I’m noticing a lot of data recovery companies that are misleading their customers in a way that I think should be examined. Today we noticed one data recovery company do a press release about “Opening a New Office” for their data recovery services….This press release does a few good things for that company:

1) Get’s their name mentioned in the news, which is good for marketing and rankings in Google

2) Customers will think, “Wow, this company is large, they have a few locations around the country!”

3) Customers will also think, “Wow, this company must be successful since they have the money to open up locations all around the country.. They must be doing a great job!”–

How is the location not a “real data recovery location”

In reality, the company simply bought a virtual office / address. If you Google that address you’ll notice there might be a lawyer using that exact same address, as well as a financial planner, a plumber and a market research firm.. How is that possible? Well, because companies can buy “locations” nowadays.. It’s great if you’re working out of your home, as you can now have a more acceptable corporate address… These shared addresses usually have a single staff person at a desk who may be answering the phones for various businesses. Also, this person will likely forward any mail and shipments sent to this address, if the true home office is somewhere else.

Things to consider when choosing a data recovery company

The problem I have with this is that it truly is misleading– As a hard drive recovery company, we want to be as transparent as possible. We want our customers to know exactly who we are and what we do. We list our real address on our website. We post pictures of our facility on our website, and we give you details about our founders… You know who we are and we’re happy that way..

Some companies seem to be doing the opposite however.. They may really just be a small company working out of a garage somewhere. You can buy as many “locations” and “headquarters” addresses as you want.. You can then put standard, generic stock photos up and have a contact us chat or email that’s actually being handled in India.. A one-person company can really look much bigger, at a pretty low cost.. But it’s deceitful and that’s why I have a problem with it..

Know who hands your data is in

So why is it these companies do this? Because they usually want to hide something… If they are using these virtual offices, where on earth is your drive actually being sent to for recovery? Is it being sent overseas? As a hard drive recovery company, they’re going to have access to your financial files and passwords, personal photos and business documents. Do you really want to trust some company that pretends to have offices where they really don’t?

These companies are also trying to fool Google into thinking they have locations in your area, so that when you do a Google search, and Google shows you options in your area, they will show up.. when in reality, they only have a virtual office in your area.. They may be across the country or might even be overseas. Make sure you know where exactly their real home office is before you send a drive to them-

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Simply put, anytime that your files and data aren’t accessible you will need to perform data recovery to get them back. That sounds simple enough; however, the recovery process is not always that simple and may, in fact, be a rather complicated ordeal at times.

Types of hard drive failure

To better understand how files are recovered, it might be a good idea to find out why they got lost in the first place. While there are many different reasons a file could go missing, there are only two causes for loss: logical failure and physical failure.
While you may have heard those terms applied to hard drive failure, understand that other forms of media fail. USB memory sticks and digital camera media cards also fail. Even though floppy disks aren’t as prevalent as they once were, floppy drive recovery is still done occasionally.

Logical Drive Failure and Recovery

We’ll start with logical failure because it is the easiest to understand and often the easiest to recover from. This type of failure stems from a failure in the logic, or coding of the drive media. It would be safe to say that almost every computer user has experienced a logical failure; and if they haven’t yet, they certainly will at some point.

Accidental or Intentional Deletion

File deletion, both accidental and intentional, is a form of logical failure. Hopefully, the files are still resident in the operating system’s Recycle Bin or Trash Bin. Recovering the files would simply being a matter of restoring them to their previous location. Unfortunately, it’s rarely that easy.
On the plus side, files are not actually deleted until they are overwritten by another file. With today’s large hard drives, that could take a while. What happens is that the identifying markers or pointers are removed from the files, breaking their association with any programs used to access them. To recover them, they must be found and the association restored.
Data recovery software does exactly that. It finds the missing files, restores the broken association and makes the files accessible again.
Any form of digital media can be recovered this way. However, some logical failures are more complex than accidental deletion.

Operating Failures and File Corruption

These types of logical failure are a bit more complex and require a more intensive recovery process. However, they still may be recovered using a data recovery software program.

