Hard drive data recovery is the method of recovering data from hard drives when it cannot be accessed in the normal manner. This failure to access the hard drive could be caused by logical damage to the file system or any physical damage that had occurred to the storage device, thereby preventing it from being mounted by the host operating system.

The physical damage to a hard drive could occur due to several mechanical failures such as failed motors or head crashes. The physical damage of a hard drive can always lead to some data loss and in many cases this can also results in damage to the logical structures of the file system. In fact, logical damages to a file system are more common than physical damage. This includes damage caused by power outages, which prevents file system structures from being completely written to the hard drive, system crashes, and problems with hardware (particularly RAID controllers).

Most physical damage to hard drives cannot be repaired by end users. For instance, opening a hard drive in a normal environment can cause dust to settle on the surface, resulting in further damage to the platters. Mind you, normal computer users may not have enough technical experience to make these types of repairs. This is where hard drive data recovery companies play a major role in helping the end user to recover their valuable data from a damaged hard drive. Almost all these hard drive data recovery firms use Class 100 clean room facilities to protect your hard drive while repairing, and use the latest tools such as magnetometers to retrieve the lost bits from the magnetic media. The extracted raw bits retrieved from the damaged disk are used to rebuild a disk image, which can then be mounted to have its logical damage repaired.

Nowadays, there are several companies which offer hard drive data recovery software programs which help the end users to recover all their important files or folders lost after an accidental format, partition loss, software malfunction, file or directory deletion, or virus crash. Whether your computer crashes or you accidentally delete the files, hard drive data recovery software helps you to locate, recover and restore lost information from your disk.

Some of the main contexts where hard drive data recovery software could save one from the blues include a formatted drive, deleted file or directory, missing file or directory, drive not booting, inaccessible drive, copying of system locked files like registry hives, damaged or corrupted partition table, recovery of deleted files and folders on FAT and NTFS hard drive or partitions, retrieve compressed files from NTFS partitions, data recovery on damaged FAT and NTFS partitions, and formatted hard drives.

Most of the hard drive data recovery software programs available in the market are easy to install and use and are virtually self maintaining. It is highly recommended to use any of the popular hard drive data recovery software in your computer along with other programs. The program frequently creates backup copies of all your files so that you need not have to worry of any potential unexpected data loss.

Mac McClellan is the webmaster for Hard Drive USA http://harddriveusa.com, a useful site for information and resources on hard drives.

Data recovery is a highly specialized and complicated procedure. Care must be taken to prevent the disturbance of the fragile components that reside in a hard drive or other media. For this reason, data recovery can be expensive. Many people receive a price quote from a data recovery company and in an effort to save costs, they decide to take matters into their own hands. This can be a fatal mistake for your data. By taking matters into your own hands, you could cause damage that can make the data irretrievable even by a data recovery company. Listed below are some common techniques that can cause permanent data loss:

Do Not Run Partitioning Software on the Failed Media

Using disk repair software can cause irreversible data loss. Most of these utilities write to the disk which can cause your data to be overwritten. The steps taken by most of these utilities are very complex. It only takes one incorrect option chosen, and you could damage the file structure of your disk beyond repair. By using these utilities, you are taking a significant risk with your data.

Do Not Reformat the Failed Media

This is crucial as reformatted disks make data recovery very difficult. A reformat allows the master boot record to be overwritten. It is important not change partition information or initialize the disk if prompted.

Do Not Open a Failed Hard Drive to Attempt Recovery

Many people do not understand the delicacy of the internal components of a hard drive. A hard drive should never be opened unless in a clean room environment. Inside the drive, there are platters which hold the data. These platters are made of either light aluminum alloy, glass or ceramic and are coated with a magnetizable substance. There can be one or multiple platters depending on the disk capacity. The disk platters are very fragile and sensitive to dust, debris and fingerprints.

It is also very easy to scratch the surface of the platters, which could permanently damage them. The platters are attached to a spindle that turns the platters simultaneously. A motor also exists to ensure the platters are spun at a set speed. The actuator arm houses the read-write heads which are present to access the data on the platters. These heads never actually touch the platters. The spinning of the platters creates air pressure which lifts the read-write heads off the platters, enabling them to access the data. It only takes 0.5 micron of dust on the platter surface to disturb the functionality of the drive. This is why a hard drive should never be opened unless done in a clean room by a data recovery company.

Do Not Freeze or Heat the Failed Hard Drive

Many people have read about freezing a failed hard drive in order to recover the data. Beware of doing this as condensation can cause the drive to be ruined causing permanent data loss. On the flip side, you should also not attempt to heat a hard drive using the oven or microwave oven. This will also cause the drive to be ruined causing your data to be permanently gone. Once again, the internal components of a hard drive are extremely fragile. An extreme change in temperature can cause problems.

