Hard Drive Recovery: Getting that File Back

No one likes to think of the day when hard drive recovery will become necessary. But if you regularly use a computer, the day is going to come when you will face it - maybe that moment is right now.

The best action you can take right now is to sit on your hands and take a moment to understand which of the following options will serve you best:

• Recovery software
• Local technical services
• Expert hard disk recovery firms

Hard drive recovery software

The first option available to you when hard drive recovery becomes a reality is software. This includes free and low-cost solutions that address simple problems, like deleted files; to the more powerful hard drive recovery tools that recover the most difficult situations, such as RAID recovery. Most likely, your problem resides somewhere between these two extremes.

Free hard drive recovery may be useful in resolving a deleted file problem, but most of the time there are too many limitations attached to such drive recovery software to be truly effective. Try one for yourself, and you will know what I mean.

Low-cost hard drive recovery programs work effectively with file deletion, but can also address other problems where the file system has not been compromised. However, any situation when the components have been altered, means you need a more powerful hard drive data recovery utility.

Interestingly, it is difficult to differentiate one level of hard drive recovery product from another, if you do not know exactly what you are looking for. This is because the low-end products say they can recover the same problems as the most powerful utilities - deleted, lost, corrupt, and damaged files - but they forget to mention that they cannot produce any results when the file system has been changed.

This brings up the question...

"How do I tell which hard drive recovery solution I need?" You don't, unless you can understand such challenging terminology as: a damaged file allocation table; partition repair, using a boot disk to access data on a 'dead hard drive''; running a drive image tool to get your data to a safe new hard drive. That's why I always say, "If you are serious about recovering your data, stop playing around, and use a reliable recovery tool."

The "real" hard drive recovery applications recover every situation short of a crashed hard drive. The important point to stress here is: Whatever your problem is, this level software is your best opportunity to recover your data. Sure, go try the other cheaper versions to see if they work, but when you want the best solution and you need your files now, this is where to start. 

The stronger hard drive recovery utilities offer multiple automated data recovery hard drive functions that allow you to approach the process from several angles. For example, if you want to recover or rebuild a partition table using the partition repair function, but the results are not what you want, then you can switch modes, and recover your data using the file recovery function. If that does not work, and you understand how to manipulate the file system, the Hex Editor operation would be your next step.

Local computer repair services

If the hard drive recovery software options do not resolve your situation, or if you simply are not comfortable dealing with the recovery on your own, your only other option is using a local technician or a hard drive recovery expert.

The advantages of using the local techs are: They are "next door" and the cost structure is usually cheaper than professional service. The disadvantages of using the local tech store, or getting onsite computer help are: The safety of your data, and their lack of experience in recoverying data. Specifically, unless they can use a sector drive imaging tool, that can produce you a bit-backup of your primary hard drive data to a new hard disk; and then hand you the original drive, before doing anything else to your drive, do not let them touch your data. Why?

Remember this: With hard drive recovery, you get one time to recover data. That's why I have advised you to get the second sector-copy of your drive - so that the recovery can be tried on it as many times without damaging your original data drive.

Expert recovery firms

Expert recovery firms do hard drive recovery day in and day out. They know what they are doing and have plenty of experience in recovering data. However, you need to know that the experts are most likely not located next door, or even in your city - and maybe not even in your state. There are so few expert hard drive recovery companies, that you probably need to deliver your drive to them. This is commonplace in the industry because the cost-structure of building multi-million dollar labs in every state is not realistic.

Whichever option you choose...

Make certain you use the safest precautions to prevent permanent data loss. Do not open the drive, or try to use some utility that does not specifically address hard drive recovery circumstances. I say this because we get calls daily from people using such tools that market promises, but deliver disaster. Finally, if hard drive data recovery service becomes inevitable, the first step is to know that a bit-sector backup is being performed - before any hard drive recovery software is used. If not, you are putting your data at risk. 

Keep educating yourself 

Know Your Choices.
Learn your options in data recovery hard drive before you waste time and money.

Drive Recovery Info
Good recovery hard drive information equals better recovery results.

Failing Drives.
What hard disk recovery solutions you have for physically damaged discs. 

Software Savings Are Super!
Hard drive recovery software is the quickest and cheapest recovery solution.

Breaking Down Your Possibilties.
Which one of these hard disk recovery data choices is for you.

The Qualification Process Begins Here.
When you want to recover hard drive files, how do you choose the solution? The answer lies within...

Dreams Come True.
Every now and then free hard drive recovery works.

Preparation is 90% of the Game.
Let me help your harddrive recovery efforts become easier with this one pager.

Where Do I Start.
Of course, with hard drive data recovery tools .

Make an Educated Decision.
Harddrive data recovery begins by asking the right questions. Here they are...