“How is data recovered when a computer crashes?” That is the most asked question that people have when their computer crashes. Unbelievably, there is no magic involved, just the right tools and knowledge necessary to do what needs to be done. A good data recovery company will have a large variety of hardware, software and tools that are specifically for data recovery. This article is the first part of a two-part series that will attempt to explain what data recovery is.

No matter what the problem is, the first thing that is done is an evaluation or scan of the hard drive. This will determine what type of hard drive data recovery solution will be needed. If a drive failure is a logical one or file system corruption, a scan of the drive can be performed to try to repair the file system. The partition on the hard drive can sometimes be repaired and the drive restored to operating status. If this is not possible, then a scan of every sector of the hard drive for files will be performed and the files will be copied to the media of your choice (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, memory stick, hard drive). Even if there is no physical failure of the hard drive, logical recoveries may take a lot of time. If they are is a physical failure, then it can take even more time to complete.

It is not uncommon for data recovery of the simplest kind to take up to two days. One day for thorough scanning and another day for file recovery. You must also understand that if there is a physical failure with a hard drive it can take even longer because it is a more challenging job.

When your hard drive ceases to function properly, it is generally called a physical failure. This covers just about everything. However, there are two subcategories and they are mechanical and electronic. In mechanical, it is something within the hard drive itself that has stopped functioning that has caused it to fail. In electronic, it could be a circuit board, controller device or even a software conflict that has caused the failure.

When recovering data from a physical failure it is important to have the necessary parts to get it functioning again. Of course, this will depend on the type of hard drive that you have. Some hard drives, like a 20 GB Maxtor hard drive, require identical parts. If it is a circuit board, you also need the same exact circuit board on hand to complete the recovery to replace those components. This will require a clean room to complete.

When you talk to data recovery professionals, you will sometimes hear the phrase Class100 Clean Room. This room has pure clean air and contains less than 100 airborne particles larger than 0.5 microns per cubic foot of air. This protects sensitive internal components of hard drives. When a hard drive needs to be opened to be worked on, this is where it will be done. Depending on the hard drive, it may even require a higher classification of clean room.

For data recovery or even RAID systems recovery, it can take 5-10 business days for physical issues and 2-4 days for logical issues. You must remember, if certain components are not available it could take weeks to complete the recovery. Keep in mind, if you require faster service, you will pay extra for it.

Remember, the best solution to avoid hiring a professional file recovery service is to backup your system. You should get in the habit of backing up your data daily if your computer is used a lot. Then you should back it up on a weekly basis as well. This will give you two separate backups if something goes wrong. Part two of this article will continue to attempt to explain how data is recovered when your system crashes.

In many cases, the answer to this question is yes. The success rate for data recovery professionals is about 75-85%. Nevertheless, you must remember, there are times when the data is just lost due to extensive damage to the platter or unavailability of replacement parts.

If you have a hard drive that has crashed, the first and most important thing that you can do is contact a data recovery professional immediately. Make sure you are not being charged a fee if you have a standard IDE hard drives. Most companies only charge evaluation fees for complex RAID data recovery and network server drives.

It is important to call and talk with the companies. When you find one that you feel comfortable with, give them a chance. Your hardest job, may be finding a hard disk recovery that actually has someone available to answer the phones. Nevertheless, ask questions and be sure to have the following information available:

1. Size of the drive (20 GB-100 GB) as well as how many drives are involved
2. Operating system (i.e. Windows 98, Windows XP, Vista, etc.)
3. Type of failure (what happened just before the system stopped working)
4. Error messages received (i.e. drive not recognized by system, memory access denied, etc.)

To avoid future problems, make sure you always backup your important information on a daily basis. This will ensure that you never lose what you need.

I read an article about hard disk recovery that seemed quite popular. The article covered solutions to help when your hard drive stops working. I also found a few stories about people who put their hard drive in the freezer to help fix it long enough to be able to recover data. This sounded weird to me.

After doing a little bit more research, it seems that there are a lot of people that agree this actually works. Therefore, I decided to ask a friend of mine who is a computer tech about this. He told me that sometimes it will work but you had to be careful about condensation, water. He also recommended that you leave the hard disk in the freezer for at least 24 hours, if you are brave enough to try it. He also told me that it sometimes does not work.

Data recovery can be tricky no matter what you do. If you do not want to risk losing your data and are afraid to try this out, you can always ask an expert. The people at Gillware or any professional file recovery service can probably help you get your data back, no matter how damaged your drive may be.