subject: Guide To Finding Help With Data Recovery Services [print this page] There are a number of situations in which data in a personal computer may be lost or destroyed. Some computer data has a lot of value. In cases where backup is not available, the user may have to call in an expert for assistance with data recovery. This article will be looking at a number of scenarios where this situation may occur. For each one there will be one or more suggested paths to recovery.
Not losing the data is even better than recovering it. The most important data loss prevention method is to backup any important data. Backups should be frequent enough that their contents will be usable in the event of a restore. Some of them should be stored off site, just in case a catastrophe such as a fire destroys everything at the site.
If your computer system crashes, there is a chance that data on your hard drive may be corrupted. This does not imply physical damage. Either the data in your files or the system data used to manage the hard drive may be incorrect. Some software is available that may be able to correct this situation partially or completely. If this doesn't work, then a data recovery expert may be able to use other software plus their experience and training to attempt recovery.
It is quite possible for one or more data files to be accidentally deleted. Many operating systems will temporarily preserve deleted files, generally moving them to a so called recycle center or some such. They can generally be restored or undeleted from there with no loss of data.
Just because undelete isn't possible doesn't mean that the data is gone. When a file is deleted, the data is usually left in place. The operating system deletes the file's entries in the directory and marks its space as being free. If the system is shut down at this time, the file's data will still be there for recovery. Use of a data recovery expert is very important in such a case.
If a disk drive should become physically damaged, it may still be possible to recover its contents. In such a case, if backups are not available, the drive should be turned over to a data recovery expert for analysis and possible recover of data.
If your organization has an existing relationship with a recovery expert, then that would probably be the one to use. If not, then friends or coworkers may be able to recommend someone that they have worked with in the past. If neither of these approaches helps, then yellow pages or a web search for data recovery should be give you some contacts to explore.
