Common situations leading to unrecoverable Data

There are several common situations that data recovery companies run into when trying to restore a client's information from a hard drive.  In extreme cases the data can become unrecoverable and unfortunately permanent data loss will result.  The cases in which this phenomenon can occur commonly result from the usage of home remedies or improper care of the hard drive after it has experienced a failure.

The first major cause of permanent data loss is due to an attempted home repair that has failed.  Unfortunately, many people do not realize that although a hard drive appears extremely stable from the outside, the inside of a drive is extremely sensitive to environmental changes.  The hard metal case is there for a reason, it is to protect the inside storage medium.  The actual platters inside a drive that store all of the data must maintain an equilibrium in which measurements are made in tiny fractions.  A single movement can throw a platter permanently off its track and destroy data instantly.  In addition, exposing a platter to the elements outside of a professional clean room environment can be catastrophic.

Always adhere to manufacturer's guidelines when dealing with a hard drive, there is a reason that most all manufacturers void your warranty if the hard drive is opened.  Most data recovery companies are certified to open a hard drive without voiding the warranty, because they have agreed to follow important guidelines.  Breach of a drive by a home user almost always leads to disaster, and should be avoided at all costs.  There is also a reason that data recovery companies invest thousands of dollars in Class100 clean rooms.  It is not a scam; it is a preventative measure since opening a hard drive should only be done as a last resort and in a controlled environment.

Another common reason a drive is sent to a data recovery service is due to the failed usage of data recovery software on a drive.  Unfortunately, many people do not realize that in the area of data recovery you really do get what you pay for.  Inexpensive recovery software can be valuable in various small scale recovery operations, but can be disastrous in all other situations.  Over 50% of hard drive failures are due to mechanical issues, and software will only make the problem worse.  Some of the software even writes recovered data straight back onto the damaged hard drive, which is redundant to say the least.

Always use care to avoid these common mistakes when dealing with a damaged hard drive.  Do not assume that the drive can first be thrown through a bunch of home remedies and recovery software programs, and then sent to a professional only as a last resort.  Most of the time, the data has already been permanently destroyed and a data recovery company will not be able to help.