Wednesday, June 8, 2011

How to Choose Between Data Recovery Options

The best data recovery plan is not to need a data recovery service, of course. If you back up regularly and follow all the rules, you should never have to worry about a need to recover lost data. Unfortunately, if you’ve managed to pancake your hard drive or flash drive and haven’t been keeping up on your regular data backups, you’re already stuck with plan B. Since accidents happen, understanding your options for data recovery can help you avoid panic when your drive is suddenly inaccessible.

The Two Options: Data Recovery Services and Data Recovery Software

Your options for recovering data on an inaccessible hard drive are fairly limited. You can attempt to recover the data from the hard drive yourself using data recovery software, or you can outsource the job to experts, such as those at Fields Data Recovery. There are advantages and disadvantages to each option.

Hard Drive Data Recovery Software

Many companies offer DIY hard drive data recovery using free or commercial software. The major advantage to attempting to recover the lost data yourself using software is expense – the DIY option is certainly far less expensive than outsourcing your hard drive recovery to the experts. If it works, it’s also quicker. If you need immediate access to your files, it’s worth a try. However, there are some cautions and warnings about trying to recover lost data using this kind of software.

You’ll need access to a different computer, or at least a different drive than the one on which your lost data resides. If you attempt to install or run the data recovery software on the damaged drive, you risk overwriting the files you want to recover and making it more difficult for professionals to get at them.

If your hard drive is inoperable – not just inaccessible, but inoperable – recovering the data from it is not a DIY job. You’ll need the help of pros with access to special software and equipment to get the data off your damaged disk.

Data Recovery Services

There are dozens of companies, both online and local, that specialize in recovering data from inaccessible and inoperable hard drives. Shop around before deciding which data recovery service you want to use. Make sure that you check the company’s reputation, and compare prices to find the best deal. An expert data recovery service may be able to recover all of the data stored on your hard drive, even if it doesn’t spin up and is completely inoperable.

If you’re facing a data loss emergency, you may be able recover the data yourself. If you can’t, shop carefully to find the best data recovery service for your needs.


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