Data recovery is a tricky thing, and if you’ve somehow deleted or had your important files corrupted or lost due to human error, business espionage, faulty hardware or software or any other reason; the good news is that your lost data is probably recoverable. This article will show you a few things NOT to do when an event such as this occurs.

Don’t run the drive anymore, or use the device. (MP3, portable storage, camera card, whatever) If you think it won’t hurt to even just poke around the internet for a solution to this mess you’ve made/found, you’re wrong! Don’t install or run anything on the drive you hope to recover data from. Only access this drive again from a healthy PC with the software solution you’re going to use. Since files are overwritten in the order they’ve been deleted, the last files that have been excised from your drive will be the first to be lost permanently. Even just surfing, with all the cookies and temporary internet files that are always being generated will often doom the process without you even knowing about it.

Don’t use tools that may reside on your computer, such as Scandisk, or a boot record utility, as these will probably overwrite exactly the files you’re seeking to get back.

In short, be careful! Your data may very well be recoverable, as long as you don’t do something to erase it forever! Find a good data recovery software solution, and then follow the instructions to the letter, and you’ll more than likely live to see your lost data return!

Keith Thompson is the webmaster at Data Recovery Service a site cenetered around helping you get back your lost data!

The best defense against a loss of data is a really solid and faithful backup routine of important files to reliable media. It’s also a good idea for the media to be removable and portable if possible so that even if something happens to your whole computer for any reason, the data is protected by being in a totally different physical area.

OK, so that is the best solution to data loss. But what if you have not been backing up your drive like you should and now you find yourself confronted with the daunting task of getting all the important files back that were on your computer before the emergency happened? (By the way, you can take some comfort in knowing that quite a few people find themselves in this situation. You are not alone.) What are your choices at this point?

Well, basically there are two ways of recovering data from a damaged disk, either by using a data recovery service or a data recovery software package. Either can do the job, but there are some factors that should go into your decision about which one to use. First, are you pretty computer savvy? If you are then maybe data recovery software will work for you. If not, do not try this method at all. The other is how much time do you have to spend on retrieving this data? If you have lots of time to put into it, then consider doing the job yourself with a reputable software package. If you don’t have much time to devote to this endeavor, don’t waste both time and money with the software option.

If you have decided upon using a data recovery service, you should know that the odds are that you will get a good portion, if not all of your data back. The generally accepted success rate in the industry is around 80%. Much of the success will depend on the skill and determination of the data recovery specialist who will be working on your drive. They all have sophisticated software tools to work with, but data recovery is not as simple as just plugging in a piece of software, walking away and coming back when it has found all the files. It often requires a specialist who is a bit of a detective, andnot easily discouraged, to get back a good portion of data, especially on drives with physical damage.

Don’t be surprised to get two quotes for data recovery from some companies either. One for logical data retrieval that is much easier to handle and will be a much lower figure, and one for physical damage which is far more challenging and therefore rightly costs more. You will also find that cost quotes will often vary considerably. It is usually best to choose somewhere in the middle of the pack toward the higher end. The reason for this is that some companies engage in a bait and switch tactic that indicates that they will cost less initially, but when they actually receive the drive they wil claim that upon review the cost will be much higher. It’s best to avoid messing with these companies at all.

So if you have lost data and have no backups to fall back on, data recovery can still be done. Just use the guidelines presented in this article for choosing the data recovery method that will work best for you.

John Simpson
All About Data Recovery is a website that provides free information, tips and resources for finding the best data recovery, data retrieval, and file recovery options for your data loss situation.

If you aren’t prepared in advance, you will most likely have to use a data recovery service or data recovery software solution to help get back as much as you can of what was lost. This can be a very good idea if there is no other way to recover your files, but it doesn’t have to come to that in most cases.

This is a classic situation of where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A very simple backup routine that is adhered to on a daily basis can usually solve any data loss situation quickly and fairly painlessly. And it won’t cost you anything but the time neded to restore the data files from your backups, and maybe the program files from the original disks.

There is a wide choice of media that you can backup your files to, inclusing CDs, DVDs, external hard drives, other internal hard drives, tape drives, etc. They all work, it’s just that each media choice has it’s own pros and cons regarding ease of use, data storage capacity, and so on. A discussion of those limits is beyond the scope of this article, but the most important thing to remember is that the best backup is the one that works. That means that regardless of the media you choose, just make a choice and stick to a backup schedule like glue.

There are sevral good backup programs out there that work very well and will do a fine job, but most Microsoft Windows users have a great backup program included with their operating software. If you are a Windows XP user that program is called NTBackup. If it’s not already installed on your computer insert your Windows CD, find the folder titled ValueAdd\MSFT\ntbackup, and run the program in that folder called ntbackup.msi. It will set up the backup software for use on your computer in no time and you will even have simple to use wizards that will walk you through doing file backups and restores simply and easily.

