What is a bad sector on a hard drive? How are they created?

What is a sector and how are bad sectors created?

Bad sectors are quite common with normal computer use; However, there are several simple steps you can take to prevent these sectors. Also, having bad sectors will slow down your hard drive.

A sector is simply a unit of information stored on the hard drive. Rather than being a dense mass of fluid information, the hard drive stores the data in sectors. The standard size of a sector is 512 bytes.

There are several problems that can cause bad sectors:

Improper shutdown of Windows or operating system. Hard disk defects, including general surface wear, air pollution inside the unit, or the head touching the disk surface. Other poor or old hardware, such as a fan, data cables or an overheated hard drive. Malware.

Hard and soft defective sectors

There are two types of bad sectors, hard and soft. We detail below the differences between them:

Hard bad sectors are those that are physically damaged, or in a rigid magnetic state. If your computer is hit while the hard drive is writing data, is exposed to extreme heat, or simply has a faulty mechanical part that is allowing the head to come in contact with the surface of the drive, a hard faulty sector could be created. These types of bad sectors cannot be repaired, but can be prevented.

Soft bad sectors occur when an error correction code (ECC) found in the sector does not match the content of the sector. A soft bad sector is sometimes explained as a worn out hard drive format. They are logical, not physical, errors. These sectors are repairable by overwriting everything on the disk with zeros.

Prevention of bad sectors

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It is always better to prevent bad sectors than to try to repair them, paying attention to both your computer's hardware and software.

Prevent bad sectors caused by hardwar e:

Make sure the computer stays cool and dust-free. Buy good quality hardware from respected brands. Always move the equipment carefully. Keep the data cables as short as possible. Always shut down your computer properly and use a UPS if your house is prone to blackouts.

Prevention of bad sectors through the use of software:

Use a quality disk defragmenter program with automated scheduling to help prevent a head crash (head crashes can create hard bad sectors). Disk defragmentation reduces wear and tear on the hard drive, extending its life and preventing bad sectors. Of course, in SSD we do not recommend the use, since it would shorten the life of the same. Run quality antivirus & antimalware software and keep programs up to date.

We recommend reading the best SSDs on the market

Have you ever had bad sectors? Have you been able to repair them or did you have to change to a new hard drive? We await your opinions!