Signs of a drive failure

Here are some signs of a problem before the drive dies on you:

1. Computer freezes often. When it happens, the mouse cursor is unmovable and keyboard is ignored. Nothing works and a restart is required to recover the computer.
2. Files mysterious disappearing.
3. Frequent lock-up during booting. I say “frequent” because all computers will freeze every now and then and it doesn’t necessarily mean the drive is failing. You’re looking for a pattern here.
4. File access mysteriously slows to a turtle’s pace. Saving files or open files simply takes forever.

You might need data recovery. First try some data recovery software. It could provide a quick fix for you. Otherwise talk to a professional.