Once the software is installed, it is now up to you to use it faithfully to prepare for data recovery when it is needed. Maybe you never will need it. But don’t count on that. You will be so glad that you have a solid reliable way to restore lost files if disaster ever happens on your computer. It’s truly the easy way to data recovery!

John Simpson All About Data Recovery is a website that helps you find free information, tips, and resources for data recovery, undeleting files, and retrieving data from hard drives, CDs, DVDs, and other file storage media.

Okay, computers a machine, right? Okay, maybe not yours. You have this special relationship, but that a subject for another article. Machines break. Software gets fouled up. People make errors. These things happen, and for those reasons alone, you need to back up all your critical data, redundantly, in a couple of different locations.

You can do this using the tools your system provides, or a utility you buy for that purpose, but however you do it, do it! Some more things that can go wrong include disks that turn bad and erase sections of your files, power failures or surges, the aforementioned human error (one of the most frequent causes of data loss!) overheating, water or your beverage of choice, magnetic issues and last but certainly most popular, computer viruses.

How is all this accomplished, you ask? There are many ways to backup your data these days, from DVD’s to CDR’s to ZIP drives, to portable hard drives, as well as offsite internet backups. All have their pros and cons, but the cold hard facts are that it’s becoming increasingly easier to back up your critical data.

Don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security regarding your sensitive data. Either do it now, and frequently, or start preparing an epitaph for your lost files!

Keith Thompson is the webmaster at Data Recovery Service, offering the latest and most affordable http://www.data-recovery.giftsforbiz.com, data recovery solutions.

Software programmers recognize the importance of data files, and thankfully, they have been able to create products that demonstrate their understanding of how often people accidentally delete or lose important data. Thanks to software programmers and development companies, people have a variety of data recovery software programs available to purchase in the event they’ve lost vital data.

There are disk recovery applications that are specific to recovering files of a certain format, like graphics files as opposed to word document files, and there is software that can recover any type of lost file regardless of the format. If you’ve accidentally deleted an image on your digital camera, there is even software available to retrieve that!

It’s important to take the time to research and compare each software program before purchasing one in order to make sure that it will have the best possible chance at retrieving your lost file. Remember that there is no program on the market that can guarantee recovery of every file, as there are simply too many factors and situations that effect whether or not a file can be retrieved once deleted or lost. You can increase your chances for recovery by selecting the appropriate program for the file you are trying to save.

Do-it-yourself software is less expensive than hiring a company that specializes in data recovery and you should at least attempt to recover your data yourself with the use of this type of software program if money is of concern for you. Even if money is not a concern, your first step should be to check whether or not recovering your data is as simple as running a software program, as that will be your fastest and most convenient way.

In addition to recovering data files from accidental deletion, there is data recovery software that can recover files after you’ve formatted the drive, after a computer power failure, natural disaster, or files lost from a virus.

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Brad Triggs provides more information on
Data Recovery at his website:
Data-Recovery-Central.com - Data Recovery Software
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Losing files on your computer can be a frightening experience if the files are of importance to you personally or professionally. Computer data recovery techniques include the most simple of operations, like simply retrieving an accidentally deleted file, to very complex file retrieval procedures that only professionals should attempt to do.

If you are trying to proceed with your hard disk recovery solution on your own, first start with the most obvious answer. Look in your recycle bin to see if the file has been placed there. If it is, you can choose the "restore" option, and your system will automatically put the file back on your computer where it was stored originally. Of course, if every retrieval was this simple, there would be no need for computer professionals who specialize in data recovery, so chances are you’ll need to try a different technique to find your lost data.

If you’ve deleted a file on your computer, and you’ve emptied your recycle bin, don’t despair. When a file is deleted on a computer, it’s not erased immediately from the system. What actually happens is the computer marks the deleted file as "deleted", and it is no longer in view to users within your computer’s files. The file remains on the hard drive until new data is saved over it, similar to recording songs on cassette tapes. So, in order for computer data recovery to happen on files that have been deleted, you’ll need to attempt to recover them before new data has been written over the file.

The best thing you can do to increase your chances of success is to immediately stop using the computer until you’ve retrieved the deleted file. The more you use your computer, the more information will be saved and the more likely the information could be saved over the file you are hoping to get back!

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Brad Triggs provides more information on
Data Recovery at his website:
Data-Recovery-Central.com - Computer Data Recovery
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Why should you backup your data on the Internet?

There are several reasons.

* The backup is located at a secure place for away from your computer.
* It’s is easy to do.
* Free available disk space on your web site can be used for storage.
* Disk space on remote server can be used for storage.
* It’s a practical backup solution for small businesses and home users.
* It’s gives extra security for documents and files.