Do Not Physically Abuse the Drive

Some people have read about tips others claimed have worked including hitting a hard drive or dropping it on the floor in order to cause the parts to begin functioning properly again. This is not advised as it can break the internal components or scratch the surface of the platters which can destroy the data residing on those platters.

Data recovery is more successful when trusted in the hands of a data recovery company. It is important that you do not take chances with the data you are trying to recover.

This article can be freely published on a website however it must not be modified in any way including the author bylines, and the hyperlink must be made active as shown below.

Andrea Stone is employed with ReWave Hard Drive Recovery, a worldwide data recovery company. Visit the company’s Data Recovery website for more information.

Almost everyone has experienced it at one time or another. The symptoms range from that clicking noise produced by an otherwise functioning hard drive or a hard drive that is simply no longer being recognized by the computer. The results can be devastating to the end user no matter whether that user is an individual with treasured family photos or a corporation with no backup of its server. Many people assume when their data is lost it is gone forever. However, with care and in the right hands, in many cases the data is 100% recoverable.

The first thing one should always do is stop using the failed media because doing so can cause further damage to the media making recovery more difficult. Many people attempt things such as reformatting or repartitioning a hard drive in an attempt to continue using it. By continuing to use failed media, you will be jeopardizing the existing data you wish to recover.

The most crucial action you should take next is to contact a professional data recovery company. These companies exist for a reason. They specialize in data recovery, and most have years of experience recovering data from failed media. Many of these companies offer clean room service, which is critical if the media needs to be opened for parts replacement. It only takes 0.5 micron of dust on the surface of a hard drive platter to cause permanent data loss.

Choosing a data recovery company should be done carefully. Beware of companies who charge a low flat fee compared to other companies. Data recovery can be expensive because of the tools and labor involved to recover data. There is no “easy fix” in most situations. Many times, a hard drive may need total parts replacement in a clean room using highly specialized equipment. For RAID recovery, there can be many labor hours involved in destriping the RAID in order for the data to make sense.

Data recovery is more successful when left in the hands of a professional data recovery company. Each case is different and falls into the category of physical or logical recovery with physical recovery being much more complicated. However, just because the data appears lost does not indicate it is permanently gone.

This article can be freely published on a website however it must not be modified in any way including the author bylines, and the hyperlink must be made active as shown below.

Andrea Stone is employed with ReWave Hard Drive Recovery, a worldwide data recovery company. Visit the company’s Data Recovery website for more information.

You only need to have a power surge once to mess up your entire life’s work on a computer. The precious hours that you spend on compiling information and doing important work can all be lost in one split second. With a UPS battery, you can save yourself a lot of aggravation and even may save your job.

You should have a battery hooked to your computer for protection. If you have a black out where you loose all power to your computer, the UPS battery backup will allow you precious time to save your date and shut down your computer properly.

A UPS battery will protect your system from some very terrible power problems. When there are power transients, which are brief surges in voltage caused by lightning strikes or when electricity turns off. UPS batteries will also help assist in line noise, which is when you have interference from electrical appliances.

All of the above power problems can damage your desktop and hurt or lose your data. A battery will provide power to keep your system running and give you the chance to save valuable data and allow you to shut down your system the right way. Some of the UPS batteries even include software that automatically saves and shuts down your system if you are not around when it happens.

UPS batteries are better then just surge protectors. They both are able to handle power surges, but a UPS battery will give you backup power. You will have the precious minutes that it takes to shut down your computer so that there is no permanent damage done to your computer and to the files on your computer.

If you do anything that has any importance to you or someone else on a computer, you defiantly need to have a UPS battery for your system. There is no other choice when it comes to protecting your job or personal information. UPS battery backups are not expensive and they can be purchase almost anywhere. It is a small price to pay when you know what it can save you in lost time and money.

When you are ready to get a battery backup for your computer, you can order one online or you can get them through catalogs or computer stores. No matter where you decide to buy your UPS battery, you will save so much in the end.

For more information on the batteries, please visit http://www.rechargable-nimh-batteries.info

Almost all computer users have experienced this at least once – the need to get back a deleted /lost data file. This could happen as a result of a software failure, hardware failure, human error, power related problems, damage caused by flood / water, vandalism, virus damage, damage by fire / heat / smoke and sabotage. Whatever the cause and reason that you need data recovery there is no reason to panic, for help is at hand. The need and urgency to recover data has resulted in a plethora of data recovery software to rescue you from a crisis like situation.