These logical failures are caused by several conditions:
• Malware and virus attacks that corrupt system file and data file structure
• Improper shutdown of the computer by the user
• Improper shutdown of the computer as a result of power failure
• Removal of storage media while it is still being written to
In most cases, these issues are resolved using a recovery program; although in the first one, OS corruption, an emergency boot disk may be needed if the computer will not boot up into the operating system.
While data recovery by software is effective, although time consuming, there is one caveat that must be considered. It is prudent to have installed the software before data loss occurs. If the software is installed after the data is lost, the act of installation may overwrite the very files that are to be recovered. If this is the case, using the emergency boot disk is preferred and the recovered files should be written to a secondary media location, such as an external disk or flash drive.

Physical Failure and Recovery

Now it’s time to turn our attention to a much more formidable foe: physical failure. Again, this type of failure can occur to any digital storage media, not just hard drives. However, hard drive physical failure is common and it can be difficult to recover the files.
In a physical failure, data loss is caused by actual damage to the hard drive itself, either mechanically or electrically. Some of the causes for physical failure are:
• Normal wear and tear on the read/write heads of the recording component. If the heads stop working, data cannot be retrieved. A grinding sound emanating from the computer is usually a warning sign of this type of failure. Turn off the computer immediately to prevent further damage.
• Damage to recording media caused by worn or damaged read/write heads. The recording surface can be damage by contact with the head.
• Electrical or electronic damage, often caused by voltage spike or surges. Lightning during a storm can send surges through the power lines, damaging equipment.
• Physical abuse of the drive or computer damages the drive media. For example, excessive heat exposure, such as when a laptop is left on the back ledge of a car and exposed to the sun’s radiation and heat, will damage delicate drive media.
• Contact with water and other liquids can damage delicate drive components. While often associated with rain storms and flooding, don’t forget that a USB stick or digital camera media card may need special attention if run through a washing machine cycle!

Physical drive failure recovery is more involved

Because of the nature of physical damaged components, a data recovery software is rarely, if ever, successful. If is it used, it must be deployed as part of a process that includes drive repair. And while logical data recovery can usually be done by the computer user or a computer savvy friend, a hard drive recovery service is needed for physical drive failure recovery.
Any person with a few tools and a little patience can replace almost any component on a computer, even the hard drive. However, hard drive repair is another thing altogether. For one thing, if the computer is still under warranty, any unauthorized person opening the hard drive case will void that warranty.
Secondly, hard drive repair is not something that can be done successfully on the kitchen table, in the garage, or in any normal environment. When a drive is exposed to normal environmental conditions, airborne dust and debris will contaminate the delicate surface of the recording media, preventing a successful recovery.

The post What is Data Recovery? appeared first on The Data Rescue Center.

Today I’m going to start a four-part series on hard drive failure and data recovery. We’re going to look at:

• What is hard drive failure and what causes it
• Warning signs of hard drive failure and what to do
• How to choose a data recovery service
• Preventive drive maintenance tips

Hard Drive Failure and Its Causes

There’s nothing more frustrating to computer users than not being able to access their files. If they use the computer for business, it’s not only frustrating but costly as well. When files can’t be opened, it’s common for a bit of panic to wash over the user at first. It may be hard to think calmly during those first few moments. However, understanding drive failure helps the user to formulate a plan of action and resolve the problem quickly.

Logical Hard Drive Failures

Logical failures are a common event. There is not any physical damage to the drive; however, when files can’t be retrieved, the result is still frustrating. Two causes for logical failures are:

• Accidental deletion – caused by human error; and
• Corrupted operating system files – often caused by virus and malware attack, or by improper computer shutdown procedures, often caused by power outages or battery failure.

In our next post, we’re going to cover what to do in these instances. The user can often make a self-recovery, but there are procedures that must be followed for success.

Physical Hard Drive Failures

In a physical failure, some component of the drive is actually damaged. It may be a mechanical component, such as the read/write head, or an electronic failure. The recording surface of the drive media might also be damaged. Causes of physical damage include:

• Normal wear and tear
• Electrical spikes
• Water damage
• Excessive heat
• Drops, bumps and mishandling

Physical damage is best remedied by a qualified data recovery service. Unless the recovery engineer is qualified and has the necessary equipment, the recovery process can do more harm than good.