There are basically three different types of data backup you can make!

* Full Backup of the hard disk.
* Full disk image backup for fast recovery.
* Backup of specific files and folders.

Online backup of a complete hard disk is not practical to do. Although, it can be done. The size requirement and the transfer speed over the Internet makes it yet not powerful enough to do. However in the future complete backup of hard disks online will be more common. Backup over the Internet is best suited for storing limited numbers of specific files and folders.

To do this you need an FTP software which makes it possible to move files over the internet. FTP stand for "file transfer protocol" and is the most commonly used method of transferring files between computers over the Internet.

Use FTP transfer and backup to your web site or to a remote server as a safeguard of your vital data files!

Learn how at http://www.data-backup-and-storage.com/ftp-backup.html

Normally you don’t need to backup all the content of your hard disk, to recreate your data.

To be able to make a full recovery of your data, make sure that you keep CD’s of all your installation programs and operating system in a safe place. In addition, if you have installed software from the Internet you need to keep copies of the installation programs as backup together with the installation codes.

After you have done that, you need to identify the files and folders that are important to backup.

These are the files you use on a daily basis either in private or in your business. If you are using Windows this can be files in My Document folder and/or your Outlook email files.

These are the files you need to backup so that you can recreate your computer back to what it was if you have lost your data.

If you transfer files from your hard disk directly to the remote site you risk exposing your data to hackers. Your data are not secure from outside preying eyes.

To get full protection you should use a backup software to first create a backup file which is stored temporarily on you hard drive. This file is then transferred with an FTP program to the online server.

There are also a number of online backup services you can subscribe to for this purpose. They often use their own transfer protocol.

Online backups should be made at regular intervals. It is also a practical way to make backup if you use a laptop and are on the move, given you have access to an Internet connection, of course.

If you get a hard disk crash or if your computer gets lost, then you need to be able to recover your data back to what it was

The first step you have to take is to install the operation system and the software from the installation CD’s which you have stored in a safe place. Next step is to download the backup or backups you are keeping on the Internet.

If you store your backup on a web site or on a server you should make sure that the backup is encrypted so that nobody else is able to read it.

You must keep the server’s username and password you are using as well as the password you use for encryption of the backup written down on paper in a safe place so that you can recreate your data.

Full backup can be made using other types of media such as tapes, DVD’s, on different disks or on networks.

To do this you need to have access to such devices.

This will cost you money.

The memory requirement for today’s computers has increased. The cost of regular backup on tapes or on DVD’s is high.

If you are an entrepreneur or a home computer user, this may not be an option available for you.

What happens if your computer gets stolen?

What happen if the building you keep your computer are struck by fire and destroyed?

Laptop and mobile computer are especially prone to theft. Not only because it is easy to carry away, but also because it is easy to get money by selling.

Therefore, you need to make backup of your important data on a location that is different from where you have your computer. Internet backup of data files is an attractive and cheap solution.

Per Strandberg has interest in backup technology and he is running an information site on backup and data security at http://www.data-backup-and-storage.com

Learn how to make secure online data backup using ftp at http://www.data-backup-and-storage.com/ftp-backup.html

Every person who uses a personal computer will eventually face the challenge of data recovery. Computer hardware and software can be temperamental from time to time. Hard drives and other mechanical components of personal computers and servers do not last forever, and when they fail recovering your data can be difficult, time consuming and costly.

If you are working diligently away on a document or spreadsheet in Microsoft Office and the power goes out, you may still be able to recover the documents you were working on when the lights come back on. This type of data recovery is relatively easy and straightforward. Software manufacturers recognize that power outages are inevitable and unpredictable and most office applications incorporate what is known as autosave features. At set intervals, the documents you have open are saved to a cached file. They remain in that cached state and should be accessible once your power is restored. Simply opening Microsoft Word or Excel will usually bring these documents back.

For instance, when you open Word after a power failure or a software error, you will be presented with a document followed by the word recovered in parentheses. This is the document you were working on at the most recent autosave point. You may still lose a couple minutes worth of work this way, but it sure beats having to go back and retype the entire document.

If the recovered document does not appear automatically, search your hard drive for files ending with tmp. Look for one created close to the time of the power failure or software error and open it. This is most likely the document you had open at the time. If this method of data recovery does not work, you may need to follow the steps listed below.

Of course not all data recovery is so easy and so straightforward. If you delete a file accidentally, it is a simple matter to recover it from the recycle bin. Once you empty the recycle bin, however, things become more difficult. The deleted file still resides on your computer somewhere, but the pointer that tells the program where to find the file is now gone. There are various software tools available that promise to help recover deleted files, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Some of the major players are Norton, McAfee and Computer Associates. There are a great many smaller vendors as well.

