May 31, 2009 at 4:03 am · Filed under Uncategorized
In recent times with the “Credit Crunch” beginning to bite a lot of people may well be tempted to try to repair or recover their data from a failed hard disk drive or memory stick. Alternatively they try to use recovery software, which is easily available on the net, can be paid for and downloaded online.
In most cases this software will be a hard drive recovery programme for a hard disk drive that has suffered from some form of logical table corruption and will not assist with
- Mechanically failed devices
- Degraded hard Disk Drives
- Devices with electronic failures
This software will of course not be able to help and if the drive is degraded or suffering from a mechanical failure attempting to run this software will in most cases cause further damage to hard disk drives, potentially making the disk unrecoverable.
The software itself is very often very reasonable priced – usually under $100 but is only good for one purpose to recover either deleted or logically failed drives, so if you are not sure what you are doing trying to do a self recovery can in the long run cost a lot more.
In a recent case a teacher brought in a laptop hard disk drive which had been previously diagnosed by the schools own IT department. The teacher concerned had done exactly what any person probably would do and trusted that the onsite IT dept at the school would have a degree of knowledge and competence when dealing with a suspected HDD failure. Unfortunately the opposite seems to be the norm in many cases.
In a typical case a drive was initially presented for diagnosis and duly diagnosed with a blown PCB – the drive seemed completely dead and would not spin at all. As an additional test a new PCB was placed on the board so that the response of the heads could be tested. The result of this test was that the heads appeared to have been “blown” by a power surge through the drive.
Upon further discussion, with the client, it transpired that the IT dept had decided to remove the HDD from the laptop and as it was an IDE device mount it as an external storage device by using an IDE connector. Unfortunately they plugged the HDD to the connector “upside down” meaning that crucially the drive received a huge power spike through it when the connector was hooked up to a PC.
It may well have been in this particular scenario that the actual problem could have been no more a few bad sectors on the disk, however due to a certain level of incompetence within this department what originally was more than likely a simple job for a data professional turned into a much more costly full drive rebuild.
Many businesses need to get their data back as quickly as possibly so it is quite frustrating to have additional costs and additional downtime whilst you are waiting for data to be recovered
Unfortunately most Data Recovery Companies will probably have their own tales of customer mishap or IT Technicians making their job more difficult through there well intentioned but often misinformed knowledge of hard disk drive technology.
So the moral of this is that whilst many people will look for a quick and cheap fix for their hard drive recovery problems, they really are best leaving it to the experts.
Tags:
Data Recovery,
Hard Drive Recovery,
Hard Drives
May 31, 2009 at 4:03 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Removing data from a hard drive, permanently, is something that sounds an awful lot simpler than it proves to be in reality. As we all know deleting a file does not remove the file or its content from the hard drive permanently, data recovery companies can normally aid in the recovery of such files, no doubt other less scrupulous individuals are equally capable of such recovery feats.
So what lengths do we need to go to in order to ensure that our data is securely removed?
To put it simply there is no safe and easy way of ensuring that data is permantly eradicated from a hard disk or any other form of storage medium in reality. That doesn’t mean however that it can’t be done.
Data can only be considered completely erased when it has been overwritten several times, each time using a different method. The level of overwriting usually considered to guarantee that data has been successfully erased is a seven pass overwriting method using software or manual processes that adhere to the DoD 5220.22-M standard for data erasure.
There are many companies that can provide such data elimination services, and there are also a number of software applications that can serve the process including Evidence Eliminator, M-Sweep Pro Data Eliminatior and R-Wipe software from the company behind R-Studio Data Recovery Software.
Apart from software and manual deletion there are more robust methods of data disposal which is commonally know as data destruction. This involves the complete destruction of the disks to the point where recovery would be impossible.
If you wish to attempt this yourself, it is important to note that the platters within the device should be completely destroyed, this means bending, scratching, smashing, shattering or whatever else seems reasonable to completely annihilate the hard disk platter.
Always remember deleting a file does not remove your data beyond the point of recovery. Formatting a hard disk, even full formats/low level formats do not guarantee complete data erasure. Re-installing an operating system does not get rid of your data either. The only reliable method is the multi-pass method.
