive will let you know if it's time to back up the files stored on it. The best way to find out is checking the manufacturing date which is on the record label. There is also programs that accurately calculate usage time of storage units. Let's answer the question "How old is my hard drive?" in more detail.

How old is my hard drive? Determining factors

Are you worried about the condition of your computer's hard drive? Perhaps it's been in circulation for several years and You want to know how much useful life is leftOr maybe time has already started to take its toll, you've noticed some glitches in its operation, and you're wondering, "How old is my hard drive?"

The question is well formulated because, in the case of hard drives or HDD, time is the determining factorThe durability of these storage units is determined by the number of hours they're used. In other words, the more hours they're used, the greater the wear and tear, and the shorter their lifespan.

This is true because HDDs are composed of moving mechanical parts. Naturally, the movement caused by use causes wear and tear on the internal components, which negatively impacts their performance. It is estimated that A hard drive can last, on average, about 20.000 hours on, a little more or a little less.

The same does not happen with solid state drives, or SSD, whose durability depends on the number of overwrites they receive. In our article «How to calculate the lifespan of your SSD and HDD» we explained the differences in more detail. But now, let's focus on answering the question «How old is my hard drive?»

Symptoms that your hard drive's days are numbered

If we're talking about hard drives, it's because your computer is one of the newer ones. New computers, both desktop and laptop, incorporate SSD drives, which are faster and more efficientHowever, there are still more than a few cases that proudly boast a perfectly functioning hard drive. If that's you, congratulations! You've been in luck.

Other hard drives, on the other hand, begin to fail earlier than expected. As we've said, it's often a matter of luck. Furthermore, The brand, use, maintenance and condition of the disc can significantly shorten its lifespan.Some symptoms that your hard drive's days are numbered are:

• Unusual noisesHard drives are naturally noisy, but they often go unnoticed. If the noise is excessive or there are constant clicking, whirring, or grinding sounds, it could be due to problems with the head, bearings, or motors.
• Extreme slowness: Very long loading times when opening files or programs.
• File loss: Folders disappearing or showing strange names, files getting corrupted for no reason.
• Bad or damaged sectors.
• System startup failures: Messages like «No boot device found», or unexpected reboots during the startup process.
• Overheating
• Blue Screens of Death, with messages related to the album such as "disk error».

If you've seen any of these signs and are wondering, "How old is my hard drive?", the answer is: enough. In all likelihood, it's time for you to Make a backup of your files and programs and replace the disk with a new oneConsider purchasing an SSD and using it as your primary drive, and you'll immediately notice how much your computer improves in terms of speed and efficiency.

How do I know exactly how old my hard drive is?

Now, if your computer seems to be working normally, but you're still wondering 'how old is my hard drive', there are ways to find out exactly. The most accurate of all is to find the manufacturing date of the hard drive and then do the mathYou can find this information on the hard drive label, so you'll have to open the case to find it.

If for some reason you do not see the manufacturing date on the disc label, try with another piece of information, such as the model serial number. Typically, the serial number is a sequence of numbers and letters preceded by the abbreviation MDL. Enter the serial number into any search engine and try searching for the model online to see its manufacturing date.

By now, most hard drives in circulation are five years old or more. Of course, the time since they were manufactured is one thing, and the number of hours of use is another. The estimated 20.000 hours add up to almost three years of continuous operation, every day, 24 hours a day.So, is there a way to know how many hours a hard drive has been powered on?

Use CrystalDiskInfo to find out the hours of use of your hard drive.

"How long has my hard drive been running?" This is the question we're interested in answering to find out how many hours an HDD has been powered on. The best way to find out is using the free tool CrystalDiskInfo, available for Windows operating systems. You can download the standard or portable version from Your Website.

After downloading the installer, simply double-click the file to launch the tool. It will automatically detect the hard drives connected to the computer and display almost all the data. SMART (Self Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) of each disk.

"Where can I see how long my hard drive has been powered on?" In the main CrystalDiskInfo window, look for the "Power-On-Hours" section.Here you can see the total operating time of the drive in hours, a very important piece of information for determining the drive's useful life.

The analysis may surprise you. The disk may have exceeded 20.000 hours of use, but it is still in good condition. Therefore, In addition to the hours of operation, take into account the symptoms already described to decide whether to change the unit or keep it a little longer.. Of course, consider using a backup drive to avoid the sudden loss of your important files.