Even if all these products fail to recover your data, you may not be completely out of luck. Data recovery services specialize in recovering data from failed and corrupt hard drives. These data recovery services have tools and equipment not available to the general public.

Government and law enforcement forensic teams will often make use of these advanced data recovery techniques to investigate cases of computer crime. Businesses also will turn to a professional data recovery service to recover mission critical data from damaged hard drives.

It is important to choose a reputable firm any time you need to have data recovery services performed. The firm you choose should be able to provide references from previous clients. You should make sure to follow up with the references they provide.

The cost for the data recovery service will vary according to the type of equipment and the difficulty of the job. You should get several estimates to make sure you are paying a fair price for the service you receive.

Barry Stein is the owner of aWebBiz.com where he offers cutting-edge tips on all aspects of business. To find more advice, tools and resources to help you succeed in your business, visit: http://www.aWebBiz.com

Barry’s Internet Marketing Blog: http://awebbiz.com/blog

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You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the aWebBiz.com website.

Hackers, hurricanes, fires, flooding, power outages, denial of service attacks, application failures, employee error, sabotage and now terrorism are helping companies to focus on the necessity of a business continuity plan.

Through the late 1990s as companies prepared for Y2K, many IT executives, risk managers, CFOs and corporate managers realized that recovering computing systems, networks and data was not enough. As Y2K approached, it became more apparent that a disciplined approach was needed to recover not only data and systems, but also business processes, facilities and manpower to restore and maintain critical functions.

The starting point is a risk assessment. Identify and define your mission critical business processes and systems. Review them for vulnerabilities and identify steps required for restoration and recovery. For your data, make sure it is backed up to secure and separate locations. Evaluate various storage solutions including storage area networks, data replication systems, new virtualization systems, network attached storage devices and managed storage. Pay significant attention also to your telecommunications providers to ensure they have built diversity and redundancy into their networks and have well developed and tested contingency plans.

The risk assessment will start to drive out real questions on the business impacts and losses that could result from disruptions. Mission critical impacts, key business functions, processes and records must all be identified. This is also the time to determine resource requirements and acceptable recovery time frames.

Various recovery strategies should be evaluated to achieve your cost, reliability and time to recover objectives. Include physical, technological, legal, regulatory and personnel considerations when you evaluate alternatives. Common points of failure are a lack of executive and budget support and not fully engaging employees. Along with your data, employees are your most valuable asset. An excellent checklist "Considerations for senior management during a time of crisis" is at www.globalcontinuity.com (enter checklists in the search box, click on DR & BC checklists).

Business continuity planning sounds expensive and it can be time-consuming. However, losing your business functions, processes and systems as well as your company, customer and financial data can be devastating. Build your plan. Train, test, train and test again.

About The Author

Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com

bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595 or 312 907 2100

In the risk evaluation phase, there are a number of key areas that must be covered. One of the most important is to understand probable threats. In an ideal world, which most of us have noticed does not exist, we would identify and protect ourselves against all threats to ensure that our business continues to survive. Obviously, we are constrained by other factors such as budgets, time and priorities and need to apply cost benefit analysis to ensure we are protecting the most critical business functions.

A second important step is to identify all probable threats and prioritize them. Threats, typically, can be classified in several ways such as internal/external, man-made/natural, primary/secondary, accidental/intentional, controllable/not controllable, warning/no warning, frequency, duration, speed of onset etc. While classifying threats is helpful in terms of understanding their characteristics and potential controls, grouping and understanding by business impact is also important. Obviously, the same impact can result from a number of different threats.

Identifying mission critical business processes and systems is another fundamental building block of the business continuity plan. After your critical business processes and systems and probable threats are established, the next step is to identify vulnerabilities and loss potential. This requires an extensive scan of the organization to identify vulnerabilities and then analysis to understand those vulnerabilities which would have the greatest impact on your critical business processes and the organization. This starts to clarify and quantify potential losses, which helps to establish priorities.

Following the identification of the most probable threats and vulnerabilities, an analysis of existing controls is needed. This spans physical security as well as people, processes, data, communications and asset protection. Some controls such as physical security and data backup are obvious. Other controls required are often less obvious, but they can be identified through the risk evaluation process.

Once the key building blocks of critical business functions, most probable threats, vulnerabilities and controls are identified, the next stage is to develop an understanding of the probability of threats factored by the severity or impact of the threats. This leads to the business impact analysis phase which establishes priorities for protection.

The goal is to minimize threats, impacts and downtime and to mitigate any losses. Fundamentally, the goal is to protect your people, protect your data, protect your vital communications, protect your assets and to protect your brand and reputation. Overall, of course, the goal is to ensure your business continues to operate and to do it in a cost-effective way meeting standards of reasonable and prudent judgment.

About The Author

Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com

bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 312 907 2100 or 866 786 2595