Data Recovery
Warnings about data loss can seem inconsequential until it happens to you. Over 31% of computer users will suffer a catastrophic data loss this year, and of those, 60% are small businesses.
If you don't have a good backup strategy in place, data recovery can be a tricky situation. The most important thing to be aware of is that you should turn off your computer and not use it unless absolutely necessary. The general rule of thumb is that the longer you use your computer, the less likely it is that your data can be recovered.
Regardless of the situation, never assume that data is unrecoverable.
When facing the prospect of losing important work, photos or other documents, it's important to act quickly. Oregon Tech Support provides file and data recovery for hard drives, USB flash drives, external drives and many others. In addition to having the expertise to recover your data, we provide our clients with many options for the types of data recovery that they'd like us to perform.
Assessment
A detailed assessment will increase the odds in recovering your lost data. Factors that are considered include the types of files involved, recent modifications or changes and the type of media involved.
Prevention
The best way to recover from a data loss is to have a backup system in place. In fact, the art of having more than one type of backup is rapidly becoming a requirement rather than a simple luxury, due in part to the amount of data we now store electronically: Documents, music, photographs, and so forth. We detail this and additional tips for small businesses in Oregon Business Magazine's article, Prevent a Tech Disaster by Preparing for the Worst.
Head Crash
The most common physical hard drive failure is contact of the heads to the media surface. This is typically known as a head crash and can cause significant data loss. You can listen to an audio recording of a head crash to get a sense of what this typically sounds like, and compare it to how a healthy drive should sound.
Data Recovery Software or Service?
- Assess the value of the data.
- The use of data recovery or utility software can potentially cause aditional data loss. The use of a professional data recovery service will maximize the chances of recovering data.
- Do not attempt recovery yourself on severely traumatized drives (i.e., turning the computer off and on, using over-the-counter diagnostic tools), as this may cause further damage or permanent data loss.
- If the drive makes scraping, tapping, clicking, or humming sounds do not use data recovery or utility software.
- Do not power up a device that has obvious physical damage.
- Shut down the computer to avoid further damage to the drive and its data.
Best Practices to Avoid Data Loss
- Backup your data regularly.
- Never upgrade any system without a verified backup of the data.
- Scan all incoming data, including packaged software, for viruses.
- Use ventilation, fans, and/or air conditioning to keep servers at the proper operating temperature.
- Connect systems to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect against power surges.
- Power down and take extreme caution when moving computers.
- Avoid static electrical charges when touching or handling the media.
- Contact a data recovery specialist immediately if a hard drive makes scraping, tapping, clicking, or humming sounds.
Backup Strategies
- Assume that your hard drive will eventually fail.
- Do not rely on a single method or type of backup strategy. Instead, use a minimum of two.
- Consider possible options such as DVD, external hard drive, or a managed online backup service.
- Create an automated scheduled backup procedure.
- Periodically test and restore your backup to verify that data is being backed up properly.
- Keep at least one verified backup of critical data off-site in a secured and environmentally controlled location.
Regardless of your situation, please do not use your computer if you are in need of any type of data recovery. The more the computer is used, the less likely it is that your files can be recovered successfully.
