Question: My (windows based) laptop is coming up to six years old now, and it still has semi respectable specs – Core 2 Duo 2.6ghz, 1gb Ram, 500gb HDD, 256mb ATI graphics card. Although the hardware is on its last legs, I am quite proficient with XP and keeping things nice and tidy.
I have minimal start up processes and defrag every six weeks or so.
Now I am experiencing slow downs, but I do not think it is my software being the cause. I am pretty sure it is my HDD being old and decrepit that is doing it.
- Do HDDs get slower with age / use?
- On average, how often shouldI be replacing my HDD?
- Is there anyway of testing / monitoring the HDDspeeds?
Answer: No, harddrives don’t get measurably slower with age. Drives can get worn mechanically, and they can get occasional bad sectors, but either they work for decades or they fail hard and quick after a while – not a slow decay. As Ignacio states, there’s a bit of age-related maintenance inside the drive, but that’s on a scale you wouldn’t notice.
Windows is known to slow down (see, it’s software-related) over time, especially if you install&uninstall applications often. At any rate, if the machine is running for 6 years on the same Windows installation, you’re doing well! I would suggest to back up the machine, then reinstall the OS and your programs.
I agree with you that the specs of the machine make it useful for several more years. If you have (access to) GRC.com’s SpinRite, you might want to try it out. It can refresh your disk.