The Difference Between Data Recovery and Data Backup

Data recovery and data backup are not the same thing, but forgetting one can require that you acquire the other.  Data backup is the process of making copies of your important information such as emails, files, documents, pictures, music, spreadsheets, contact information, in short, any kind of data that you need, preferably in a form that can be easily restored to your computer or another computer in the event that something makes your data inaccessible. This can happen if your drive is damaged, or if a CD or DVD is badly scratched, or if you drop your cell phone in the toilet when you stand up. There are so many ways that you can lose access to your important files that it’s a wonder it doesn’t happen more often.

Most experts recommend that individual users back up their data at least once a week. When you back up your data, you should back it up to somewhere that is not on your computer. The safest backups are stored “off site” usually somewhere outside your place of business or your home. These days, you can easily back up your entire hard drive automatically to an online media locker at intervals that you determine. This can be one of the safest options for your data.

Data recovery is the process of retrieving files, music, emails, spreadsheets, documents and the rest in the event that you forgot to back it all up and then dropped your phone in the toilet or contracted a virus that rendered your hard drive inaccessible or ran over your camera when you backed out of your driveway or any of the other million ways that you might damage the media that holds your important data. Depending on how difficult it is for a company to recover the data, it can be expensive because it requires specialized software, equipment to repair and rebuild your drive and a facility with a clean room where your drive can be safely opened if needed. Prices to recover lost data can range into the thousands of dollars, and even then, there’s seldom a guarantee that the experts will be able to retrieve all of your lost files.

If you do end up needing the services of a data recovery company such as Fields Data Recovery, you should follow certain precautions to make sure that you don’t cause further damage to your drive or device when you send it for service.

First, remove the drive or device carefully from your computer, and then place it inside an anti-static plastic bag. Next, wrap the drive in bubble wrap, and place it in a box slightly larger than the drive. Pack the box with packing peanuts or wrapping paper to provide more cushioning. Finally, mark the package FRAGILE and ship it via UPS or FedEx to the data recovery facility.

Common Data Recovery Emergencies and What to Do About Them

You’re not the only one who’s ever accidentally emptied the Recycle Bin without checking to make sure that nothing in there was vital to your computer. You’re not the first person to drop your digital camera into the pool. And you’re certainly not the only one spilled a cup of coffee into your laptop. The fact is that no matter how dumb you feel about the way you lost your pictures or files, there are some very common scenarios that data retrieval companies like Fields Data Recovery see nearly every day. In some of these cases, you may be able to get that lost data back yourself.

Ack! Coffee! And Now My Laptop Won’t Boot Up!

Your first reaction when you spill coffee into a laptop can limit or completely prevent problems. Immediately turn your laptop off, remove the battery and turn it upside down to drain as much liquid from it as you can. You can carefully use the corner of a folded paper towel to try to wick out any liquid that hasn’t dripped through the keyboard and into the innards of your machine. Let it dry out completely before attempting to turn it on again.  Sometimes, that’s all it takes, especially if you drink your coffee black with no sugar. If your computer still won’t start up after you’re sure that it’s completely dry, you can still recover the data from the hard drive. Follow the instructions in the computer’s service manual to remove the hard drive from the laptop. Insert it into a USB drive enclosure, which will allow you to access it via another working computer. As long as the hard drive isn’t actually damaged, you should be able to transfer all of your files to the other computer, a flash drive or other removable media. If you can’t access the drive that way, you may need to send the drive off to a professional data retrieval company.

Oh, No! No! I Didn’t Mean To Hit Delete!

Windows throws so many “do you really want to do that?” screens at you that it’s easy to accidentally hit “Yes” when you mean “oops!” This is one of the easiest data mishaps to fix. Stop using your computer immediately. When you first delete a file, your computer doesn’t actually destroy the data. It just marks the sector so that you can’t access the data and the computer knows that it can overwrite it. The longer you continue to use your computer, the greater the risk that you’ll overwrite the data and make it unrecoverable. Use another computer to download a freeware undelete program. Install it on a USB drive and run it from that drive to find your deleted files and restore them using the program’s undelete option.

My Camera’s Memory Card Is Corrupt!

First, do not format your card. While it may be possible to recover images from a formatted card, it’s much harder and you’ll have some data loss. Try to recover the lost data using a freeware program called Smart Recovery, which is designed to recover data from memory cards.

If all of your attempts fail, all is not lost. In nearly all cases, a professional data recovery company can access and retrieve nearly all of your lost data files.

Tips for Choosing the Right Data Recovery Company

Losing access to the data on your hard drive, camera or other data storage media ranks high on the list of life’s most stressful events, especially if that data is mission critical. Choosing the right data recovery company can make a difference in whether you’ll get your important files and information back, as well as how long it will take and what condition it will be in when you get a new disk that contains the data. Finding a company that does data retrieval is easy—a simple web search will turn up hundreds. Finding one that does it right can be a bit more difficult.

Choose a Company With the Technology and Resources to Meet Many Data Loss Challenges

The software, hardware and facilities needed to safely recover data from damaged or inaccessible drives change rapidly, but the more experience a company has the more likely it is that they’ll be able to handle your data problem. When you contact a data retrieval service, ask how long they’ve been in business and what facilities they have to deal with recovery jobs. Look for a provider that has clean-rooms so that they can safely open your data devices for repair and recovery. Ask any questions that are specific to your particular situation as well.  For instance, whether they can handle recovery from proprietary file systems, or from your specific device.

Ask About All the Services the Company Provides for Data Solutions

Some providers offer a range of options that include do-it-yourself recovery with software options. Others may provide emergency or expedited service to get you up and running faster, or offer onsite data retrieval services. Find out how long the company will retain the data they recover, and if you’ll be able to access it again for a period of time.

Look for Data Recovery Companies That Provide Accountability and Transparency

Only do business with a company that will provide you with an evaluation that lists recoverable files, a time frame and a quoted price range before you commit to the work. Accountability and transparency will help you avoid fly-by-night operators and scam artists.

Check the Quality of the Company’s Customer Service

In today’s world, there’s no excuse for any major company to provide anything less than 24/7/365 customer support and service. You should be able to call a toll-free number or get instant answers online, as well as tech support personnel to help you prepare your device before recovery and to help you reinstall your data after service. Many of the best companies also have online portals so that you can track the progress of your data recovery.

Select a Company You Can Trust

Look out for sales gimmicks that sound too good to be true and guarantees that no one can make. Choose a company, such as Fields Data Recovery, that offers full transparency about their capabilities and their pricing.