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What's the first step to recover lost files?

» » What should I do first?

If you think you have recognized a data loss situation, this FAQ will help you prepare for data retrieval, avoid some typical mistakes and perhaps help you operate with an interim solution until the problem is resolved. If you have additional questions, you can call our data recovery experts immediatedly for data emergency advice. Call us any time, toll-free at 866-852-5649!

What to do first:

Review, record, and remain calm
When facing data loss, stop and review the situation. The process of reviewing and writing down a synopsis of the situation is the first step toward preparing for a recovery.
Resist the pressure for an instant fix
If you have recognized a data loss situation, stop and analyze the situation rather than attempt to fix it immediately. You may be under considerable pressure from co-workers, your boss, or even your own deadlines to immediately resolve the situation. While a quick fix may prove successful, if it is not, then your attempts may actually increase the damage and greatly reduce the prospects of a successful data recovery.
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 drive (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.
Set up an alternate system & attempt to restore from a backup
Warning: Do not attempt to restore a backup into or onto the original corrupted data set as you may over-write some of the lost data. Furthermore, if for some reason your restore goes awry, you may have created a situation where a potential recovery from the original media may no longer be a viable option.

Consult your company's systems documentation to configure another computer/server to temporarily replace the problem unit. Restore whatever backups are available onto this unit and reconfigure it as necessary to begin productive work. Obviously, the more time that has been spent on the contingency plan before the data loss, the less time it will take now to set up an alternate system.
Disk drive handling and ESD precautions
Before handling your computer and especially before touching or handling the media itself, beware of creating electrostatic discharges.
Activate the Write-Protect switch or tab
Many good backups are overwritten during a crisis. Activate the write-protect switch or tab on any problem removable media such as tape cartridges and floppies. Warning: Do not enable write-protection on any media or drive that requires you to use software to "turn on" write-protection on the media. This action may alter the way data is written to the media and may reduce the prospects of a successful data restoration.

What NOT to do:

If you are facing a data loss situation, what NOT to do is just as important as what to do!

Never run a program or utility that writes to or alters the problem media in any way
Do not power up a device that has obvious physical damage.
Do not power up a device that has shown symptoms of physical failure. For example, drives that make obvious mechanical fault noises such as ticking or grinding, should not be repeatedly powered on and tested as it just makes the problem worse.
Beware Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solutions and products
There are numerous Internet sites offering advice about data recovery and vendors offering DIY software solutions. Unfortunately, the advice is often incorrect or incomplete and DIY software may complicate your problems and diminish the prospects of a successful recovery. Note that there is no software in the world that can fix storage media with physical defects. Learn more about using Do-It-Yourself data recovery software.

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