Data Recovery Methods For Various Data Loss Situations

Data loss can happen in a variety of ways – accidentally deleted files, hard drive breakdowns, a frozen computer, etc. No matter the reason, data loss is something everyone must deal with sooner or later. When the information stored in your computer has no data backup, it is quite possible to lose crucial files in the blink of an eye. As they say, accidents happen.

Data loss can occur just because of a simple user error. For example, it is not unthinkable for a person to delete one file by accident. Fortunately for users, these files are not “gone”. Most information deleted this way can be recovered using data recovery systems bought in software stores.

Corrupted files and file systems are even harder to deal with. Data recovery can only restore portions of the file or system by scanning the file system data directly, but data is almost always lost in the process.

Some users refer to a data recovery method called data carving. Different file formats have unique hexadecimal signatures which the user can use to identify a file directly. For example, a JPEG file will begin with the hexadecimal signature 0xFFD8FF. Data carving means that, in case of the loss of a JPEG file, the user would have to find it in the file system logs by searching for files that begin with that hexadecimal string.

However, it is not always the case that files identified with these signatures are JPEG files. Also, it will take a long time to look for a particular file in the whole system.

Defragmentation can often completely erase files which could otherwise be recovered. The sectors containing the deleted files are reused and thus the data is lost. There is no way to recover erased data after defragmentation.

The most excellent method for data recovery during data losses is to keep copies of all important files using backup hardware or software. When you consider it, you will realize that backing up your files is the best solution for every kind of data loss. It can deal with malfunctioning and failed hard drives, software as well as human error and deleted files. In addition, defragmentation is no longer a data loss risk, because the files are properly backed up on different hardware, such as the computer’s hard drive.

These methods can be done at home by any user. Although damage to the hard drive from fire or flood may need professional help, the more minor errors can be given home solutions.