Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ways to Recover Data from Failed Storage Devices

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As we live in a digital era, we normally save electronic files rather than paper documents. It is handy and accessible anywhere we go. We also keep track of our life’s precious moments by keeping pictures and videos of family and friends that we cannot delete permanently. Even in our working environment, we rely on digital storage of our documents regardless of the format, PDF, Excel, and word.  

Data loss could be your worst nightmare if you are living a digital lifestyle. You would feel helpless in finding ways to rescue a file from a crashed external drive and computer. Several instances could happen that would bring you to this situation. It could be you accidentally deleted the files, or your storage device has just been corrupted. As per the experts, 43% of data loss is due to hardware failures and only 30% from human error.

The rest are due to software corruption, viruses, theft, etc. Whatever the case, you’ll do anything just to get back those important files to your computer. If you’re currently in this situation, then this writing is appropriate for you. Let’s discuss the ways to recover your data.

Data Recovery Applications

Retrieving data from a dead external hard drive can be both easy and challenging, depending on the situation of your device. One of the options in retrieving the lost data is to try recovery software. It’s an application with capabilities to recover lost files from any storage medium. Regardless if it has been accidentally deleted due to a virus attack or any other reason. If the file has been deleted from the recycle bin, it doesn’t get removed permanently. The binary file is still available, and parts of the file remain for several years. You have to select the best software that should support all storage media and file structures.

It’s also best to consider factors such as OS compatibility, supported file types, and systems, as well as the ease of use. Another thing to consider is the warranty period to ensure you can maximize its value. Some applications are free. Finding the right tool requires in-depth research to find a relevant solution.

Get Help from a Data Recovery Service

Depending on the damage of your device, if it’s beyond repair by using any kind of troubleshooting and recovery software, this is the best way to go. Our storage devices are prone to wear and tear of mechanical parts that can lead to data loss. If the reason for lost files is due to hardware damage, you have to seek assistance from experts. You can find a data recovery service online that has an office that you can physically visit to have a free initial assessment of your device. According to experts from Recovered WA, which has an office located in Perth, retrieving lost or deleted data from any storage mediums such as damaged hard drives, solid-state drives, phones, and tablets should be left to professionals. It’s important to consider the experience, privacy, and security of your files as well as the quality of the cleanroom when choosing the right provider for your data loss problem.

Basic Troubleshooting

Your troubleshooting actions would also vary on how your device has been damaged. For instance, if it’s due to mechanical failure, virus, and human error. It’s important to recognize the main reason, but if you are entirely sure that it’s due to physical impact, you have to observe your hard drive if it has clicking or grinding noises, low read, and sudden freezes, or sometimes the system crashes. If you can still transfer the data to a healthy HDD immediately, you may do so.

However, if it’s no longer working, you can opt for the option mentioned above.

For malware issues, install a reliable antivirus and firewall program that can perform a thorough system scan. If your device can’t be detected, try a different USB port, turn off the computer, unplug the SATA cable and connect to a different SATA port. Sometimes the problem is not the device itself, but it’s with the SATA cable. You can also run the command CHKDSK to check a specified disk and repair or recover data on the drive if necessary. In some instances, you can retrieve corrupted files by changing the format. For example, you can open a corrupted Word document using a PDF application to launch a file conversion utility. Most of the time, this solution alone can address this problem.

Cease the Use of the Affected Devices

When you realize that you have a data loss incident, it’s vital to stop using the devices. It’s good to know the basic troubleshooting techniques; however, you need to learn when to stop and seek assistance from professionals. There are cases that we lost data not because of crashed systems but because of incidents like flooding or fire. If your device has been affected, stop using it unless it has been assessed and declared by experts that it’s safe to use. Do not attempt a DIY fix in this matter as you’ll only risk your safety and reduce the chance of data recovery.

Have a Record of What Happened

It’s essential in the data recovery process to know exactly the cause to choose the right recovery method. Even if you seek help from professionals, you need to provide a background of what happened to help them with the device assessment. Make notes of the details such as updates on your IT systems, another person who accesses the data, the last time you access the files, etc. Don’t leave any small detail as it may provide important clues to recover the data. By recording what happened, you can also avoid the same mishap in the future.

Major data loss can severely impact your profession, business, or personal life if it is not handled properly. Users need to understand the predicaments of data loss as we are living in a data-centric where most of the information is in digital format. We can’t stress out how important it is to create backups of the files that are important.

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