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Data Recovery Resource

Data Recovery

The primary causes of data loss are hardware malfunction, software corruption, computer viruses, operator error, and natural disasters. The possibility of recovering data and the methods used to do so, will depend on a number of factors: the cause of the data loss, the extent of the data loss, the type of data lost, and the importance of the data. For example, a scenario where the system is inoperable, perhaps due to system files on the hard drive being inaccessible, is very different from one in which trivial documents have been deleted.

Of course, the easiest data loss situation to recover from is one in which the system is unaffected and the data are unimportant. The next easiest would be a situation in which the system is unaffected and important data has been lost, but where the data can be restored from the ‘Recycle Bin’ or a recent backup. In between these scenarios and the worst case, probably in which hardware has been damaged beyond repair, there are an almost infinite number of possibilities. Complete or partial data recovery may still be possible in even the worst cases, but it may require the purchase of special software or the services of data recovery experts.

Companies that specialise in data recovery depend on an array of specialised equipment, software and expertise to recover data when it may seem hopeless. It should be noted that without the in-depth knowledge often required, it is easy to make matters worse; any attempt to recover data may lead to a complete loss, from which even the experts cannot recover. However, there are many data loss situations which can be remedied in-house, with a careful approach. The most important element is enough understanding to know which procedures to follow, and when the situation exceeds one’s experience level.