This makes it harder to predict exactly how long a hard drive will last. It’s fair to note, however, that the way HDDs are mechanically built give them somewhat of a random failure potential.
#LACIE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE SUPPORT FULL#
The AFR will describe a drive failure possibility percentage after a full year of use. The MTBF describes an estimated amount of hours of runtime before mechanical failure in a drive. MTBF and AFR are linked, but they represent slightly different types of data. Hard drive manufacturers typically provide a “mean time between failure” (MTBF) and/or “annualized failure rate” (AFR) for their drives. What matters is how you prevent losing the data stored on the drive itself. You can just get a new replacement enclosure, so that isn’t a huge issue. Truth is, it varies.Įven if the enclosure fails, the drive is still recoverable. Asking about the longevity of an external enclosure-a metal or plastic housing designed to cover and protect a disk drive from damage-is a different question altogether. This means any HDD, whether it’s external or inside of a system. The simplest answer is that they can run smoothly for three to five years.
![lacie external hard drive support lacie external hard drive support](https://www.scan.co.uk/images/products/2839955-b.jpg)
So let’s get to it: What’s your hard drive’s expiration date?įirst, let’s start with hard disk drives (HDDs).
![lacie external hard drive support lacie external hard drive support](https://www.lacie.com/files/lacie-content/products/mobile-drive/images/LaCie_Mobile-SSD_Left_Lo-Res.png)
The answers aren’t exactly clear-cut, but there’s a consensus for how long you might expect a typical hard drive to work, whether it’s external or internal. As a Customer Support Technician for hard drive tool technologies, I’m often approached by customers asking: “How long will my external hard drive last?” And then the follow-up, “When will a hard drive failure happen?” or “When can a hard drive be expected to fail?”