HDD

How it works

• It stores data on spinning platters read by a moving arm.
• It is slower than a solid state drive and sensitive to knocks.
• It can fail without warning.
• Failing drives often click, slow or freeze.

What can go wrong (example scenario)

A freelancer kept every client project on a single external drive. It was dropped once, and one morning it would not start. There was no second copy.

How WILDCARD handles it

Unified Backups copies computers and cloud data so a failed drive does not mean lost files.

• A firm replaces an old computer drive before it fails.
• A studio moves an archive from a single drive to managed storage.
• An office keeps the old drive for parts but wipes it first.

A question owners ask

How long do they last?

Often three to five years, but with no promise. A backup is what makes the answer unimportant.