Every day, businesses and homeowners spend a lot of time trying to retrieve data that’s deleted or is not accessible anymore. This is referred to as “data recovery” or ‘hard drive recovery’ and it’s the process of retrieving data from storage media, removable media and files that have been deleted, corrupted or otherwise become unaccessible for whatever reason, such as physical damage to the platters of the hard disk or a logical database corruption.
Data recovery can be a costly endeavor However, it’s important to keep in mind that data stored on digital media is almost always recoverable, provided that the device has not been completely destroyed or data recovery erased. This is especially relevant for hard drives, which are exceptionally efficient in keeping and retrieving huge amounts of digital information.
A recovery tool that searches for recognizable file signatures is often able to restore data when the original file system on the disk is severely damaged or corrupted. These tools basically reassemble the original folder and file structure from fragments of data that are still present on the hard drive.
No matter what method for data recovery you choose, it’s recommended to stop using the affected device until a certified professional has declared it safe. This will lower the likelihood of further degradation and ensure that any data recovered isn’t accidentally overwritten. It also reduces the risk that you may need to recover data from an external hard drive, flash memory or backup.