In America, our daily lives are saturated with technology. Our smartphones help us pay bills, get into a movie, catch the train, and connect with friends and co-workers. An internet connected computer or mobile device is a mainstay in many households. We use this technology so often it is easy to take it for granted. Computers, cloud services, external storage devices and more. Our photos, documents, and memories are often archived in digital form.
When our storage devices get damaged by natural elements or physical trauma many technology consumers seek out some type of computer data recovery services. Losing data because of a damaged storage device can take a toll personally and professionally. Large and small companies offer services that can try to restore data or repair damage that has been done to hard drives attached to desktop and laptop computers, external USB storage drives, flash drives, sd and micro sd cards (often used in cameras and other mobile devices) etc. Not all data can be recovered. First professionals must determine if the failure is logical (failing software, lost partitions, accidental deletions) etc, or mechanical (accidental physical damage, breakage, or environmental damage.)
Extreme cases of severe trauma to a device or drive may be impossible to repair. Fires, water damage and actual destruction of a device can reduce the likelihood of a successful computer date recovery event. To prevent a total loss of data in case of accidental damage to your devices it is recommended that a second back up copy of any important files be backed up on a separate device. If a drive or device becomes damaged do not try to open up the device and repair it yourself if you don’t have the knowledge or experience to do so. This can make things worse. Stop using the device, and power it down if it has an external power supply. Do not save anything further, and do to attempt to reformat drives or disks after it is apparent that the item is malfunctioning or damaged.
Consider taking the drive to a reputable repair company if you want to the recover the data. Some suggest avoiding going to a general “computer repair” shop but instead to a computer data recovery specialist. This can improve the likelihood of data recovery success. Some general computer repair shops lack the specific equipment, knowledge, and ability to safely attempt to recover your data. It is imperative when trying to recover data from drives that the environment is as clean and dust free as possible. People working on drives often wear special gloves and use precise specific equipment made to work on delicate computer hardware. Price range for data recovery will vary by the severity of the damage and the amount of work and repair required to recover your files. The satisfaction of getting some of your files and data back from a damaged drive compels many to pay whatever is asked to restore their data. When in doubt, consult a professional. Never assume data is unrecoverable.