In our next post, we’ll discover how to recognize drive failure and learn about the first steps to recovery.

The post Data Recovery Tips Part 1 – Understanding Hard Drive Failures appeared first on The Data Rescue Center.

Computer owners lose files in one of four ways: logical drive failure, physical drive failure, human error and machine failure. The chances for data recovery depends on how it was lost.  Recovering lost data is different in each of these scenarios. Two of them – human error and logical failure – are often remedied by similar methods.

Data recovery from logical drive failures and human error

In both of these situations, failure is not the result of physical damage. Instead, accidental deletion of the data or corruption of the operating system or user data results in loss. Both of these can usually be repaired and data recovered with a software solution, such as Prosoft’s Data Rescue 3 for Mac computers or Data Rescue PC3 for Windows-based machines.

If operating system corruption occurs, data recovery software needs to be operated from an emergency boot disk, a feature found in both DR3 and DR PC3. A boot disk operates the computer without the resident OS. This is necessary when the computer won’t boot into the OS or the main drive won’t mount. File recovery is made to a separate drive, often a secondary, external drive.

Recovering from physical failures

Transferring the hard drive to a different machine or to an external drive case allows the user to access data on the drive. The process is rather simple; however, if the owner is not familiar with the process, he or she may want to use the services of a computer repair shop.

Physical drive failure, on the other hand, requires a complex and technical process for recovery. Because the repair must be done in a cleanroom environment, using advance techniques and equipment, the user should not attempt recovery. Instead, the computer owner should consult a qualified data recovery lab for assistance. The recovery engineers have been specially trained in physical drive failure recovery. They also have access to state-of-the-art, advanced recovery equipment.

If you suspect that you have data loss caused by physical drive failure, contact The Data Rescue Center at 1-877-501-4949 for a free consultation and quote.

The post How Data is Lost Affects Chances for Data Recovery appeared first on The Data Rescue Center.

Or perhaps I should say wordless. The Data Rescue Center recently had a customer that was a freelance writer that had lost all of his data.  He decided to share his story so he could help others prevent data loss…

Advantages of Freelance Writing

If you make a living as a freelance writer, your words are your livelihood. People pay you to put their ideas into text, and you get paid for that task. There are several advantages to freelance writing. You can often work from home, or almost anywhere in the world, for that matter. The Internet has opened your office doors and lets you ply your trade from exotic locations. And while you work hard, you usually work on your own terms.

Tough Side of Freelance Writing – Data Loss

Writer’s block is a bummer, but . . .
There is something that could be more devastating than a temporary loss for words. A permanent loss of data, the files from which you prosper, could put you out of business quickly. Losing the working files on your computer can, at the very least, force you to miss deadlines. While some clients may work with you, extending your due date, many will just move on to someone else.
Additionally, you may lose more than just your drafts. You could lose all your research as well. That means that it’s back to square one, starting all over on a project. It’s as if you never worked on the project at all. All that time you spent is lost, gone like the wind.

Protect your Data

Unfortunately, I didn’t take the time to have a good back up plan in place and protect myself from data loss.  I had a major physical hard drive crash and lost all of my data.  I had no other choice then be faced with finding a data recovery service to hopefully recover my hard drive, so I could get back to work.  Fortunately after spending a lot of time researching I came across the folks at The Data Rescue Center.  They provided me with great customer service, competitive pricing and recovered my data quickly.

I have learned from this now and have created a regular backup routine.  Hopefully I am diligent about preventing data loss, so  I won’t need The Data Rescue Center’s data recovery service again…but always have their contact info on hand.

The post Tips to Preventing Data Loss from a Freelance Writer appeared first on The Data Rescue Center.

The importance of having a data recovery plan and protecting your data.

How I Kept From Needing a Data Recovery Service for 15 Years

About 15 years ago, I created a data recovery and protection plan.  It has now been over 15 years since I lost any of my critical files. That’s not to say that my computers haven’t been subject to data loss.  I’ve set up a robust and easy to use data protection/recovery plan that’s been very effective.

