| Losing your valuable data, either by damage to your | | | | drive, making it easier to make sense of and restore |
| computer or accidental deletion, is an upsetting | | | | written-over data. |
| situation. Whether the lost files contain sensitive | | | | Once the data has been restored from the drive, the |
| personal information, treasured photographs, or data | | | | data recovery service checks to make sure the files |
| for your small business, the loss can be devastating. | | | | they have recovered are complete. Again, they can |
| Your data doesn't have to stay lost, however. Data | | | | use old tables of contents from the hard drive to |
| recovery services specialize in restoring files that | | | | check for holes in the files. Once they have ensured |
| most people wouldn't think would be recoverable. | | | | that the data is all there, they will back it up to CDs |
| Keep reading to learn how data recovery services | | | | or another storage medium, and send it back to you. |
| work. | | | | Data Recovery Service Alternatives and the Risks |
| Why Data Recovery is Possible | | | | Involved |
| The files stored on your computer are all written | | | | There are many data recovery software packs |
| onto the hard drive, which consists of thin, round | | | | available online. These may be pretty tempting, but |
| platters coated with a shiny magnetic data storage | | | | remember that depending on what you need done, |
| medium, much like the shiny coating on the thin | | | | they may or may not satisfy your needs. And even |
| ribbons contained inside VHS and cassette tapes. Just | | | | if software can fix your problem, using them without |
| like in a VCR or a tape player, a head inside your | | | | a professional's guidance may inadvertently create |
| computer's hard drive reads and writes the data onto | | | | more problems, not only ensuring that you will have |
| the magnetic storage medium. | | | | to use a data recovery service, but also creating |
| When you delete a file on your computer, it is not | | | | more work for them (and therefore a higher price |
| actually erased from the hard drive. The hard drive | | | | for you). |
| simply changes the marker on that space from | | | | A common type of data recovery software is |
| "occupied" to "vacant." The data itself is still there | | | | "undelete" software, which enables you to restore |
| until it is written over. Think of it as a home video | | | | files that you have accidentally deleted. However, |
| that you have decided you don't want anymore. Until | | | | remember that when you delete a file the hard drive |
| you actually tape over it, it's still there. | | | | marks it as available storage. In other words, |
| Even once data is written over, it can still be found. | | | | anything you do after deleting that file - whether |
| This is because the data that is written over it is | | | | downloading undelete software, saving another file, |
| usually imperfect, leaving traces of the original file. | | | | or even just shutting your computer down as normal |
| With the proper tools, these traces can be located, | | | | - can overwrite the data, rendering it impossible to |
| deciphered, and - usually - reassembled into complete | | | | recover without a data recovery service. |
| files. However, the more times an old file is | | | | A way around this is to download the undelete |
| overwritten, the more difficult it will be to retrieve it | | | | software to a separate drive, such as an external |
| - so the sooner you contact a data recovery service, | | | | drive or even a USB drive. Unless you know what |
| the better. | | | | you are doing, though, you should probably call a |
| What the Data Recovery Service Does | | | | professional right away - the longer you wait, and the |
| When you contact a data recovery service, usually | | | | more you tinker with your computer, the more likely |
| the first thing they will want to know is how the files | | | | you are to create the need for major data recovery |
| you want to recover were lost. You might have | | | | in order to restore your deleted file. |
| accidentally deleted the files, or the data might have | | | | Another type of data recovery software is one |
| become corrupted. In a worst-case scenario, your | | | | designed to find and/or fix lost or corrupted files. |
| hard drive might have sustained damage, ranging | | | | Again, the hazard is that every piece of data you |
| from relatively minor damage such as hard drive | | | | write to the disk could overwrite the file you are |
| crash, to serious physical damage such as flooding or | | | | trying to restore. Since the file is lost or corrupted, |
| fire. However, the data recovery service most likely | | | | you cannot trust that the hard drive will know not to |
| won't be able to give you a quote until they have | | | | overwrite it. Again, immediately contacting a |
| inspected the hard drive, so you will also need to | | | | professional is probably the best course of action. |
| drop off or mail your hard drive to them. | | | | Data Recovery Services Protect Your Important |
| Before the data recovery service begins work on | | | | Information |
| your hard drive, they will make an exact copy of the | | | | Because of the nature of a hard drive or another |
| drive. All work will be done on this copy, to avoid | | | | type of memory storage, data loss is not necessarily |
| doing any more damage to the drive itself. | | | | permanent. An experienced data recovery service |
| Using the copy of the original drive, the data | | | | can easily help you restore your valuable photos, |
| recovery service then uses a variety tools and | | | | financial information, or small business data. However, |
| techniques to try to recover the lost data. Every | | | | don't forget that when your valuable data has been |
| hard drive creates a sort of table of contents at the | | | | deleted, lost, or damaged, time is of the essence if |
| very beginning of the drive; by retrieving old tables | | | | you are to get it back: The longer your computer |
| of contents, the data recovery service can tell | | | | runs, and the more often it writes to the hard drive, |
| where the files you need would be located on the | | | | the worse the situation gets. |