A hard drive that is in a very busy desktop computer will wear out much faster than a hard drive that is running in a PC that rarely gets turned off, not even to sleep. Hard drives have a life expectancy that is directly linked to its workload.
While it can vary with how often you use your computer, hard drives are known to fail at any time without advance warning. For most standard desktop computers, the hard drive generally lasts an average of 4 – 7 years. Hard drive life is measured in a number of factors such as brand, interface and model. So yes, hard drives do die, hence the limited warranty provided. However, when it comes to hard drive life expectancy and the expiry date of an existing hard drive, there is little that you can do to actually prevent that occurrence.Ī lot of variables contribute to how long a hard drive will last its manufacturer, the intended use case and of course how much data is stored on it. As a result, your data will not be accessible many years from now. Hard drives, like all storage media, do eventually become obsolete as technology advances.
It is possible that they can break, however, so to ensure you get the best performance out of your external drive be sure to give them the best care possible. The only difference between them is that they aren’t located on your computer, which does affect their lifespan, as they may not be used as often.Įxternal hard drives are designed to be very durable and last a long time. Wherever you plug in your drive, it is getting the same amount of wear and tear. They have similar life expectancy as internal drives for the most part. 8 Final Thoughts On Do Hard Drives Expire.6 How Do I know If My External Hard Drive Is Dying?.