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Emergency! Responding When Your Computer Crashes

What should you do if your hard drive crashes? Unfortunately, you do not have an adequate backup system in place. The first thing to remember: Don't panic. It's too late to figure out what you should have done, so now you must focus on what you can do.

For starters, shut down your system right away if you suspect that the hard drive has crashed. Instead of going through the usual shutdown procedures, simply pull the plug out of the socket or power cord. Do not attempt to run off-the-shelf data recovery software or drive utilities. These applications may assume that the drive is functioning properly and could increase the risk of permanent data loss.

The next step is usually the most important one. Contact a data recovery professional immediately. Of course, you will have to pay a fee for these services. Typically, you will not be charged an evaluation fee if you have a standard IDE (integrated drive electronics) hard drive in place. Most companies only charge such fees for complex RAID (redundant array of independent disks) and network server drives. The quality of the service you receive will vary, so do your homework on the available firms.

Once you have settled on a firm, be prepared to answer the following questions relating to your hard drive failure:

*What is the size of the drive?

*What operating system are you using (e.g., Windows XP)?

*What happened just before the drive stopped working?

*Is the drive recognized by the computer's BIOS (basic input/output system) or not?

Generally, the data recovery firm will determine what recovery solution will be necessary. Normally, the drive will be scanned in an attempt to repair the file system corruption. In some situations, a partition can be repaired and the drive restored to its previous status. If this isn't possible, a low-level scan can be performed that essentially searches every sector of the hard drive for files.

Once the files are located, they can then be copied to the media of choice such as recordable DVDs or another hard drive. The recovery can take up an enormous amount of time, especially if the drive is on the verge of physical failure. It is not unusual for this to take one day of scanning and another day for recovering the found files.

If the drive has suffered a physical failure, the recovery procedure will be even more daunting. A critical element in recovering data from a physical failure is having the necessary parts to have the drive function again. If the electronic circuit board has failed, you must have the exact same circuit board on hand to retrieve the necessary circuit components for replacement. What are the chances of retrieving the data? An average success rate in the industry is between 75% and 80%. Alternatively, you may obtain the necessary software yourself. But be careful about bargain-basement come-ons. Also, be wary of software that can overwrite the damaged disk. As a general rule, this is a task best left to the experts.

Peace of mind: If you have installed a comprehensive backup system, you can avoid potential catastrophes. It is best to opt for a system that automatically backs up your critical data.

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	[ return to list ] Emergency! Responding When Your Computer Crashes What should you do if your hard drive crashes? Unfortunately, you do not have an adequate backup system in place. The first thing to remember: Don't panic. It's too late to figure out what you should have done, so now you must focus on what you can do. For starters, shut down your system right away if you suspect that the hard drive has crashed. Instead of going through the usual shutdown procedures, simply pull the plug out of the socket or power cord. Do not attempt to run off-the-shelf data recovery software or drive utilities. These applications may assume that the drive is functioning properly and could increase the risk of permanent data loss. The next step is usually the most important one. Contact a data recovery professional immediately. Of course, you will have to pay a fee for these services. Typically, you will not be charged an evaluation fee if you have a standard IDE (integrated drive electronics) hard drive in place. Most companies only charge such fees for complex RAID (redundant array of independent disks) and network server drives. The quality of the service you receive will vary, so do your homework on the available firms. Once you have settled on a firm, be prepared to answer the following questions relating to your hard drive failure: What is the size of the drive? What operating system are you using (e.g., Windows XP)? What happened just before the drive stopped working? Is the drive recognized by the computer's BIOS (basic input/output system) or not? Generally, the data recovery firm will determine what recovery solution will be necessary. Normally, the drive will be scanned in an attempt to repair the file system corruption. In some situations, a partition can be repaired and the drive restored to its previous status. If this isn't possible, a low-level scan can be performed that essentially searches every sector of the hard drive for files. Once the files are located, they can then be copied to the media of choice such as recordable DVDs or another hard drive. The recovery can take up an enormous amount of time, especially if the drive is on the verge of physical failure. It is not unusual for this to take one day of scanning and another day for recovering the found files. If the drive has suffered a physical failure, the recovery procedure will be even more daunting. A critical element in recovering data from a physical failure is having the necessary parts to have the drive function again. If the electronic circuit board has failed, you must have the exact same circuit board on hand to retrieve the necessary circuit components for replacement. What are the chances of retrieving the data? An average success rate in the industry is between 75% and 80%. Alternatively, you may obtain the necessary software yourself. But be careful about bargain-basement come-ons. Also, be wary of software that can overwrite the damaged disk. As a general rule, this is a task best left to the experts. Peace of mind: If you have installed a comprehensive backup system, you can avoid potential catastrophes. It is best to opt for a system that automatically backs up your critical data. [ return to list ]
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