Unless the hard disk is not working normally, the need for professional service is almost rendered unnecessary. If the hard disk is not making any weird noise like scratching, scraping or ticking (which means it is in good condition) data recovery can be done with the use of proper data recovery software, without the help of any technical personnel. The data recovery software that is available can be used for Mac, NT/2000/XP and RAID data recovery. The data recovery software is also FAT and MFT compliant.

Hard drive data recovery is possible from small hard drives of 2 GBs to big hard drives of 120 GBs. Hard drive data recovery requires the presence of technicians if there is a hard drive crash.

Data recovery software used for NT data recovery provides recovery of deleted files from the recycle bin, partition recovery from deleted partition or formatted logical drives, from lost folders and performs data recovery even if MFT is severely corrupted. NT data recovery software also recovers emails and all forms of files. Mac data recovery software recovers HFS and HFS+ File System Data. Mac data recovery software also recovers partition if partitions are deleted or formatted, files from Lost or Missing Mac folders. Mac data recovery software recognizes and preserves long file names when recovering Mac files and folders as well as provides full support for IDE, EIDE, SCSI and SATA drives.

‘Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks’ or RAIDS offers better data recovery chances as long as the drives are cloned. RAID is a collection of hard disks that act as a single better hard disk than the individual ones. The hard disks of RAID operate independent of each other. A single drive failure is absorbed by RAID and does not result in loss of data. However, when RAID fails, it fails big time and then RAID data recovery software is used to retrieve data. Raid data recovery software recovers both RAID software and hardware.

Natalie Aranda writes about Internet, information technology and computers. Data recovery software used for NT data recovery provides recovery of deleted files from the recycle bin, partition recovery from deleted partition or formatted logical drives, from lost folders and performs data recovery even if MFT is severely corrupted. NT data recovery software also recovers emails and all forms of files. Mac data recovery software recovers HFS and HFS+ File System Data. Mac data recovery software also recovers partition if partitions are deleted or formatted, files from Lost or Missing Mac folders.

Ever wonder how computer data is recovered? What happens to a file when it gets deleted from the recycle bin? How data recovery programs work? How does computer data recovery take place?

To understand how computer data recovery happens we must first understand what happens when a data file is deleted. Does a file get completely wiped out of the PC once it’s deleted? The answer is – no. First of all a file once deleted just changes addresses and goes in to the recycle bin. The real deletion takes place when it’s deleted from the recycle bin as well. Then the question arises – what happens to the file? Well. The file is right there inside the PC, hiding in the hard disk.

The illusion within the virtual world gives us a false picture of how files are actually stored in the disks. The partitions and the drives that we see on our Windows are not arranged that way in reality. The disk stores files in clusters unlike the way it’s displayed on the monitor.

The Operating System knows what file is stored where. When a file is deleted, the Operating System, like a robot, just removes the file from its list without actually removing it from the hard disk. FAT (File Allocation Table) and MFT (Master File Table) are like contents in a book, which actually maintain the real table of all files stored on the hard disk. So, even if a file is removed from the Operating System its still there on the hard disk and can be searched by looking up at FAT or MFT.

Computer data recovery involves a few simple steps to recover data. The first step is to determine what type of recovery is required. Accordingly, suitable data recovery program software is installed or run. The search can be confined to a folder or drive. The entire disk can also be scanned. The file type has to be selected to make the search more efficient and quicker. Once these details are fed to the data recovery program it’s only a matter of time that the target, the lost data, pops up along with other lost data. From a list of such files one has to select the target file for which the search was intended and recover it.

The only care that one has to take when data is lost is to avoid adding a new data file to the hard disk. This might really erase the data by over writing it.

Natalie Aranda writes about Internet security, computer and information technology. To understand how computer data recovery happens we must first understand what happens when a data file is deleted. Does a file get completely wiped out of the PC once it’s deleted? The answer is – no. First of all a file once deleted just changes addresses and goes in to the recycle bin. The real deletion takes place when it’s deleted from the recycle bin as well. Then the question arises – what happens to the file? Well. The file is right there inside the PC, hiding in the hard disk.

Let’s get to the important part first - if you’ve just lost your data, skip past this introduction and go directly to our first tip, so you can start your rescue operation. If not, a few minutes spent now might help you a lot in the future. Pay special attention to our third tip.

I always thought of myself as a reliable guy with reliable data. I never deleted my files accidentally, I made regular backups and had a power supply for my computer to protect me against surges and outages. However last year I experienced two cases of data loss where I needed to use recovery software. The first was a dead hard drive that’d hardly served a year. Subsequently, I accidentally deleted a large project file that was too big for the Recycle Bin. Happily I’ve got all my data back, thanks to good advice and a little preparation.

