#940 – How Do I Tell If My Hard Drive Is Too Old?

But first!

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Aging Hard Drives

How do you know when it'll die? It seems like there should be some rule of thumb, or test we can run, or some other indication that it might be time to replace it.

One would think.

The unfortunate reality is that, while there are sometimes signs, they're not signs that can be counted on. Lack of a warning means ... nothing.

How Do I Tell If My Hard Drive Is Too Old? has more on why, and what to do about it.

Also this week:

• Do you need more RAM?
• Switching from Edge to Chrome.
• Twitter's impending(?) doom.
• Gmail's "Last Account Activity."

As always, links below.

TEH Podcast

I had my own product update issues this week, and we discuss how not getting overwrought, but rather methodically approaching the problem quickly devised a workaround, as well, as notification of an eventual fix.

We also talk social media, Twitter, of course, but the more general topic of building anything using someone else's servers and services, and how that puts you at risk. And we gripe a little about tips, and suggested tips, when we visit restaurants.

TEH 176: Updates good and bad, social media gone bad, and those tips...

Take care,

Featured Article

How Do I Tell If My Hard Drive Is Too Old?
How to know when to replace it.

Age isn't the most important factor when evaluating hard disk risk of failure. I'll discuss what is, and what you should be doing to protect yourself.

https://askleo.com/149721

Also This Week on Ask Leo!

Does My Computer Need a Memory Upgrade? More RAM is usually better, but when is it really needed?
A memory upgrade can be an easy, inexpensive way to improve system performance, but how do you know if an upgrade is called for? https://askleo.com/15625

How Do I Switch From Edge to Chrome? It's easy.
It's easy to start using the Chrome internet browser instead of Edge, and I'll show you how. Unfortunately, Edge may still make occasional appearances. https://askleo.com/149768

Prepare for Twitter's Death Move fast and break things certainly seems to be the motto.
Twitter seems on rocky ground. If you have a Twitter account, you might want to take steps, just in case. https://askleo.com/150300

What is Last Account Activity in Gmail? And is it something you should worry about?
Gmail makes your account activity available to you in case you're concerned about unauthorized access. https://askleo.com/149748

Ask Leo! on YouTube

Subscribe to Ask Leo! on YouTube to get the latest on YouTube.com. Your subscription (and "Likes") help others find Ask Leo!, and the the answers they're looking for.

Storing Your 2FA Key in Your Password Vault Some password vaults now let you store your 2FA information as well, and will then enter it for you. Should you, though? https://youtu.be/4kPcqVeh6f8

Social Media can Disappear in an Instant Recent antics at Twitter serve to remind us that anything you place on a third party service can disappear in an instant. Rules can change. Accounts can get hacked. Build in a backup plan, and if you can, build on your own property instead of or in addition to someone else's. https://youtu.be/6OMEF9Y-ZU8

What is Last Account Activity in Gmail? Gmail makes your account activity available to you in case you're concerned about unauthorized access. https://youtu.be/wbkEY3PEXZE

Using a Password Vault Thwart Keyloggers? Nope. Keyloggers are just malware, and can use 100's of different techniques to slurp up your data. Avoid malware to begin with to stay safe. And use a password manager because it's the right thing to do. https://youtu.be/ubJVDEqfrzY

How Do I Switch From Edge to Chrome? It's easy to start using the Chrome internet browser instead of Edge, and I'll show you how. Unfortunately, Edge may still make occasional appearances. https://youtu.be/AZ44JW8h-DQ

Avoiding Social Media Algorithms How I avoid the algorithms at Twitter, Facebook, and yes, YouTube. https://youtu.be/Jy10rLA8bOs

How Do I Tell If My Hard Drive Is Too Old? Age isn't the most important factor when evaluating hard disk risk of failure. I'll discuss what is, and what you should be doing to protect yourself. https://youtu.be/s9m9C_PY1Vs

Twitter Death? Prepare! In this segment from The TEH Podcast I discuss the critical step Twitter account holders need to do, regardless of whether they plan to leave Twitter. https://youtu.be/M3LrTcH0BlE

Does My Computer Need a Memory Upgrade? A memory upgrade can be an easy, inexpensive way to improve system performance, but how do you know if an upgrade is called for? https://youtu.be/J6hbbHzPm9w

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