I've recently noticed my computer slowing down or briefly hanging during everyday tasks like opening browser tabs, gaming, and using voice chat. The hard drive is around nine years old, and Windows is installed on it. These problems only started about two weeks ago but have become increasingly frustrating. CrystalDiskInfo reports a caution status with these SMART values: Reallocated Sectors Count: 0x4E (78), Current Pending Sector Count: 0x242 (578), and Uncorrectable Sector Count: 0x242 (578). How urgent is it to replace the drive, and should I move Windows and back up my data immediately?
1 Answer
Don't wait for complete failure. Copy your important data first, then replace the HDD. Since the operating system is on it, installing Windows fresh on another drive is also a reasonable option if cloning seems risky.
That makes sense. I’ve done a fresh Windows installation on another drive and am gradually copying over the files I need.