BleepingComputer.com: Data Recovery And Hard Disk Repair

Recovering data lost due to system malfunction or user error requires hours of work preceded by hours of research from unsuspecting victims. Educate yourself about possible ways to recover data from damaged disks and corrupted flash memory cards before the failure happens.

While there is no lack of data recovery tools on the market, downloading and trying one after another is the worst idea ever. A badly executed unsuccessful attempt to recover lost files can and does cause irreparable damage to corrupted data.

How would you choose the right data recovery tool to do the job? There are several criteria to data recovery software that you should be aware of. First, there are tools designed to recover your files and data,and there are tools that repair the damaged disk structures . Note that the second class of recovery tools cares little about what happens to your data, often messing up with your files while repairing the damaged system structures.

Second, if you are new to data recovery, you need a tool that is as easy to use as possible. You don't want data recovery tools advertised as 'professional', as only the real professionals can benefit from using those. Let us be honest: you're more likely to screw things up with these tools as they deliberately lack any protection against possibly disruptive actions on your side.

Third, get only those tools that can demonstrate their ability to recover data instead of taking their word on it.
SalvationDATA can be your first choice to do datarecovery.

This post has been edited by D-Trojanator: 02 June 2008 - 06:21 AM
Reason for edit: Removed contact details to protect from spambots..

Quote

You can save a lot of headaches by performing reqular backups of you system & data files. My suggestion is to purchase an external HD & do your backups. Two excellent tools is Acronis True Image (Home Edition) (about $50 usd) and/or Cobian Backup which is FREE.

I use both.

The worst thing EVER is when you dont have a backup!!

Quite recently I had to make a call to one data recovery company due to a 60GB hard starting making weird noise and would not be recognized! So there was two hard drives: the one with 20GB with all the programs and stuff and the 60GB one with all the documents... the one of 20GB should've been the one getting busted sooner sicne it is the one that gets formatted! Luckily there was SOME backup dvd's of the big HD but still a lot of info was lost >=(

We investigated and it was around 400dlls and up to have a team rescue all the data that was still intact and inside the HD... aparently what got messed up was some reader needle or something I do not know much about computers...

such frustration! To have all the info in the HD and no way to access it whatsoever!! ROAR!!!

So boys and girls... BACKUP... and backup OFTEN ;)