Recovery Files
Many computer users are unaware that the hard drive of their computer is a delicate, mechanical device, prone to failing at any time. The rest of the computer, built out of transistors and silicon, is likely to last
several years. A computer that is used for many years, however, will likely go through at least a few hard drives. This is almost inevitable, due to the fragile nature of these devices. A hard drive is a sensitive magnetic platter, with a moving read/write head that is driven by a small motor.
Because of its complexity and sensitive mechanical nature, a hard drive is likely to fail long before any other part does. The worst part is that, out of all the parts, the hard drive is the last one you want to fail. With storage capacities reaching the terabyte level, the loss of a single drive can be a real calamity. Speeds and memory capacity have increased tremendously, but reliability and backup capability lag far behind. Many users are far too trusting of their data with hard drives.
Making regular backups is essential when the data contained on a hard drive is of any importance.
Unfortunately, many users have their first lesson on hard drives when it unexpectedly fails. Luckily, not all hard drive failures result in lost data. Many of these unexpected failures are due to problems that can be corrected. Believe it or not, a perfectly operational hard drive can become unusable due to a software malfunction. In cases like this, recovery files like TestDisk, Undelete Plus, and File Recovery Wizard can quickly correct the issue. These utilities are powerful, easy to use, and free. In the case of an unbootable drive, connect it to another computer, and run the utility from there. The program will alert you to the cause, condition of the drive, and recommend a course of action.
Should the drive fail to spin up at all, or make strange noises, it will require a hardware repair. This may be something that only a service such as DriveSavers can perform, or it could possibly be something that can be repaired at home. A burnt out read/write motor is the worst case scenario, as this is hard to repair, and usually means data loss has occured. If the data is extremely important, segments of it can usually be recovered by professional labs. This is very expensive, with some services such as DriveSavers charging over a thousand dollars.
Other potential hardware failures, such as a faulty logical controller, are easy to fix. A problem like this can be fixed at home, with nothing more than a Torx screwdriver and an identical replacement part. Take care to use an anti-static surface if the cover of the hard drive is removed.
Filed under: Recovery Files