Should You Try DIY Data Recovery?
by: jameswalsh
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Word Count: 744
Warning Signs
Most of the time, a hard drive crash doesn’t just sneak up on you. It warns you with frequent disk error messages, garbled information on disk analysis, or strange screeching and whirring sounds. Sometimes, the disk refuses to show its presence at start-up or when it’s being accessed.
As soon as you notice any of these symptoms, back up your important data immediately.
You can prevent the crash from sneaking up on you by running a check utility like Scandisk which will repair logical errors and mark bad sectors so data is no longer stored on them.
Why does a Hard Drive Crash?
The first question you will want answered is: Why have I lost the data? Data loss may be due to a computer virus, software problem, or mechanical or electrical failure. Perhaps, someone has deliberately tampered with your system. Natural disasters like floods and fires can also endanger your data. Following are the three basic steps you need to take in the event of data loss:
Back up Your Data
It is most important to immediately back up your data to another data storage device such as tape, CD, DVD, pen drive, external hard drive, etc. But what if the computer fails to recognise the data source? If you lack the tools that will enable you to read the raw data, you should seriously consider calling in a data recovery specialist.
Test and Analyse Your Data Drive
You must test your media drives to find out whether the disk drive is mechanically reliable or whether the problem is in the file system. Don’t try and deal with a mechanical failure yourself. Call in the expert. Remember, if it is mechanical failure, you will know by the strange noises on start-up or while accessing the disk. But if your storage medium is a memory stick, diagnosis becomes difficult.
Try and Recover the Data Yourself
Before you embark on this lengthy process that can take days or even weeks, depending on the density of your data, make sure that you can afford the time it will take to learn from your failures. If the data loss is extensive, it could entail further investment in computer equipment and software applications. If possible, you could recreate the data. If you are dealing with file corruption, you should usually be able to create duplicates of the files.
An extensive data loss certainly calls for a data recovery specialist who possesses the dedicated tools and expertise for the job.
An important tip: Don’t install software or copy data onto the disk from which you are trying to recover the data. Doing this may make the data recovery process impossible.
A sensible method is to remove the physical hard drive and install it into another system which is preferably equipped with the same operating system so it can read the files. If the hard drive is connected via network to another system, you can copy the data through without any problems.
What Not to Do
Beware of using a disk repair utility, as the software will write to the disk, and in the process overwrite your precious data.
Don’t try to open up the hard drive and try to rebuild it. If you have ever peeped inside a hard drive, you will have noticed that it is full of very delicate components, many of which are tiny and very fragile.
What’s more, opening up your hard drive could damage the platters which contain a layer of magnetized material. Platters store the data for the entire drive, and are highly sensitive to dust and scratches, even your fingerprints.
Some people think that hitting or dropping a hard drive can fix such problems, but this is a dangerous myth. Hard drives are easily damaged if they are physically abused in any way.
So now that you know the facts about DIY data recovery, make the right decision. If the data loss is not extensive, does not involve mechanical failure, and you cannot afford a specialist, give data recovery a try yourself.
About the Author
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are concerned about data loss and would like more information on Data Recovery see http://www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk
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