These handy tips will help you stay confident in the face of data loss, no matter how it occurs.

Tip #1: Use your system as little as possible until you recover all of your lost files. The more activity taking place on your hard disk, the greater the chance that some of your lost data might be written over.

- Don’t copy any files to the disk containing your lost data;
- Avoid browsing the web, because your web browser saves cache files on the disk;
- Don’t launch any unnecessary programs, because they can also use your disk;
- Don’t restart your computer.

Tip #2: Before you go further, take steps to free up some space on the disk containing your lost files. The more free space your system has, the less chance of overwriting any lost files with new ones. You can do one or more of the following things.

- Delete old files that you don’t need anymore (you can also move them to another source, like a USB flash drive, instead of deleting);
- Empty your Recycle Bin - making sure that you haven’t put any important files in there by mistake;
- Empty your browser cache. For Internet Explorer, click on the "Tools" menu, then select "Internet Options". Then, on the "General" tab, click the "Delete Files…" button.

Tip #3: To install any software after data damage increases the risk of your data being overwritten, so if you haven’t had any data problems yet, consider installing a data recovery program just in case. Prevention is always better than cure, and a recovery program is good insurance for your data. However, if you don’t yet have a recovery program, find one and - if possible - avoid installing it to the disk where your lost files are located.

Most recovery programs work fairly similarly. You need to select the disk where the lost files are located, let the program analyze the content of the disk - this can take a while - and then select the file you want to recover. Then, provide a location where you want to save that file. You should try to avoid recovering files to the same disk. You could use another hard drive, a network or removable media like a floppy disk or USB flash drive.

After you recover your files, check that they are correct. If you’ve recovered applications, check that they still run, or if you’ve recovered documents, check that your words are still there. Even the best recovery software can’t guarantee 100% results. If some parts of your files were overwritten - meaning that other data was saved to their location on your disk - after recovery they might contain invalid information. Depending on the type of file involved, partially recovered files like this can be mended by special utilities.

http://www.softwaretalks.com/first-aid/

Have you ever accidentally deleted a file on your computer? Was it important? Did you suffer? Well, imagine if your whole website got deleted! This could happen in any number of ways:

These sorts of things happen to thousands of web masters every day! Even experienced webmasters who should know better lose their files on their web server.

What to do?
Can you imagine having to build your website from scratch again? Quite a daunting task. Imagine having to remember everything that was on your old website and recreating it. It is very near impossible. The longer your site is up and the more you have added to it the more difficult it will be. However, with a bit of foresight and planning, losing your website files will be just a blip in a normal day, with minimum disruption.

The most important thing to do is to back up your website. In fact, if you haven’t done it before, you should suspend reading this article and go and back it up now. If you used FTP to upload your site you will be able to use the same program to download your site. If you have a small site you may be able to use your browser’s ‘Save Web Page’ feature to save each individual page. Work out whichever is the best way to get the webfiles onto YOUR computer, and do it!

Ideally you will need 2 backups of your site, one to save at home, and another to store offsite in case something happens to the first backup. Make sure you label your backups clearly and put them in a safe place where you can find them later. I have to emphasize this last point as I once backed up a website but later couldn’t find where I put the backup when I needed it! Disastrous.

If you update your site on a regular basis you will need to backup on a regular basis too. It is essential that you label each backup correctly with the website name as well as the date. The date is necessary so that you don’t copy an older version of a website if something happens to the newer one.

For larger websites which are constantly changing you will need to install a RAID disk on your web server. RAID disks are basically two disks writing the same information so that 2 copies are created on the fly. Very useful. Ask your web host if he uses RAID disks. It is important to note however that you will still need to do regular backups.

One experienced webmaster relied on RAID disks alone for his backup, however the web server had a virus on it so the backup had to roll back by a month. He lost a month’s worth of work he had done on his website, which was quite an amount as he was changing the design and adding a lot of content. If he had only backed up it would have been no problem instead of becoming the huge headache it did for him.

Remember, there are 3 words you need to remember to protect yourself from a mountain of work if your web files are compromised - BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP!

Edward Sodor has been a part of the webmaster community for nearly 10 years and is always happy to give advice to budding webmasters. For great tutorials on creating, maintaing and improving your website and traffic visit his Website Design and SEO pages.

Your data is important to you and why shouldn’t it be. Computers have grown to be a part of our daily lives, so it’s safe to say that most of us would be devastated if we lost everything on our computer. That is kind of a scary thought as your data depends on a machine to keep and store it, and let’s face it, machines fail. Although computers have become much more reliable, more complex software and the internet has made everyone’s computer vulnerable to complete loss of data.

