Data recovery is the process of restoring access to data lost on a storage medium. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to foresee and properly protect against an accident that will result in the loss of valuable data. The question is what to do once it happens.
Regardless of whether the data was stored on a hard disk, server, laptop or on portable media, there is a chance and ways to restore such lost data. Especially when for some reason we do not have a backup copy.
Types of damage
There are two types of damage that results in serious data loss from media.
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Software (logical) damage – that is a damage of the logical structure of the data, but not a damage to the medium on which the data is located. Usually, standard tools are enough to solve the problem. However, there are situations when the damage is so deep that it is necessary to seek the help of a specialist working in a data recovery laboratory.
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Hardware (physical) damage – much harder to solve than a logical damage. They are associated with mechanical damage to the media on which the data were saved. Usually, key components such as heads, internal and external disk electronics, motor or cymbals are broken. Due to the complexity of the damage in this case, the solution to the problem requires the knowledge of specialists, the latest technology and laboratory conditions for data recovery. Usually such data can be recovered, but sometimes can be quite expensive and therefore not always worth the effort .
What to do in the event of data loss?
In a situation where we suspect that a disk or media has been damaged, it should be turned off immediately and never turned on again under any circumstances. Usually, by reacting quickly and reasonably, we give ourselves the chance to recover the lost data. Moreover, it’s important to remember that data is not recovered from the problematic media itself. Therefore it is best to copy the data to some other loction instead of working on the damaged medium.
In the next stage one should call the specialists and inform them what happened. They will definitely instruct you on how to act. When sending the storage medium by mail, remember to put it in an antistatic bag, to wrap it with bubble wrap, and pack it carefully so that it does not get damaged even more during transport.
Data recovery – stages:
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Damaged media examination – during which experts determine the type of damage, the possibilities of recovering data, the time needed to complete the process and the costs associated with it.
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Estimate how to recover data – what laboratory technologies to use to bring the best results in the shortest possible time.
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Data recovery.
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Uploading recovered data to storage media.
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Handing over to the customer.
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Backup of recovered data and implementation of archiving methods to avoid similar situations in the future.