Steps to Ensure Successful Data Recovery

We store a lot of information on hard drives are other storage devices that is very important to us. We can have important work files, personal work that could take months to re-do and precious family photos and videos. So when data loss occurs it is understandable that many people will panic when they don't have a back up. It's not the end of the world though, data can be recovered.

Take the following steps to ensure that you are able recover your important data. To avoid permanent data loss it is important you follow these guidelines:

1 If you hear strange whirring, grinding or clicking sounds, shut down your computer immediately. Severe or complete data loss could occur as the heads in the drive could be hitting the platters that store the data.

2 Take care and unplug the computer before removing the hard drive. You have to be very careful when handling the hard drive as physical jolts can cause damage and are sensitive to static electricity.

3 If your have critical data you want to recover then make sure you choose a well known recovery firm or one recommended from a friend or colleague. Even simple attempts to recover a physically damaged drive can end in making it completely impossible to recover data anymore.

Remember the first recovery attempt offers the best chance of recovery. If you have very important information, don't take the risk, pay a professional so if there is a chance to recover the data; they will be able to do so.

When problems happen:

1 If it is possible, back up the data straight away

2 Don't power up any device that has been making strange noises or clearly has physical damage

3 Don't use utility software if the hard drive is making clicking, humming or tapping noises.

4 As soon as you notice any symptoms of hard drive damage shut down the computer immediately to avoid further damage.

5 Finally don't attempt to recover the data yourself for severely damaged machines as the system will be very vulnerable, any attempts to recover can spell permanent data loss. Seek professional advice for data recovery