- Do not use automatic data recovery tools.
- Do not use any application / program that accesses (alters) the problem media in any way.
- Shut down any system / device that makes unusual grinding and clicking noises when operated.
- Do not open the hard disk or any such physical media device and try to repair it on your own.
- Call our representative for initial consultation for data recovery.
Make sure to properly protect your hard drive when packaging it for shipment. Place the drive or tape in an anti-static bag, wrap it in bubble wrap if possible.
Continue to execute commands in accessing your drive if you believe head-to-surface contact has occurred. Heads can break and the storage properties of the platter surface will be destroyed making it less likely that a successful recovery can occur.
Back-up your critical files. With the ability to store data on CDs on a weekly or monthly basis, a small investment in a stack of CDs will save you from loosing your critical documents, files, priceless images and MP3s.
Run utilities if you are not familiar with the programs! They can overwrite existing data files. If you happen to run any utility, make sure you can UNDO any alterations if they prove unsuccessful.
Remember to disclose any pre-existing conditions that occurred prior to data loss when submitting your device for data recovery service. This information helps us expedite the service by taking additional testing and guesswork out of the data recovery scenario.
Open the drive (crack the seal) if you are not familiar with hard drives and are not in a controlled environment! This disturbs the hardware settings and allows contaminants to settle internally on the media surface -- including oils from finger tips! This can be fatal if heads and/or additional contaminants are allowed to make contact with the platter surface.
Run some sort of Anti-Virus Program. Viruses get into your computer a variety of ways; by reading an infected attachment in your e-mail, by sharing files (which are already infected), and by visiting websites that take advantage of security flaws to compromise and destroy your data.
Expose drives or media to magnetic fields that can erase data...simple things like telephones and monitors can cause irreparable damage.
Shut down your computer. Always quit your programs before shutting down your computer.When you quit a program, it saves vital data and then exits the program. If you just turn off your computer without properly exiting your applications and closing your files, you run the risk of loosing your data.
Forget to verify a backup once the backup process is complete.
Be aware of your surroundings. Keep your computers and servers in safe and secure locations from accidentally getting knocked over, dropped, or spilled on. Laptops, while convenient to use, are often dropped and require hard drive data recovery.
Format your drive! Even a low level format can cause problems if you are not sure what is initially wrong with your device.
Beware of diagnostic programs. While it is a good idea to check the health of your computer running diagnostics software, be careful with allowing such programs to repair data files it may find. Check Disk can be your friend, but also may make it more difficult to recover data from a hard drive which has had such diagnostic programs run on it.
Experience required. Never attempt any operation, like hard drive installations or hard drive repairs, with which you don't have experience. If you don't know how to install a second hard drive or rebuild a RAID, it would be best to get expert assistance before you accidently cause yourself data loss.