5 Essential Preparation Steps before DIY Data Recovery

It goes without saying that any loss or compromise of important data can be quite troublesome and could lead to severe ramifications. For instance, a loss of data can potentially disrupt the operations of a business, while also putting a serious risk on finances and the overall image of the business. For certain users, when they have to confront a data loss, they are likely to try a DIY data recovery by way of special tools or software. But even still, it is always advisable to be prepared ahead of time which is why we'll be discussing 5 of the crucial preparation steps. 

1. Identify the root cause 

The first and foremost step in the preparation process begins by recognising the actual cause for the loss of data whether that problem maybe hard disk crashes, media errors, virus attacks, accidental deletion of data, inadequate systems shutdown etc. To put this into better perspective, one cannot possibly access the data in an external hard drive device which, in turn, cannot rotate as it ordinarily would or even when it emanates loud clicking noises. Given these circumstances, the root cause would typically be physical. Furthermore, a loss of data can be attributed to software failures, human errors as well as other logical issues. Divergent causes should be tackled with divergent solutions. As a result, prior to undertaking a DIY data recovery, one should be able to spot these inconsistencies.

2. Analyse data value and find the right company 

Keep in mind to always go over lost data well ahead of time. In this manner, you'll be allowed to choose DIY data recovery related software well within your budget. There is an abundance of data recovery software in the market, some which are even free of cost. However, you should always consider obtaining it from trustworthy sources as there are many fraudulent people who claim to offer efficient recovery software and then you end up paying a hefty price for the service or software. In order to avoid such situations, you should always analyse the data value first so as to know whether it is worth paying for the software while also inquiring about the company in question prior to purchasing hard disk recovery software. But before you begin dealing with such a company, it is essential to ensure certain factors such as the various data recovery techniques, clean room, clientele success rate as well as the percentage of data recovery. 

It is common for companies to use class 100 clean room to allow for restoration of data from corrupt and damaged hard drives. The larger the clientele, the better their data recovery software would be. This is why it is always ideal to research the background and client base of the company and always be on the lookout for reviews as that would give you some idea about their efficiency and productivity. Additionally, always keep track of the data recovery techniques which the company employs and ascertain if the company employs the most advanced techniques to retrieve data and offer you 'undeleted' data. Percentage is always an important component in the recovery process so you will need to ensure that with your recovery software provider. Majority of companies tend to promise between 80-90% in terms of data recovery with their software solutions. With that being said, you should always ask for detailed figures and information of the promised percentage. Choosing an expert hard drive data recovery company is essential.

3. Create a disk image 

Making an image file for the media in advance which in turn, will be utilized for DIY data recovery at a later stage. Always be mindful to never engage in direct installation or allow a data recovery software on the media which is original. By doing so, you may overwrite data which is lost which is likely to lead to permanent data loss. In lieu of this, it is always best to get a disk image and try to do a DIY recovery within image file itself. By doing so, you'll have better chances of a well-functioning data recovery. 

4. Make sure that there isn't any write protection

Certain kinds of media could be write-protected. With this, data recovery software may incur a flaw wherein, it fails to write or read to the media. Such flaws will also mean there will be a failure to analyse as well as to recover data that is lost. Given these factors, before there is any data recovery, one will need to cross-check if the compromised media is enabled by write-protection. If it is, then it must be turned off. 

5. Seek guidance from experts

Beware of attempting any DIY data recovery endeavours on your own accord, if you are new to this. A lack of basic knowledge and expertise regarding data recovery may prove to be severely detrimental to your data. Consequently, when choosing and buying a data recovery tool, it is possible that you acquire some advice and guidance from the provider.