When copying files on a Storage Device, some users face errors eventually. It could be due to the Bad Sector of the Disk. So, What is a Bad Sector? Here we will describe that with a simple explanation. We will also explain How Bad Sectors are formed, and How you can remove Bad Sectors from a Disk.
Table of Contents
What is a Bad Sector:
Many users think that Bad Sector is a type of Malware or Virus that enters the Hard Disk. So, before you understand what is a bad sector, you should understand how a Hard Disk works.
Check out this article on Types of Hard Drives and How they Work.
Basically, a Hard disk has several layers of plates. A Sector is a small part of the Hard Disk where data is stored.
So, when one or more sectors are damaged, it is called Bad Sector.
Look at the following pictures. There are several sectors on a Disk. The Green color indicates that a sector is Good, and the Red Color Indicated How the Bad Sector Looks.
So, the Disk on the Left has No Bad Sectors, but the Disk on the Right has formed some Bad Sectors.
The Sector can be damaged due to various reasons. Some of them are:
- When the hard disk takes physical damage
- When you suddenly remove the hard disk while copying/moving files.
- Or When the Storage Device is disconnected due to power loss while active.
- If the Reader/ Writer Head is Physically Damaged
- When the External Hard Disk is moved when copying/moving files.
- If you used the Disk a lot.
- If you format the Disk several times.
When you copy files, they are not copied in a serial order. They are divided into several parts and copied to different sectors. Therefore, when Windows try to copy data on a Bad Sector, you will get an error and the copying/moving process is stopped.
However, the copy will be successful when the data is copied to the Good sectors of the Hard Disk. Hence, we usually encounter errors while copying large files, as the probability of meeting the Bad Sectors is more when copying large files.
Bad Sectors can be formed in any Storage Device. Whether it be Internal Hard Disks, Pen Drives, External Hard Disks, Flash Drives, and more. However, the chances of getting Bad Sectors is more on External Storage Devices like Pen Drive and External Hard Disk as we do not handle them with care.
How to Remove Bad Sector?
Bad Sectors can be removed using Full Format, as we have mentioned in our previous article on Quick Format Vs Full Format. However, there is no guarantee.
Some Bad Sectors are permanent. So, you can take the storage device to the Technician, who will lock out the Bad Sectors of the Hard Disk. That will help you use the other part of the hard disk.
Example: If you have a hard disk of 2 GB. And the Bad Sector covers 500 MB. Then the Bad Sector will be locked, and you will be able to use the 1.5 GB. You should now assume that the hard disk is 1.5 GB only.
If you leave the Hard Disk as it is, you won’t be able to copy/move large files as Windows will also attempt to add files to the Bad Sectors.
Another Solution is changing the Reader Head. As we mentioned earlier, a faulty or damaged Reader Head can also create Bad Sectors. So, you can take the help of a technician who can replace the Reader Head and avoid further damage.
Conclusion:
It is hard to remove Bad Sectors from a Hard Disk. So, it is better to take precautions and prevent causing Bad Sectors.
If your drive has Bad Sectors, you can either use utility tools or take it to a technical to lock out the Bad Sectors.
So, to take precautions, and solve the issue, the user must know What is a Bad Sector first. And remember that the Bad Sector can neither be removed nor repaired. It can only be locked.
