If you have lost data, you can follow a few simple but crucial steps to prevent permanent data loss. Let's check out some of the guidelines to help you out.
First of all, if the hard drive produces a whirring or grinding sound, disconnect the power supply or hard drive right away. Usually, the grinding sound is produced when the read/write head hits the hard drive platters. As a result, you may experience partial or complete data loss.
It's better that you work with a reputable data recovery service if the data lost is quite important to you. If you try to recover the data yourself, you may end up with data that can't be recovered.
It's not a good idea to try “home remedies”. For instance, don't hit the drive on something solid or shake it wildly. Similarly, you may not want to spin the HD in a freezer either. Most of the information you can find on the web is inaccurate. Therefore, you can't take the risk of damaging your data.
The initial data recovery attempt will give you the best results. Therefore, engineers use the best methods to make sure the data is not permanently lost due to repeated methods.
When Data Loss happens
Always make it a habit to back up important data on another hard drive.
Also, you may not want to try data recovery software, especially if your hard disk produces humming, clicking, tapping or scraping sounds.
If your hard disk is physically damaged, make sure you don't turn it on. Usually, physically damaged devices make weird sounds.
It's better that you shut down your PC in order to avoid further data or hardware damage.
In the same way, you may not want to try recovery of the lost data yourself on a wet or dropped hard drive. If the data is really important, your best bet is to hire the services of the best service provider.
You can't just assume that the data is not recoverable unless a professorial has told you.
Preventing Data Loss
You may want to try different strategies in order to protect important data from loss and corruption at all costs.
Best Practices
If you want to upgrade to the latest version of an OS, make sure you have a verified backup first. For data security, make sure you make use of up-to-date software and hardware like virus protection and firewalls.
Make it a habit to scan all of your data like downloads, files, and emails for malware and viruses. Power surges can severely harm your hardware. Therefore, it's important to use an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for all your devices.
It's better that you avoid static discharge while handing storage media. This is even more important when you are working in a dry environment.
Backup Strategies
It's better that you buy additional backup systems. Ideally, you may want to try a direct backup device or cloud-based backup. Ideally, you must schedule a daily backup procedure to ensure all your important files are protected.
Lastly, you should test the backups from time to time to verify the data.
Long story short, we suggest that you follow the guidelines given in this article to help prevent permanent data loss.
