A hard drive failure always comes as a surprise. I mean, if it didn't, you would have backed up all of your data and it wouldn't be quite as devastating to your business. It was a surprise, and you are devastated. But honestly, sometimes your hard drive will give off some telltale warning signs before it crashes, maybe giving you a chance to replace it or correct the problem.

The following are some of the more common signs of impending doom:

• Your programs will frequently freeze up. If you lose control of your mouse and keyboard, your computer is in a freeze, especially if the hard drive LED is on constantly. Attempt to force quit whatever program you are running, and if you can't, reboot the computer.
• Lost files or frequently corrupted data. For example, if you were working on a file this morning, saved it, and return to find it missing, your hard drive may be in the early stages of failing. Usually your operating system will detect this.
• Your computer is locking up when you first power it on in the morning. If this starts to happen with increasing frequency, you should consider checking the health of your drive.

It's also true that these three warning signs can simply be coincidental, and could be showing you signs of a problem with your operating system. Be aware that your operating system can also cause the need for data recovery, especially if it stops working and you can't boot. There are several programs that you can install that will check and monitor your operating systems health, as well as the health of your hard drive. These utilities should be run weekly, at least. Some utility software also repairs the wear and tear/software degradation that may look like impending hard drive failure.

A thorough backup plan is also a must. Even if it's just weekly, backing up your data will save you hours and hours of time if you do have a disaster.

A hard drive crash is a serious issue; however, with a little preparation it's not nearkt as bad as it would be if you were completely unprepared.