Not all data will needs to be totally destroyed using the above methods and if you are happy that none of your data is personal or sensitive (both business or personal) then simply dispose of it in an enviromentally responsibly way, but if you are at all unsure don’t take the risk.
Your local data recovery company will be able to advise you on safe hard drive recovery data disposal methods and will probably have a local service. data recovery and data disposal should always be left to professional operators who are happy to certify their work.
Tags:
data disposal,
Data Recovery,
data recovery services
May 7, 2009 at 9:06 am · Filed under Uncategorized
We would all like to think that we are immune to a system failure and that our trusty computers will just keep on going without a hint of a problem. Sadly regardless of whether you’re are a home or business user, systems are prone to boot up failures and these often result in unexpected data loss of varying degrees.
If you have been here before then at least you will have a vague or depending on your experience a deeper level of knowledge here, but for many potential data loss scenarios are a new computing horror to overcome, so what typically should we be looking out for?
Computer is working but simply won’t boot up properly: Often this can be overcome by starting your computer in safe mode if you know how, and going from there. But this will not always help as you may be suffering from a software issue or conflict or even possible a hardware issue such as a failing hard disk drive.
Your computer loses its zing and starts to feel very jaded and slow: This could be the result of hard drive fragmentation which can be rectified, or could be a more serious operating system problem. The potential for data loss is possible in both scenarios and the most serious operating system problems are best dealt with by doing a totally clean OS install.
Pc virus, malware and spyware: Pc virus and other, malevolent applications can cause untold data loss and problems if not handled in the correct manner from the outset. Boot sector viruses and others will first start to be noticeable when you Pc starts behaving strangely so be on your guard.
OK so you have been unlucky and have suffered from the worst potential problem, your system is dead and the only option left is to reinstall your operating system. So how could you have avoided data loss?
The best way to avoid data loss in the first place is to follow a simple protocol. Backup your important data on a regular basis. There is simply no good excuse for not doing this as external drives and online backup centers are readily available to all.
External hard drives can be purchased in most computer shops now days and a quick search online for online backup will also give you a number of remote back up options.
So what options do you have to get your important or vital data back? If things seem really bad and saving the data is crucial, don’t take any risks and contact a data recovery specialist. They will have a whole host of solutions available to save your data and whilst it cannot be guaranteed, they do stand the best chance of success.
You can find more great advice on data recovery and in particular for businesses raid data recovery here.
Tags:
Data Backup,
Data Recovery,
Online Backup
April 24, 2009 at 6:55 am · Filed under Uncategorized
No matter if you have taken all the required precautions, when a server or a hard drive fails you can guarantee that the search for a company to sort out the problem will be the foremost thing on most peoples minds, but how do you choose the best comapny to do the job for you?
Making the right choice in which data recovery company to work with can be a bit of a chore at an often crucial time, but getting it right is vitally important to ensure the best success rate.
The company that gets your vote should have dedicated Data recovery staff that are professionally trained for the required task
Unfortunately some companies only undertake recovery tasks on an irregular basis and do not have either the skill set or necessary tools to carry out a full recovery of your data.
A true data recovery lab will be able to successfully recover data from Servers, Laptop’s, Desktop’s, CD/DVD’s and all other types of storage media, not simply just from a failed hard drive
They should be up to date with the latest hard drive technology and Raid recovery techniques and if top tier will also conduct their own research and development.
If they are leaders in data solutions they should also be able to offer a full gamut of data recovery services including full server and raid recovery capabilities. If the company are an industry leader they will also offer a call out service as this is often a key requirement for server and raid data recovery.
Most professional data recovery will have proper labs facilities not just a back office with a bench. The data recovery lab is often the heart and sole of the operation.
Most businesses also need to get their data back as soon as possible as downtime costs money so make sure that the company you work with don’t have to send your drive abroad if they don’t have their own lab facilities.
In summary your data has a huge value both on a personal and business basis so don’t rush in and make sure you ask the right questions to give you the best chance of getting your data back.
Tags:
Data Recovery,
Mac Data Recovery,
Raid Data Recovery
