Data Recovery- How to Restore Lost Data

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1 Introduction When a hard drive fails, wouldn t it be great if you could fix the problem yourself? In a case where the data loss occurred due to a simple logical error, application of one of many types of data recovery software can easily correct the problem. However, if an inaccurate DIY solution is applied, additional damage could affect the data, in turn, resulting in a permanent, unrecoverable data loss. Consumer recovery software has many benefits, but most market products require some basic knowledge and understanding of hard drive file system organization. In evaluating the status of your drive and deciding on the most advantageous method of data recovery, you should ask yourself the following questions: Is My Drive Spinning? To answer this question you may need to open up your PC or laptop case and put your hand on the drive to feel if it spins up when power is applied. If you cannot feel the drive spinning, you can verify that the power supply is delivering correct voltages by testing it with a multi-meter or a known good drive. If the drive is not spinning, then professional recovery is in order.

2 Is My Drive Making Any Unusual Noise? Clicking, grinding, chirping, warbling musical tones, or something that sounds like sound effects from a cheap Sci-fi movie are all signs that the drive has suffered a catastrophic physical failure. Immediately turn off the drive. Do not attempt recovery at home. Seek professional help. You could be slowly grinding the surface off the disk that holds your data, making recovery by any means impossible. Did My Operating System or BIOS Boot Message Indicate SMART failure? SMART is a system designed to monitor errors and other conditions on a hard drive. It tracks the number of errors along with parameters such as temperature, run time, and other factors to develop a value for the health of your hard drive. If you receive SMART errors, you should immediately back up critical data before proceeding. Software like MHDD or HDDS can give you a breakdown of the SMART parameters that are failing. With most SMART failures, the best solution is to back up your data while you still have access, and contact the hard drive manufacturer for warranty return.

3 What About Other Errors Like Bad Sectors or I/O Errors Bad Sectors and I/O type errors are rather ambiguous. They can be caused by a physical issue with the hard drive or by logical errors in the file system. When these errors are encountered, it is best to download the hard drive manufacturer s diagnostic utilities and test the drive for errors. These programs are usually available as a bootable CD and the preferred version to use for testing. These applications test the physical performance of the hard drive. If the test fails, it is advised that you seek professional assistance. If the hard drive passes the physical tests, then there is a strong likelihood that you can recover the data with consumer data recovery software. Just as important as what to do, is what NOT to do with a failing or failed hard drive. The Internet is full of ideas and advice some of which is useful, some of which is not. Pop It In The Freezer Freezing a drive is never recommended. Many people think hard drives are hermetically sealed, meaning that there is no air exchange with the outside. This is incorrect. Hard drives have vent holes and exchange air constantly with the outside world. These holes are very well filtered to keep out dust

4 particles, but water vapor and moisture still enter the drive. The humidity and pressure inside the drive are the same as that outside. When you freeze a drive, as the temperature drops, this water vapor condenses on the cooling surfaces, eventually freezing into ice droplets on the inside surfaces of the disk. This causes two issues: The water itself being in contact with the head and platter surfaces forms small ice bumps on the platters. The platter surface is very smooth, making a perfect surface for the ice to adhere to as it forms. The heads inside the hard drive fly just a few microns above the platter surface, which is fractional to the thickness of a human hair. Spinning at 7200 revolutions per minute (RPMs), if the heads hit one of the ice deposits, it is likely to cause damage to the head and slider assembly itself. Heat can also cause a lot of drive failures. Many times, a drive will spin up and function normally for a few minutes, until the temperature increases and the drive fails. With this, it is important to keep the drive cool. However, rather than putting it in the freezer, you can accomplish this without causing harm by: Having a fan blowing across the drive to help dissipate heat Using an active cooling device such as this USB beverage chiller Systems-Beverage-Chiller-28USB-2d /dp/B000EDJJMI under the drive My Drive Won t Spin So I Tapped It With A (Insert Tool Here) This fix is based on the idea that parts may be sticking. This is one of those stories that may have had a grain of truth to it.

5 Stiction is a condition in which the hard drive heads stick to the parking track on the platter. As the lubricant used on the platters parking track ages, it does get thicker and stickier. A few years ago, stiction was a much more serious problem and a gentle tap on the side of the case could sometimes get the drive spinning again. Modern drives are much less prone to stiction, and usually have other causes for the drive not spinning. Without opening the drive in a cleanroom to verify the actual cause of a no spin condition, it is impossible to determine if stiction is the problem. Sharply tapping on the drive can easily cause head slap, which occurs when the heads bounce into contact with the disk surface, resulting in damage to both the heads and the platter, causing unrecoverable data loss. With these basic guidelines for evaluating your chances of success at do-it-yourself hard disk recovery, it is important to understand that even following these steps on a failing drive can cause even more damage. If the data you need to recover is critical, your best bet is to seek help from a professional in hard drive recovery. Lost data can be catastrophic in the business world, as well as for the residential user where data loss involves heirloom pictures or important personal files.

6 Reclamere s Solution Often a Take No Chances approach is the best course of action. Reclamere s experts can help you evaluate your situation in further detail. For more information, please contact one of our account representatives. Julius Bud Younke, CDRP, MCSE, MCP+I, MCP, A+ Data Recovery Lead Technician and Network Administrator, Reclamere, Inc.