When Enough is Enough
October 16th, 2009
Yes, there are some “easy fix” data recovery software tools on the market. Yes, it’s okay sometimes to use them. How do you know WHEN it’s okay to use them, and how long to keep trying before you call the professionals in.
Tags: cherry systems, Data Recovery
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Many times in life we are presented with a situation which requires the assistance of a professional or expert to solve the problem whether it is a problem with your vehicle, bodily aches and pains, or a computer related malfunction. Typically we assume that involving an “expert” will cost more so first we try the DIY option. If that doesn’t work we often reach out to our circle of friends in hopes they are aware of someone with a little more know-how. But at some point we encounter the dilemma of knowing when we have done “enough” on our own before turning to the help of an expert, or before the dear friend who is only trying to help take action which exacerbates the problem. For example, using an urban remedy to treat a recurring headache for an extended period and waking up one morning with the diagnosis of a brain tumor. So it is with a failing hard drive – if you have important files at risk (without a backup, of course) trying too much may render your data unrecoverable.
I have a fairly easy suggestion for you to try. There are several data recovery companies that will evaluate your drive quickly and for no-charge. If they report that your drive is “healthy” i.e. not a physical problem, then you may want to experiment with DYI procedures. Perhaps the company that evaluated your drive could provide some tips. In this way you can minimize the risk of trying too much. However, you should never try DIY techniques on drives that make scraping, unusual clicking or other noises as these are typically symptoms of physical drive malfunction. In this case, shut down the drive immediately and if your data is important, send the drive to a reputable data recovery company.
There is a growing need to raise awareness to the moral and professional responsibility of dealing with lost data. Too many times we see or hear instances where a data recovery novice is attempting to D.I.Y data recovery and after hours or days of trial-and error they give up and bring it to our lab, just to be told that the data is un-recoverable and you should have stopped trying long before you did. Drives are much more susceptible to permanent damage then most realize. Novices or even computer professionals should not attempt to perform a level 2 or 3 data recovery, just like most people would not attempt to perform brain surgery just because they saw a show on TV how it is done.
Our recovery pricing starts at $449 and has many different flat rate priced variables based on the failure and time sensitivity to the recovery. That is why we start with the evaluation first, once complete, you have the option to proceed.
-MB Thanks… I’ll turn it off and bring it in for your free evaluation. What it the minimum price I could be looking at for recovery?
In reply to Spinrite question: If it’s been runnning overnight and has not made a decent amount of progress, I don’t think spinrite is going to solve your problem. There are either too many bad sectors for the program to handle, or the read/write heads themselves are not functioning properly. To avoid further, possibly, irreversible damage… turn it off. If the data is important, you probably need a certified clean room to handle the job.
How long is it okay to run Spinrite? It’s been running overnight and is still at a small percentage.
Professional recovery engineers know to listen closely to drive while working with it. Drives communicate with us with an array of sounds. A good lab engineer continue listening to the drive through the process to make sure that a drive sending distress signals is handled properly. He also knows that failing to do so, could means a failed recovery and many time without recourse.