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Data Loss: Don’t Make It Personal

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What's Cooking August 2006 • Vol.6 Issue 8 Page(s) 100 in print issue
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Data Loss: Don’t Make It Personal Hot Seat by Jim Reinert

Jump to first occurrence of: [DATA] [RECOVERY]

As we all know, computers have taken over the main stage in our digital lifestyles. We use computers for so many tasks, from business to finance to storing family memories, that the amount of data we are storing is growing exponentially. This trend will continue to grow, as PC shipments are up 12 to 13% over last year, according to research firms IDC and Gartner. This is a clear indication that people are using computers to perform more tasks, creating a greater need to store their increasingly important data.

As a matter of fact, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive and sponsored by storage company Maxtor, nearly one-third of computer users characterized their content as “priceless.” At the same time, nearly half of all adult computer users in the United States are at risk of losing their data because they fail to make backup copies; approximately 46% of the survey respondents do not back up their data.

As such, more data storage means increased chances for data loss. This wouldn’t be a problem if people backed up their important data as the technology experts recommend, but as shown above, most people leave out this crucial step. So why is this important to the home computer user? Bottom line, technology over time will fail and information may be lost. Most people, however, are not aware of their recovery options should a disaster occur, whether it results from a natural disaster, human error, or hardware or software failure.

It is important to remember that “deleted” doesn’t mean gone and that data recovery companies like Ontrack Data Recovery have many years of experience recovering data from seemingly impossible situations. Even if you don’t want to use the services of a professional company, do-it-yourself options exist for under $90.

When disasters occur, it is crucial to understand your options. The following steps can help you ensure the best chance for successful recovery after a data disaster. These tips are also useful to determine whether a do-it-yourself recovery is possible or if the recovery should be handled by an expert service provider:

• Never assume that data is unrecoverable, no matter what it has been through
• Do not attempt to power up visibly damaged devices
• Do not shake or disassemble any hard drive that has been damaged; improper handling can make recovery operations more difficult which can lead to valuable information being permanently lost
• Do not use utility programs on physically damaged devices or if the drive is making unusual noises (clicking or grinding)
• For mission-critical situations, contact a professional data recovery company before any attempts are made to reconfigure, reinstall, or reformat
• In situations where the hardware is still working and you are a do-it-yourselfer, consider using data recovery software, but only programs that work in a read-only mode and never make changes to the original data (many data recovery software programs have free versions that will show you what they can recover before you buy)

If it does come to the point where a data recovery provider is the best course of action, these tips will help in choosing the best provider:

• Only work with a provider that can tell you exactly what they can recover after an initial evaluation and before you make a financial commitment
• After the evaluation, verify that there are no undisclosed charges for viewing or accessing that listing of recoverable files, and make sure that any clean room work or additional parts necessary during the evaluation process will not incur additional charges
• Research a provider’s history; how long has it been involved with data recovery?
• Determine whether a provider can provide a variety of recovery solutions, such as recovery software, in-lab service, and remote recovery, and which is best for a particular scenario
• Make sure you are dealing with a responsive and professional staff that provides regular updates and is up front with all interactions
• Select a provider that has authorization to work with sensitive and confidential material, including classified government information

It is clear that in 2006, we cherish our data like never before. A better understanding of data recovery possibilities will keep you in control and avoid making data loss a personal issue.

Send your feedback to Jim@cpumag.com.

As Senior Director of Software and Services for Ontrack Data Recovery, Jim Reinert handles the technology and business development and product line management of the recovery services and software business lines. With Ontrack since 1987, Reinert has held a variety of positions with the Company, including software engineer, engineering manager and Director of Technology. Reinert holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from St. Could State University.

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