What You Need To Know About Data Recovery
By Richard Stutchbury
Any company or individual making use of computer data should always have a good back-up
of whatever vital information they have. However, in case you lose such information, without
having any back-up, you can still depend on the services of a professional data recovery specialist
in getting back what you may have lost.
Most specialist data recovery firms usually handle various other services, including
network and system support, data destruction, offsite computer data storage (a good option
which might serve as a vital back-up for the data you have) and disaster recovery. When seeking
their services, you first need to know how qualified they are, which is normally evident from
their track record as well as having an affiliation with oversight organizations, such as the
International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners (ISFCE).
Why Is Data Recovery Necessary?
It's possible to recover lost data in certain types of storage media, including computer
tape cartridges, optical devices, removable media and hard disk drives. In such instances,
failure of the electronic storage media would have made the data within them inaccessible or
such data might have actually been deleted.
Various situations can cause your data to become inaccessible, ranging from common occurrences
to serious incidences. This may be a problem with your software or an infection by a computer
virus. A mechanical or electrical malfunction can also harm your data, or it might be both
deliberate and accidental tampering.
Fortunately, experienced technicians are known to have a high success rate (ranging from
80 to 90 percent) in recovering lost data.
The Process Of Data Recovery
Prior evaluation is necessary before actual recovery of the inaccessible data from your
device. This prior evaluation, allows for careful inspection of your device, in order to accurately
diagnose the real problem affecting it. The evaluation process has to be customized to suit
the particular type of device, as well as the kind of damage involved.
During evaluation, mechanical diagnosis would be carried out, a sector copy would be
made and integrity of the data would be assessed. Such an evaluation would enable a data recovery
specialist to compile a comprehensive report of the state of the inaccessible data. The specialist
would also be able to assess whether certain parts would be required and which parts they are.
Indeed, a prior evaluation would facilitate making of a good assessment of the cost of
recovering the lost or inaccessible data. Often, a recovery specialist would give you the opportunity
to first see how much recovery would cost so that you can authorize the recovery process.
Most likely, mechanical damage would necessitate replacement of damaged, compromised
or failed parts. However, such replacements must always comply with the manufacturer's requirements;
otherwise, they might also lead to further problems in future. Certain parts often require
replacement, including motors, magnets, logic boards and read⁄write heads.
Prior evaluation is vital in charting the path to be followed during the recovery process.
This is especially so if the evaluation reveals that your data was affected by a malicious
virus. In this case, data restoration can only be done once your files are disinfected of the
offending virus.
The actual data or logical recovery requires certain forms of high-tech software. In
this process, data is retrieved by repairing low-level file systems and extracting data fragments
found in the data image.
The best practice, after extracting data from a compromised data storage device, is migrating
such data to a new media.
Richard Stutchbury is an expert in computer data storage media. He offers his insights
on the best ways to handle large volumes of data. When you meet him at Stutch Data, you can
be assured that your data storage needs will sorted. Visit us at
Stutch Data Services to get more information.
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