What Things should be Avoided in Case of a Hard Drive Crash?

by: jameswalsh
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Things to Avoid in Case of a Hard Drive Crash

When a hard drive crashes, many times different types of sounds can be heard from it. For example, a clicking sound can be heard from the hard drive many times. The reason for this may be due to fault in the circuit boards of the hard drive or contact between the read/ write head and the platters present in the hard disk.

In such cases, many individuals may keep the computer running and try to investigate the problem. This can only intensify the problem rather than solve it. To repair such problems, one should contact a data recovery firm or a computer expert as the process involves making use of advanced electronic equipments, clean rooms etc.

Even if you think that you have the right equipment for repairing a hard drive, you should never try to open the computer tower by yourself. This will almost certainly lead to irreparable damage, making the data present on the hard drive irrecoverable. In a data recovery company, the same process is carried out in a class 100 clean room in order to avoid the entry of dust particles into the hard drive.

There is a common myth among individuals that placing the hard drive into a freezer makes it functional for some period of time and, thus, makes recovery of data possible. Contrary to the common belief, this will cause damage to the hard drive platters rather than making it functional.

Next, if you plan to make use of data recovery software, do not choose software that installs itself on the hard drive. The reason is that when software is installed onto a hard drive, some data is written onto it. This data may be written on locations where useful data exists and, thus, the very data that you are trying to recover will be lost permanently.

In such cases, the wiser option is to install the software onto a portable data storage medium by making use of a different computer and then using the same for data recovery. The software can also be installed in a separate partition of the hard drive where no data corruption has occurred. Using the affected computer for other purposes should also be avoided. No new files should be added to the hard drive and no new applications should be installed on it.

Making use of cheap data recovery software or one that is of bad quality may often prove to be hazardous. The same should be avoided. Instead, authentic data recovery software which has been used by your acquaintances or one that has been recommended by experts, by a technical magazine or website should be used.

What should be Done in Case of a Hard Drive Crash?

Although data recovery software can prove to be a cheaper option, you might incur a major loss by jeopardising your data. However, if you are planning to use data recovery software, the hard drive should be unplugged from the computer and connected to another one using a USB interface. Then, the data recovery software should be run on the latter computer. To be on the safer side, an image of the hard drive can be created by using the requisite software.

However, you could try these steps only if you are fairly familiar with computers. Isn’t it always better to entrust your data to professionals with expertise in the field instead of trusting off-the-shelf software? Hence, the safest option that an individual usually has in case of a hard drive crash is securing the services of a computer technician or a data recovery firm in particular.

One should be careful and choose the data recovery firm wisely so that one does not end up securing the services of a fraudulent firm. Also, the services of a data recovery firm tend to be expensive. Hence, before securing their services, one should carefully analyse the importance of data that has been lost.

Remember that data can often be recovered from a hard drive that has crashed if you seek the right help instead of trying the process on your own.

About the Author

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. For more information on computer crime and Computer Forensics see http://www.fieldsassociates.co.uk

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