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DIY Data Recovery: Considering Costs Before It’s Done!

Those could be precious family shots or video records from a recent journey, some vital work-related documents or the material you’ve been preparing for your graduate work — and now you find them gone.

Your first thought, of course, will be to sweep the Internet and the numerous forums in search of a working recovery solution.

But the trickiest thing about losing valuable information is that we either realize important files are missing way too late or make it worse in an attempt to fix the mistake on our own.

“What can possibly go wrong with DIY recovery”, you may ask? Let’s try to answer that question by going deeper into the most common mistakes users do in an attempt to get back the lost data.

Data Recovery Software

Probably, the most common cause of data loss is when we delete some important files by accident.

Normally, we rush to Google as soon as we realize the data is gone, and — what luck! — we find hundreds of software options that claim to restore all of our lost files, most for free! The reality is harsh, though.

So, when thinking of resorting to data recovery applications, keep in mind these three things:

  1. You may not be able to restore your data in full. It depends on many factors, like the type of lost files and time passed since they were deleted — yet, most programs use no-deep, superficial search methods that can only reach the most recent data. And that is fair for both paid and free options.
  2. Most likely, you don’t know much about the algorithms that software applies to seek and retrieve erased information. There is thus a risk the files will get overwritten during the process of scanning, which makes them unrestorable even for a professional data recovery service.
  3. Many recovery applications come infected with viruses, spyware, or malware, and that’s a fact. In an attempt to return lost files, you can jeopardize the rest of the information that is stored on your computer, including sensitive data like passwords, addresses, etc.
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Of course, the choice is yours. But all the above is the reason you should think twice before hitting that “Download” button.

Hard Drive DIY Resuscitation

If you notice your computer mouse is malfunctioning, you could take it all apart, adjust or replace some of its elements, and put it back together.

The hard drive structure, however, is too fragile and complicated to live through such a DIY repair.

You see, the way hard disk processes information is quite similar to record player work.

There is a platter (or several thereof) that serves to temporarily store your computer’s data and the read-and-write heads (the “needles”) which are designed to read the information on the platter contains.

That is called the “spindle and platter” system, and it’s used for pretty much everything your machine does.

The most important difference about that system lies in the fact that the needles, unlike it is in a recorder player, aren’t in actual contact with the platter.

Instead, the heads are hovering a tiny distance above thanks to the magnetic medium it’s coated in.

All this explains why you can’t repair your hard disk yourself: any careless movement, even a slight jolt, can make the needle touch the platter, which will surely lead to scratches on its surface and deletion of the data is stored.

DIY recovery of data

…And Other Questionable Methods

When googling for doable DIY hard drive repairs, you will surely run into some, obviously pranksterish, advice that states hitting your disk — or even dropping it! — will fix the hardware issue.

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Those recommendations are only good if your goal is to permanently destroy your device.

The same goes for the spreading practice of freezing the faulty drive in a fridge: it seems to be the least of evils (and hence worth trying).

But in reality, this plain manipulation can make the condensate on its surface harden — which will many times reduce your chances to restore the missing data.

Ignore recommendations like these if you really want to get your files back.

Scared Away By Price

Many people prefer to avoid resorting to professional data recovery companies because they believe the prices are too high.

And, before they come to the realization that is the best and most reliable option, they do something mentioned above… end turns their data impossible to recover.

You have to understand that the price is the actual equivalent of the time you’ll have to spend to rebuild all the lost data.

The bill you get for the services as well consists of the experience that experts obtained over years — thanks to which you have a guarantee your data will be restored successfully.

So, don’t let the cost deter you. Consider the risks your business may be exposed to in case of failed DIY restoration.

You may find that professional data recovery will cost you less than potential material losses from the downtime needed to reconstruct the missing information.

Just make sure you’ve found the best. We would recommend the Salvagedata expert team as they offer a “No Data, No Charge” policy, guaranteeing you won’t have to pay in the event they cannot retrieve your missing files.

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And that’s in addition to free examination of your case and more than 10 years of experience in the field, which should be good proof of their competence.

To Sum Up

Once again: before doing anything else, estimate the value of the lost information and make sure it won’t be needed later in case your DIY recovery ends up with permanently overwritten/erased data.

The quote you’ll receive from a professional data recovery company might be much more reasonable than it seems.

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