Over the years I’ve tweaked the data recovery plan as new options and technologies became available. My system of data protection is quite different than it was over a decade ago. Even so, some of the foundation principles are still there. They’ve just been enhanced.  I also know the importance of having a trusted professional data recovery service that is just a phone call away.

I can’t afford data loss . . . can you?

I’m a marketing professional and also parent.  My business existence depends on my work documents.   My cherished and beloved moments with my family are all captured digitally and stored on my hard drive.  I really can’t afford to lose any of my personal or professional data.

It is so nice and easy to manage a clean, organized and close to paperless office/home. Reams of paper documents containing research and ideas are now stored digitally.  Piles of developed pictures that just end up in boxes are now organized neatly in folders and events on my computer.  Replacing them would be a nightmare.

Failing at a Backup Plan

As many articles that have been written about backing up your files and creating a recovery plan, you would think people would learn.  Research has discovered that a huge majority of small- and medium-sized businesses don’t have an effective data protection and recovery plan in place. Many don’t have a plan at all.  Honestly, there isn’t any excuse for not backing up important files.  Not only are there excellent data backup programs available, but most operating systems include backup capability. While they’re usually pretty basic, these OS-based backup are not hard to use.

Easy Backup Options

The arrival of online storage companies gave us another avenue for data protection. Data can now be stored and even shared online. An always-on, high speed Internet connection makes this form of protection almost seamless.

Some call it overkill, but it works

A multi-step process works for me. It always has. This data protection plan has three main elements for file backup:
• I use a data backup plan that stores data on a local, external hard drive. This program runs every night. An initial, complete backup is made first, then each subsequent time it backups up modified or new files. After a week, the process begins again. A system image is also created that permits quick recovery from OS corruption.
• During the day, when I’m working, my files are backed up to an online server. This happens every 15 minutes. Like I said, I can’t afford to lose my files.
• The third part of the plan involves data synchronization. I do most of my work on a desktop machine. However, I do use a laptop when on the road. After the online backup is done, the program synchronizes the files on both computers. Since identical files are available, I just need to swivel my chair to the laptop if the main computer fails.

Take the Steps Today to Protect your Data

A data protection plan is critical if you make a living with your computer. Take a few minutes right now and develop your own plan.  If you have already lost data and are looking for an affordable, professional data recovery service– contact The Data Rescue Center.
It’s that important.

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Remember this important point: solid state hard drives are not bulletproof. They can and will fail.

What is a Solid state hard drive?

Solid state hard drives, called SSDs, have been around for a few years now. Touted as being more reliable and much faster than standard platter drives, these drives have no mechanical parts. The data is stored entirely on electronic chips that are similar to your computer’s memory cards. Computer memory is volatile; it loses the data when the computer is shut down.
An SSD, however, retains the stored data. Because the data is manipulated electronically, higher throughput speeds are attained. And since there are no moving parts, the danger of physical hard drive failure from abuse, such as drops or bumps, is greatly reduced.

Downside of Solid State Hard Drives

Remember this important point: SSDs are not bulletproof.  They can and will fail.  Logical failures are still a threat. And there are some common maintenance chores for standard drives that will ruin a solid-state drive.  Defragmentation is one. I know we’ve promoted defragging to improve drive performance and to extend its life. But defragmenting an SSD can strike a fatal blow. It destroys the electronic path on which the data is stored.
Of course, they are damaged by electrical problems as well. Voltage spikes and power surges can damage the delicate electronic components.

Specialized Solid-State Hard Drive Recovery

Here at The Data Rescue Center, we have recovery engineers that are specially trained to handle solid state hard drive recovery. We’ve also installed the necessary equipment to recover data from solid-state drives. It wasn’t cheap . . . but our clients are worth the extra effort. Give us a call today to find out more.  We also offer a FREE evaluation.

The post Solid State Hard Drives vs Platter Drives appeared first on The Data Rescue Center.

No backup...and you risk loosing your priceless files.

