Data Recovery Services: The Ultimate Guide

Data loss can become catastrophic. Businesses could see their day-to-day operations screech to a halt, while public institutions might violate strict regulations. Even students can suffer big consequences—imagine deleting your end-of-term assignment the night before it’s due.

But all is not lost when it comes to data loss. Professional data recovery services help organisations and individuals recuperate their missing files and bounce back from this potentially devastating ordeal.

Understanding Data Loss

Data loss occurs when information is destroyed due to accidental or malicious causes. It differs from a data breach, which occurs when an unauthorised person accesses restricted data.  

Common causes of data loss include:

• Hardware failures: External storage drives or internal disk drives can suddenly stop working.  
• Accidental deletion: A user may inadvertently delete data or format the wrong disk drive.
• Software corruption: An operating system, application, or file system can crash and wipe data.
• Malware: Malicious software can delete or encrypt files.
• Physical damage: Disasters like floods or fires and mishaps like spilling liquid on a disk drive can cause data loss.
• Power outages: Sudden power failures and surges can damage hardware and destroy data.

All file types can be lost and then recovered, including documents, project files, videos, photos, databases, and more. 

 

Types of Data Recovery Services

A specialist can attempt a range of data recovery techniques:

• Logical data recovery: when the disk drive is intact but the computer has malfunctioned
• Physical data recovery: when the storage drive has been physically damaged
• Optical data recovery: retrieving information from an optical storage drive like a CD or DVD
• Instant data recovery: when a technician restores data from a backup server

Data Recovery Software

Data recovery software can prove fruitful for losses caused by a crashed hard drive, corrupted system files, or a virus. It can also retrieve data deleted from a hard disk drive (HDD), thumb drive, or phone. Unfortunately, the software-based approach is much less effective on a solid-state drive (SSD), which has become commonplace in modern laptops and PCs.

Hardware-Based Data Recovery Solutions

When data recovery software isn’t suitable, a specialist may offer a hardware-based solution. This more complex and expensive method entails digging deep into a storage drive within a laboratory setting. Specialists often use hardware-based methods on physically damaged storage drives.

Steps in the Data Recovery Process

Lost some important data?  No need to throw a tantrum just yet. If you follow these fundamental data recovery steps, there’s a good chance you’ll get your precious missing files back.

1. Decommission the device: Stop using the device immediately or you may overwrite the lost data upon saving new files.
2. Search for Symptoms: Unusual hard drive names, strange noises, and slow load times may indicate a malfunctioning disk drive.
3. Document everything:  Make a detailed list of what happened leading up to the data loss, including IT infrastructure changes, new employee access, extreme weather, and building renovations.
4. Look for backups: Restoring your data from a backup server is always the easiest option. If you don’t have one, you’ll probably need professional help.
5. Contact a professional: Find a reputable recovery specialist in your area and obtain a quote.  
6. Preventative measures: Adopt processes to ensure a data loss event won’t happen again.

Preventive Measures Against Data Loss

“Prevention is better than cure,” as our collective grandmothers would say. Adopting these preventative measures into your everyday operations can ward off data loss.  

• Establish routine backups: Use specialised software to create automatic backups of your most critical data. A professional backup service can help.
• Invest in reliable hardware: A modern computer from a reliable manufacturer is far less likely to break down than an old, out-of-date machine.
• Update everything: An up-to-date operating system and apps leave you less vulnerable to corrupted system files.
• Get anti-virus software & a firewall: Malware is a major cause of data loss so it pays to keep malicious files at bay.
• Keep susceptible areas clean: Drinking a piping-hot latte in the server room is probably not the best idea.

Choosing a Data Recovery Service Provider

Data recovery is a significant investment, so do due diligence when comparing service providers.

As every case is different, there’s no universal price for data recovery services. A reputable provider will analyse your situation and provide a transparent quote.

Ask your service provider about their success rate. While no data recovery specialist can guarantee a positive outcome, a high success rate indicates you’re in good hands.

Finally, look for a company with a long-standing presence in the field. Large, well-established brands care about their reputation and will go to great lengths to keep customers happy.

Book Data Recovery Services with Geeks2U

Have you got a data loss emergency on your hands? Our specialists are only a phone call away. We can send a data recovery expert to your doorstep today with a same-day service.

Contact us today to get those precious missing files back ASAP.

FAQs

• How much does data recovery cost?

  The price depends on various factors, including the storage type and how the data loss occurred.

• Is data recovery worth it?

  It depends on the value of the data and the cost to recover it. For many businesses, data recovery is a worthy investment.

• How long does data recovery take?

  The process typically takes one to three business days. However, complex recoveries can take weeks.

• How can you prevent data loss?

  The best way to avoid losing data is to create regular backups through an automated system.

• What devices can you recover data from?

  We can do hard drive recovery, RAID recovery, and retrieve missing data from media like memory cards, USB flash drives, CDs, and DVDs.