What is a common indicator of a failing hard drive?

A common indicator of a failing hard drive is indeed characterized by slow performance accompanied by unusual noises. When a hard drive begins to fail, it may struggle to access or write data effectively, leading to noticeable sluggishness in system performance. Additionally, unusual noises such as clicking, grinding, or whirring can indicate mechanical failure or issues with the drive's read/write heads or platters. These symptoms signal that the drive may not be functioning as intended, which could lead not only to data loss but also to complete drive failure if not addressed promptly.

Other indicators may present themselves in different forms; for instance, increased fan noise could signal overheating or increased workload, frequent BSODs typically relate to software or driver issues more than hardware failure, and random software crashes can sometimes arise from a multitude of problems, including software bugs or memory issues. However, the combination of slow performance and unusual noises specifically points to hard drive failure.