I’d like to speak to the entrepreneur and the freelance business person as well. It’s important that you understand the importance of the files on your computer, tablet and smartphone. Your entire livelihood is bundled up on those devices. Many freelancers keep lousy paper records. It’s easier to put all your faith in the digital records alone.  So many of us run our businesses and keep only digital records of everything.  In our personal lives we record and photograph every step of our children’s lives digitally.  It is great to not have to have file cabinets full of old paperwork or piles of photos lying around waiting to be put in albums.  It takes such a small amount of hard drive space to hold so much precious data and still being so accessible at any moment.  However, the biggest problem is most of us are not that great about diligently backup up that important data in case something were to fail.

Make no mistake, though. Digital storage media is fallible and it will let you down when you least expect it. There are a multitude of reasons why you might suddenly lose your data. There are physical failures, logical failures and even property theft.

I know you’re busy, but you need to set time aside to ensure that your data is protected. If you lose important files, how long would it take to recover? Would you even recover at all, or would you be out of business?

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from data loss:

• Buy and install some good data recovery software on your computer. Prosoft’s Data Rescue PC3 and Data Rescue 3 for Macs would be excellent choices.
• Back up your data to at least two locations. You can back up files to an external drive and store them locally. I’d suggest that you also use an online backup service.
• Make sure you keep on top of OS updates and keep your antivirus software current.

•  If all else fails have a good reputable data recovery service like The Data Rescue Center to recover assist you and recover your data.

The backups and updates can all be put on autopilot once you set them up. Take time to do it and do it right. And when physical failure is the culprit, give us a call at The Data Rescue Center. We’re ready to get you back up and running ASAP.

The post No Backup and Needing a Data Recovery Service? appeared first on The Data Rescue Center.

Backing up or Archiving

There’s a difference between backing up and archiving. While it sounds like you’re doing the same thing, they have different purposes. They both help prevent data loss; it’s the way they do it that matters.

What are backups intended to do?

Backups are intended to protect working data files. For example, if you’re working on a book for publication, you certainly don’t want to lose it to logical or physical damage to your hard drive. So you keep a backup on a separate external drive or online server.

If your drive crashes, you can still access the files from a different computer.

But you don’t want to back up everything on your computer. Our hard drives can store hundreds, even thousands of file that we don’t need immediate access to. If the drive must be recovered, either using data recovery software or by a data recovery lab, it becomes more time consuming. Every file on the drive will be analyzed, not just the ones we need.

That’s where archiving come into play.

What is file archiving?

File archiving is the process of removing old files from the hard drive and storing them elsewhere. For example, I often use CDs and DVDs to store older files, especially digital photos. External drives can also be used. Compressing files will save space on the archival media.

Personally, I only back up one year’s worth of data along with any older files that I access regularly. Everything else is archived. It keeps my drive clean, but still allows access if necessary.

If you are need of hard drive recovery we invite you to check out our lab at The Data Rescue Center or give us a call. The call is free and so is the consultation. Don’t trust your data to amateurs.

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So much of the data on stored on your hard drive is irreplaceable.

The reasons that data goes missing are varied. Some are lost to logical failures.  Virus and malware attacks corrupt operating system files and user-generated data.  Now the files are inaccessible.  Accidental deletion, another form of logical failure, also causes file loss.

Corruption occurs when a computer is shut down improperly as well.  Power failures strike without warning and data is lost because it wasn’t saved.

Personal computers and network servers often suffer physical damage. Improper handling and natural disasters damage delicate components or destroy electronics. This lost data requires special techniques and equipment for recovery, normally only found in a data recovery lab.

The Data Rescue Center offers professional data recovery service.

The fact is that most of us will experience some form of data loss. How you prepare for it will make a huge difference in its impact on your personal or business life. And while good recovery software may recover deleted files, and recovery engineers might recover all or part of your data, remember this. There is no substitute for an effective data backup plan.

Not only that, but it’s a good idea to check your plan to make sure it works. Can you actually recover your data from a backup set? And is it backing up all the data you think it is? If you haven’t verified it, you really don’t know.

The recovery engineers here at The Data Rescue Center will all recommend that you backup your computer. Our software, Data Backup PC3 for Windows® PCs and Data Backup 3 for Macs, will help you protect your data safely and securely.

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