Options For When Your Hard Drive Fails
Imagine you have thousands of photos, videos, and important files on your hard drive, and all of them vanish within a few seconds. It can be a frustrating and stressful experience. But you are not the only one, because the digital lifestyle brings all these problems with it. Hard drives are electronic devices, and they can die for many reasons. The good news is that these important files and data can be recovered by following a few steps.
The following article will show you how to recover the lost data instead of going into the details of why you have lost it. Additionally, you should remember that the following scenarios are hypothetical and would not always help you. Do read the article thoroughly and apply each step with care and attention.
However, before beginning the recovery process, you should check for physical damage and the extent of data loss. Additionally, you have to figure out how much you have to pay for a professional recovery service.
Check for physical damage
It is very important to check whether the hard drive has some physical damage before going through the data recovery process. On the surface, the hard drive might seem okay, but from the inside, it might have some physical damage. For example, this can happen due to a potential drop or exposure to water. If this is the case, no matter what you do, the data will not be recovered through the software process.
The only option you have is to take the hard drive to a professional data recovery service. They will make the necessary hardware changes and make your hard drive functional. So you do not need to perform a data recovery process if the damage is physical.
Assess the level of data loss
The next step is to know the extent of the data loss. It is very important to know how much data your drive has lost. If the drive has lost some data due to a minor failure, it would be easy to recover the data. And you can easily recover the data by following a few simple steps; however, if the drive has suffered a significant failure, recovering the data will be extremely difficult. In that case, you will need to seek help from a recovery professional.
Be prepared to pay
Before trying to recover your lost data, you should prepare yourself to pay for data recovery. It is because whether you are using data recovery software or professional data recovery services, there will be a cost associated with the recovery. You have to pay in both cases. So before going for recovery, you should have enough money in your pocket to spend. However, its cost is not that high. If you have essential files and data, the expense does not matter.
Options for when your hard drive fails
After following the above steps, it is now time to follow a few more steps to recover your data. Following are some options for when your hard drive fails, and your data becomes corrupted.
Run a disc check
When there is not any physical damage to your hard drive, you should run a disc check to know about the problem and recover the data. A run disc is a built-in utility that checks for problems on your hard drive. If the disc check finds any issues, it will fix them immediately. Furthermore, if there is a bad sector on the hard drive, it can scan it and attempt to recover it. So now the question is how to run a disc check.
To run a disc check on a Windows computer, you can go to “My Computer,” right-click on the hard drive you want to check, and select “Properties.” Then, click on the “Tools” tab and select “Check Now” under the “Error Checking” section.
Backup your data
If you suspect that your hard drive is failing, you should immediately back up your data because you might not recover it later. To ensure that you have all the important files and data with you if the hard drive completely fails, backup data is a secure option. There are several ways to back up your data: external hard drives, cloud storage, and online backup services.
External hard drive
It is very easy. You should copy all the files to an external hard drive once you find your hard drive failing. This will help you have a physical copy of your data and important files. That is why it is always recommended to have backup data on an external hard drive.
Cloud storage
If no external hard drive is available, you can upload your files to a cloud storage service. Several cloud storage services are available, like Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud. Cloud storage is very important because you won’t have to worry about a physical copy or the failure of your hard drive. Additionally, if you had uploaded the data before the drive failure, you could recover it from these cloud storage services.
Online backup services
Several online backup services are available that automatically backup your data. For example, you can take advantage of an online backup service like CrashPlan or Carbonite. You don’t have to worry about manually backing up your data because these services do it for you.
Get Your Data Back
There are a few ways to recover your data if your hard drive crashes and you weren’t able to backup your information. Depending on how badly the hard disc has been damaged.
Software for data recovery
Several software packages for data recovery are available, including Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery, and Data Rescue. These applications can search your hard drive for retrievable files and make attempts to do so.
Professional data recovery services
You should utilize a professional data recovery service if the damage to your hard drive is significant. These services are capable of recovering data from physically damaged or logically failed hard drives.
Conclusion
The loss of essential files and data due to a hard disc failure can be stressful and disappointing, but by taking the proper precautions, you can reduce the damage and possibly recover it. First, run a disc check as soon as possible to ensure the integrity of your hard drive and try to correct any mistakes. Having a duplicate of your files and data in case the hard drive entirely dies is another reason to back up your data.
There are solutions for recovering your data if your hard drive has failed and you couldn’t backup your information, including data recovery software and expert data recovery services. It’s critical to examine the device for physical damage, evaluate the extent of the data loss, and be ready to pay for data recovery if necessary. The future can be helped by regularly backing up your data; it is always preferable to be prepared than to regret it afterward.
