The warning signs are often quieter than people expect.

Slow access and copy errors

If folders take unusually long to open or files fail to copy, the drive may be retrying reads from weak areas. Check health and back up quickly.

Missing or corrupted files

Files that disappear or refuse to open can point to file-system damage, media problems or both. Do not keep writing new data until important files are safe.

Noise, disconnects and boot failures

Clicking, scraping, repeated disconnects or boot failures are serious signs. Power down and protect recovery options if the data is critical.

SMART warnings are not background noise

A warning about sectors, health decline or communication problems means the storage layer has evidence. Investigate it before normal work resumes.