There is something you can do to fight back though, that is to take matters into your own hands and don’t rely solely on your computer. The best way to do this is to backup your data properly and keep doing that at least once a week, or once a day, depending on the type of data that you are backing up. This is perhaps the most important task that any computer owner can do, and is the simplest, but yet not everyone does it.

On the computer market these days there are a slew of external and internal storage devices that make backing up your data easy and convenient. With so many devices, and so many solutions, it can be tough for someone to decide on a backup method. So let’s talk about the different backup strategies you could implement and which one best suits your needs.

Known worldwide basically as the main method of backing up your data is your floppy disc drive. I know they store a very little amount of data, but for simple data files it’s perfect because every computer already has one, and it is easy to use and access. I thought I would remind everyone of that backup method because it still can be used and won’t cost you anything more.

Now if you want to get down and serious, and backup everything on your computer, then what you want to do is a full hard disk backup. A full hard disk backup is what every computer users should do, and is perhaps one of the best data backup solutions possible. This is true because it makes a full copy of your hard drive, so if all data is lost then your backup could be used immediately and will have everything on it. The only problem with this backup strategy is that it takes a little while to complete the backup, and to get the best use out of it, you should do it once a week. But if your data is really that important, then it is worth the time and energy to do this.

The next backup solution is pretty common and has already been done by just about everyone. You could just backup your data files and folders that are important to you, so if you ever lose all of your data, then you would still have your important files and only have to reinstall the software associated with them, if any. Files and folders are usually the most important type of data that someone needs to back up and is all that matters, so most of you should use this method.

Perhaps the best backup solution there is, next to a full hard disk backup, is a CD or DVD burner. Now since both of those burners cost around the same price, DVD is just a little more, then I recommend a DVD burner. Not only does DVD technology hold more then four times as much data as a regular CD, but a DVD burner will also burn regular CD’s. Also not to mention that fact that you can backup your home movies that then can be played in your DVD player, and can last forever without degrading in quality like VHS.

Well those are the main types of backup strategies and solutions that people are using these days. Whether you run a business on your computer, or just use it for fun, backing up your data is always a good idea and should never be overlooked by any computer user.

Copyright 2006 Michael Cottier

Learn all about data backup and more solutions at http://www.computer-customizing-guide.com/data-backup-solutions.html Michael Cottier can also help you upgrade your computer, step by step, with his website http://www.computer-customizing-guide.com/

When the worst happens to your computer and all your files disappear, never worry! There are a number of quality data recovery companies that are able to restore your critical files quickly and easily.

Instead of tearing out your hair over a stubborn computer that is holding that essential file hostage, let the worries slide away and send off your hard drive to a data recovery company. These companies work their magic and recover files of all sizes in a remarkably quick turn around time. This service is essential for any individual or business that has fallen onto hard times with their computer.

Most data recovery companies operate over the internet and occupy cyberspace as they would a store front. If you find yourself in need of a quality company to find your files, look no further than the World Wide Web.

A simple search of search engines will produce hundreds of quality companies eager to solve your every problem. Before you send off your hard drive, carefully evaluate the chosen company to ensure it is legitimate and reputable. Using an incorrect company may result in further headaches and a loss of money for services not rendered.

Upon your search for a data recovery company, investigate their capabilities and services. Choosing a company that will best serve your needs will ensure the greater success in the end. You may need to compare services versus charges for these data recovery companies.

The old adage, “you get what you pay for” could not be truer when it comes to regaining your lost files. If you are taking the trouble to send off your hard drive in an attempt to reclaim critical files for business or personal reasons, then you should be prepared to spend the appropriate amount of money to get the job done. However, just because one data recovery is more expensive than another one does not mean the pricier company is more successful.

When choosing a data recovery company to reclaim your files, consider contacting individuals who has used their services in the past. This recommendation to use or to avoid the company may be an excellent method to choosing a company.

Also, contact the company directly and explain your specific situation. A representative for the company will be able to discuss the possibility of the recovery of your files and the estimated cost of their services. You should be sure to inquire the expense if the company is unable to recover the lost files. Many companies offer to return your hard drive without charging for their services if they are unable to deliver your compromised files.

Whichever data recovery company you entrust to regain your lost files, be sure to keep the company’s contact information if you are pleased with the services rendered. Having this resource can be invaluable if a similar fate befalls your files in the future and you need a reputable source to recover these files as quickly as possible. If you are pleased with the data recovery company, be sure to tell other individuals in your predicament.

For more information on Data Recovery, visit http://www.datarecoveryaid.info.