There are some signs to look out for when it comes to one of the most important parts of a computer system, your hard drive. Not only is this one of the most vital, it is also where most of the information is installed and stored making re-installment a pain indeed. Screeching, vibration and many other signs can be heard or felt that may give sign of pending failure so be sure to be aware of such issues. You could also try to back-up your most important files to a sizable flash drive to save you the effort of having to re-do everything you lost.
As for the re-install of all the necessary software, you could also get somebody else to do it for you like the technician in the shop but be prepared to shell out a few bucks just for that(not considering the other software you may need installed that he may have to find for you = additional charges).
