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Knowledge Base
Data Recovery | Backup Solutions |
Service Contracts
Data recovery
is the process of salvaging data from damaged, failed, corrupted or
inaccessible primary storage media when it cannot be accessed
normally. Often the data is being salvaged from storage media
formats such as hard disk drive, storage tapes, CDs, DVDs, RAID, and
other electronics. This can be due to physical damage to the storage
device or logical damage to the file system that prevents it from
being mounted by the host operating system. Although there is some
confusion as to the term, data recovery can also be the process of
retrieving and securing deleted information from a storage media for
forensic purposes.
Physical damage
A wide variety of failures can cause physical damage to storage
media. CD-ROMs can have their metallic substrate or dye layer
scratched off; hard disks can suffer any of several mechanical
failures, such as head crashes and failed motors; tapes can simply
break. Physical damage always causes at least some data loss, and in
many cases the logical structures of the file system are damaged as
well. This causes logical damage that must be dealt with before any
files can be salvaged from the failed media. Most physical damage
cannot be repaired by end users. For example, opening a hard disk in
a normal environment can allow dust to settle on the surface,
causing further damage to the platters and complicating the recovery
process. Furthermore, end users generally do not have the hardware
or technical expertise required to make these repairs; therefore,
costly data recovery companies are consulted to salvage the data.
These firms often use Class 100 clean room facilities to protect the
media while repairs are being made. The extracted raw image can be
used to reconstruct usable data after any logical damage has been
repaired. Once that is complete, the files may be in usable form
although recovery is often incomplete. On the other hand, there are
many accounts of users getting a bad disk going long enough to pull
their data off, often via slightly bizarre tricks. These include
making the drive cold (in the freezer) or spinning it manually on
the ground, both actions being used to unstick a jammed platter.
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