How to Respond to Data Loss

Data loss can be a frightening experience. The temptation to find a quick fix is great: you need your data back, and you may feel desperate to recover your lost files. What you do &mdash and don't do — in the moments immediately after losing data can mean the difference between a successful recovery and permanent data loss.

The following tips will help you secure your data, prevent any further data loss, and help increase the chances that your files will be successfully recovered. If you have any questions, call & talk to one of our data recovery specialists today, and we'll help you restore peace of mind.

What should I do if I have already lost data?

Warning: If your drive is making any unusual noise (such as grinding or clicking sounds), remove power from the drive as quickly as possible and do not power it up again.

Review, Record, and Remain Calm
When facing data loss, stop and review the situation calmly. The process of reviewing and writing down a synopsis of the situation is the first step toward preparing for a recovery. A hasty attempt at a quick fix may cause more data to be lost, or the data you are seeking to be lost permanently.
Avoid Writing to Suspect Media
If you suspect specific disks or drives of being involved in the problem, avoid writing any new data to the disks or drives in question. Writing new data to your media (including hard drives or removable disks) may potentially overwrite the data you are trying to recover.
Check the Basics
If your media has no symptoms of physical failure or damage, try and check some obvious issues that may cause the data to not be accessible:
- Are the power and data cables properly connected?
- Does the drive or media work on another computer or with a different cable?
- Is the device driver or software for the drive or installed correctly?
- Is the media access-protected? Some media may have a switch or tab (that can be physically changed) that can prevent any access to the media.
Restore Backup to an Alternate System
If you have a backup of the inaccessible files, try to restore the files. Warning: Do not attempt to restore a backup into or onto the original corrupted data set as you may overwrite some of the lost data.

How can I prevent any further data loss?

Often in cases of data loss, hasty or unsafe actions taken after the initial data loss event lead to even further data loss, or in some cases, permanent data loss. To avoid further damage to your media that could prevent a successful recovery, avoid the following actions.

Do not power up any disk drive that shows obvious signs of physical damage, or that previously made any unusual sounds (such as grinding or clicking noises).
Do not attempt to open any media or physically alter the disk or drive in any way that would cause physical damage to the device.
Do not write any new data to any disks or disk drives you suspect of having experienced data loss. Doing so may overwrite the data you are trying to recover and reduce the chances of a successful recovery.
Do not format the drive.
Do not attempt to modify any of the partitions on the drive
Avoid using any do-it-yourself data recovery tools, especially with any media that shows obvious signs of physical damage, as these can further exacerbate the situation.
Isolate and secure any affected media to ensure that it is not physically misplaced or accidentally re-used prior to being submitted to a professional data recovery service.