[X4U] Lifespan of Harddrives?

[Randy B.Singer]

nk said:

>I have the feeling these drives ought to have lasted longer  
>than they did, but was interested what other people here have  
>experienced.


If you check on manufacturer's Web sites, you will find that all drive 
manufacturers publish the expected MTBF (mean time before failure) of 
their drives.  The MTBF is quite a bit higher now than it was just a few 
years ago.

That said, hard drives can die a few months after you get them, or they 
can last many years.  There is no way to know which it is going to be.  
Drives from every manufacturer can die young and unexpectedly.

Getting a drive with SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting 
Technology) can offer some warning before a drive dies:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Monitoring%2C_Analysis_and_Reporting_Tec
hnology>





Randy B. Singer
Co-Author of: The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th and 6th editions)

Routine OS X Maintenance and Generic Troubleshooting
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html