Hard Drive Repair: Tips to Recover Lost Data

The usage of computers for both personal and business purposes has become very common these days. Hard drive is the main data storage device in a computer, and many times it happens that the hard drive undergoes a sudden failure or a crash, resulting in loss of data. Changes in its performance or the appearance of sudden blue screens are the common indicators of a hard drive crash.

Hard Drive Repair and Recovery

The repairing of the hard drive depends on whether the loss of data is caused due to a physical hard drive crash or a non physical / logical crash. In the former it is due to a malfunctioning hard drive (like a head crash or damage of other components) and in the latter it is due to accidental deletion, formatting or a virus attack. But the mechanical and the electronic are interconnected, so it can be a combination of both.

Once the hard drive crashes, it becomes necessary to recover lost data, particularly in cases where the data holds great importance for a company or an individual. The basic method of data recovery to recover lost data is done by using one of the many software available for this purpose, which can be downloaded from the Internet. There are also some advanced software which can be purchased and used to recover lost data in highly complicated conditions.

The basic concept used by these software is that the data does not really get "erased" when a user deletes it manually or some system crash takes place. What actually happens is that the data gets stored at different locations on the hard disk, in a binary format of 0's and 1's, and is clubbed together when the user tries to retrieve it. There are links between the addresses of these data segments, which are maintained by the CPU. Once a data is deleted, only its address location becomes available for the storage of something new. The (deleted) data remains on the hard drive, unless it is overwritten by something new.

By using various data recovery software and techniques, almost 90 to 100 percent of the lost data can be recovered from a crashed hard drive. In case only the electronic control panel is damaged, the process becomes easier. However, if the defect is physical in nature, it becomes a bit tough to recover the complete data. The file system should also be kept in mind before downloading or purchasing a data recovery software. There are basically two file systems in the Windows operating system, namely, FAT and NTFS. There are software which support data recovery exclusively for NTFS or exclusively for FAT and some which support both file systems. So, depending on the need, you can recover lost data, using the appropriate software.

Tips to Recover Lost Data

Here are some good tips for recovering lost data.

• Look out for a good and reputed data recovery software. Avoid purchasing one if the recovery process is not very complicated. Instead download it from the Internet, or ask one of your technically inclined friends to help you recover lost data.
• In case the hard drive is in good condition, try to recover data using an appropriate software. If the drive is not in good condition, consult a professional or expert.
• It is always better to download and install the data recovery software in a slave drive or any other portable drive. It helps in the recovery of all the data, as the chances of overwriting are minimized. In case the server crashes, never try to recover the lost data on the same server.
• Try avoiding the usage of system utilities like De-fragmentation, and volume repair utilities.

Although there are various data recovery software available in the market, the only real guarantee for protection of your data is to maintain a reliable backup system. The backup system should be well thought and tested and all important data should be updated on this system on a regular basis. In case of any hard drive crashes, the whole data can be immediately recovered without any tensions and complications of hard drive repair or resorting to data recovery software.