Simple and easy process of examining and buying used Hdd.

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Note: The focus of the write up is on Hard Disk Drive (HDD) alone, it doesn't involve other types of hard drives, such as, Solid State Drive (SDD), this is because HDD is the only one among them that has mechanical components.

There has been a general opinion among PC users  that  if one needs hdd either as a replacement, an upgrade or external backup, one should consider buying a new one. I also support that view, though the fact still remains that buying a new hdd doesn't mean it won't develop faults within months or a year. So, if you are not financially constrained and you need an hdd, you can buy new one and safe yourself from the doubt of buying used hdd and the stress of going through these tips, but if you are left  with no choice but to buy used one, continue reading and i'll tell you how we, over the years, have used the simple process to buy used hdds that serve our needs  for a long time. The followings are the tips, but first where can one get used hard disk drives?

Where to get it?

You can go to a nearby computer local store to buy one, such stores always have them around, but  if there is no  PC store nearby, you can also buy it from any of the  popular online stores that have good reputation in selling used items. And as usual, make sure the item is returnable and “money back guarantee”.  Furthermore, if you are buying online and you are not familiar with basic computer DIY skills, you can invite a friend that has such skills to assist. And if you are buying from a local store, ask the technician for assistance.

It involves time:

Though the required time is not up to an hour, because the whole process is based on knowing the  health status of the hdd, therefore, you need such time  to examine it properly.

If it is external storage (back up storage)

This required even  less of the mentioned time. Thus, put  the hdd inside the "External hdd Case or enclosure" and connect it via USB Cable to any of the PC's USB ports. The icon along with storage size of the hdd must appear soon enough  in "my computer" window interface. You need to do a quick format. If you formatted it completely,  then the next thing is, it must be easily accessible, i.e. there must be a smooth transferring of files from PC to hdd and from hdd to PC again.

Unusual audible Sound is not good:

While you are doing the above, at the same time, pay attention to any unusual or audible sound such as whirring, knocking and ticking (or clicking) that may be coming from the hdd. This is different from normal and usual subtle sound you only hear, especially, when your PC is booting or trying to access  "heavy" application program or video files. In fact, if the hdd is of newer models, you are not suppose to be aware of any sound when carrying  out these tasks  because  they tend to run faster and quiet. If the hdd passed through above process, the hdd is still ok and good for external purpose. Although, some hard drive might seem  good for external storage, but not good enough for internal purpose. So, to be on the safe side, i’ll suggest you follow the tip for internal storage below, whether you are buying for internal or external purpose.

For internal purposes:

Like i said, some hdd can successfully pass through those things mentioned above and still not good enough for internal usage, to find out, just ask the technician (if you can't do it by yourself) to put the hdd inside a good PC or your own PC, boot the PC and start the installation of an O.S (saying win. 7) from the start up, format the hdd completely along the way and load (install) fresh copy of the OS (Operating System) on it. Installation time varies because it depends on some factors, but it usually takes 15-25 minutes and the  whole process involve 2 or  3 stages. Most of the "not so good" hdd won't pass the first and second stages. If you completely and successfully installed the OS, the hdd is fine.

NOTE: there may be some signs that might be attributed to failing hdds, signs such as freezing and blue screen. The problem is, at this point, you can't really pin these signs on hdd alone, it might be other components of the PC or software issues.  But for the sake of this write-up and our time, remember, the hdd is still ok, if it can successfully, completely and smoothly accept a fresh copy of an OS without any complaints such as "error" or "bad sector" during the installation process, it's because, over the years, we've used this method to buy used hdds, and mostly, the method has been working for us. Finally, buying new hdd put your mind at rest  for the moment, it doesn't guarantee the hdd won't fail with a year.

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