Data Recovery: What You’ll Need March 6, 2014
Posted by Greg Johnson in learning.Tags: data recovery
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Operating System Restoration
To restore your existing computer, you should have your original software disks. For Apple computers, this isn’t necessary because the operating system installation media is available for free. For Windows computers, if you don’t have your original media disks, you may need to purchase Windows 7 or Windows 8 installation software. Click here for a list of various versions.
Microsoft Office Software
If you’re a user of Microsoft Office products, like Microsoft Word, you’ll need to purchase Microsoft Office installation software (view software) or subscribe to Office 365. Alternatively, you can use the online versions of Microsoft Office programs for free. Some people choose to use a free Microsoft Office alternative suite of programs called LibreOffice.
Replacement Hard Drive
Assuming the existing internal drive in your computer is mechanically damaged, you will need to purchase a replacement drive. A good choice would be a hybrid drive. Hybrid technology uses traditional drive platters as well as solid state memory for very high speed access to frequently used data. View drives on Amazon:
- 500GB 2.5″ Laptop Computer Hard Drive
- 1TB 2.5″ Laptop Computer Hard Drive
- 1TB 3.5″ Desktop Computer Hard Drive
- 2TB 3.5″ Desktop Computer Hard Drive
Data Storage
When data is recovered, it needs to be copied to a reliable drive for safe storage and retrieval. Click here for a list of top selling external drives on Amazon. You may already have an external drive, but it probably doesn’t have enough free space to store all your pictures, music, videos, and other files.
Data Recovery Software
There are several data recovery programs to choose from. However, unless you’re getting into the business of data recovery, you might save money just paying someone to do the recovery for you. In addition to needing some expertise and experience, you’ll need a computer dedicated to the data recovery process. Scanning a corrupted or partially defective drive can take many hours, or days. If the drive has mechanically failed, it will likely need to be sent to a clean room facility where it can be repaired before recovery can be attempted.
Data Recovery Scenarios Causes, Solutions, and Cost Estimates April 9, 2013
Posted by Greg Johnson in education, learning.Tags: computer, cost, data loss, data recovery, hard drive, memory stick
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The graphic above shows the variety of causes for lost data and the general costs for recovery. [Click image above to enlarge]
The prices shown are based on an estimate of $70 – $90 per hour, and going clockwise, the estimated time required for recovery increases.
When drives have a mechanical or circuit board failure, then additional equipment and time is required to perform the recovery. The extend of drive damage will determine the cost of recovery.
These are estimates only. The actual cost may be above or below these estimates.
About 10% of the drives submitted to us have severe mechanical damage, and those get shipped to our cleanroom partner group.
Consumer Warning: Don’t Format and Reinstall Windows Just Yet! June 21, 2012
Posted by Greg Johnson in learning.Tags: data recovery methods
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A common mistake that people make is to assume their files are lost if their computer won’t start.
Even technicians who should know better will sometimes advise a customer to format their hard drive and then reinstall Windows – telling the customer that their hard drive is “corrupted” and their files are lost.
Many hard drive crashes are actually just a result of corrupted system files. It’s still possible to retrieve the file by removing the hard drive from the computer and placing it in an external hard drive dock like the one pictured below. [buy now] This allows the drive to be connected by USB to a working computer for the files to be extracted.
Causes of System Crashes June 19, 2012
Posted by Greg Johnson in learning.Tags: hard drive, prevention, security
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These are a few common causes of system crashes:
- Mechanical Drive Failure
- System File Corruption
- Virus Attack of System Files
While these situations are not entirely avoidable, there are some preventative measures one can take to help reduce their occurrence.
- Purchase the highest quality enterprise-grade hard drives. This can help reduce the chances of mechanical failure.
- Make sure your computer has completely shut down before turning off the power switch or surge strip. It’s essential to allow the computer to release any essential information that was partially in memory back to the hard drive. Also, files that are being updated and written to must not be partially written.
- Use a high quality up-to-date anti-virus program.
Causes of Backup Failure June 18, 2012
Posted by Greg Johnson in learning.Tags: backup failure
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by Greg Johnson
There are a variety of reasons why a backup may fail to provide a useful recovery:
- The correct files weren’t being backed up.
- The backup was on a schedule, but nobody ever checked to make sure it was still running.
- The backup file is corrupted.
- The last known good copy of a file to be recovered was overwritten when the daily backup ran because it presumed you wanted a backup of your current files and it doesn’t keep revisions.
- The data files were backed up, but the operating system, program files, and configuration information was lost. So, everything needed to be reinstalled from scratch.
The backup procedure we recommend addresses the above issues.
Iowa City Hard Drive Repair and File Recovery June 18, 2012
Posted by Greg Johnson in learning.Tags: online backups
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by Greg Johnson
We’ve been providing computer and technology support to the Iowa City area since 1983. Our parent organization, ResourcesForLife.com, is also based in Iowa City.
For our existing customers, we make every effort to avoid costly data recovery fees by implementing reliable backup procedures, configuring systems proactively, and by selecting the best quality computer hardware.
“Online backup services are helpful in catastrophic situations when an off-site backup is required, but they can be slow when restoring an entire system. Data recovery can be performed more quickly from a local backup. We recommend both methods for redundancy and to gain the advantages each offers.” ~ Greg Johnson, Senior Technical Specialist
Iowa City Data Recovery 