You may be afraid that some or all of your hard disks are getting too hot and your precious data are in danger.

Most disk manufacturers, even in their web site, warn about problematic temperature ranges, however, as a general rule just remember that the ideal temperature for a hard disk is between 25 and 40 C (equals with 77-104 F). Between 41 and 50 C a disk is also considered safe.

This doesn’t mean that in 52 C your disk will fail, only that a failure is more probable. Heat is practically not a severe problem. In any case the safest range for a disk is between 25 and 45 C.

There are various tools that will let you monitor the temperature of your hard disks, such as SpeedFan (it monitors voltages, fan speeds and temperatures, and it also cooperates with the Hard Disk CPU GPU Temperature Desktop Gadget), Open Hardware Monitor, CrystalDiskInfo.

To keep your disks cool, ensure sufficient air flow and don’t place your PC near sources of heat.