There are a number of factors that may cause data loss. These include hardware malfunctioning resulting in system malfunctioning, electro-mechanical failure, computer virus, data corruption, and human error, which is the most common cause seen in more than 75 percent cases of data loss. Other natural causes may also be responsible for data loss, like damage from fire or water.

"Data Recovery" commonly refers to the operations carried out by experts to recover data from a variety of data sources including hard disc drives, floppy diskettes, or tape cartridges using special data retrieval techniques in a lab specifically designed for that purpose.

To retrieve data, each case is analyzed on an individual basis and only then can an action plan be developed. The data on the damaged media is replicated bit by bit so as to reduce the risk of further damage to the data. Then according to the action plan set for the data rescue, various techniques may be adopted to retrieve the data.

Yes. There are experts who can do such operations on a damaged hard disc where the source of the problem is an erratic drive read/write head. Due to mishandling or some other mechanical issue the drive read/write head of a hard disc fail to work properly resulting in a loss of data. In such cases the erratic read/write head are replaced carefully to get the drive back to action.

Not always. In most cases, the damage to the data is permanent. However, it rarely happens that no data can be retrieved from the affected media. In fact, the amount of data that can be rescued from the affected media depends on the amount of permanent damage to the media.

Each project is different and requires unique processes and timelines depending on the damage that has already been done to the media. While some projects may require several hours, even 2 - 3 days, but in most moderate cases the data retrieval takes about 24 hours.

Running a data recovery software utility on a potentially corrupted drive puts your data at risk. Most of these utilities assume that your drive is working perfectly both mechanically and electrically. If your drive is not performing at its optimal level, the utility will attempt to fix things that may not need fixing. The result is further data loss. So, your best and safest course of action is to send your drive to your nearest data recovery service provider without further delay.

No. To open a drive, you must be in a clean room and have full knowledge of the drive's internal mechanics and electrical aspects. Otherwise, your data may be irrevocably destroyed and your manufacturer's warranty will be nullified.

Instead, your most promising option would be to contact your nearest data recovery service provider. The technicians there not only can protect and recover your at-risk data, they can do so in a clean room without violating the terms of your equipment's warranty.

This solely depends on the damage that has been done to the media and the amount of effort the experts will have to put in to rescue the data. The other important factors include the cost of maintaining the quality of a data recovery lab, the equipment, the standby components, managing and monitoring the access points, and above all the cost and security of your data.

The retrieved data is delivered back to you in the same format, file names, and structure as it was there before the damage to the data. Often the services providers return you a CD-R with all your retrieved data burned onto it.

Certainly. After all, it's yours. However, getting it back is worth only if it can be re-usable. If the drive is heavily damaged and still usable, it is recommended not to use it any further. If it is under warranty, and if the warranty is not void, better get it replaced. Otherwise discard it and get a new one. Remember, your data is more valuable than a new hard disc drive.

Nothing can prevent data loss better than performing routine backups of all your data. You can save hours, days and weeks of downtime by minimizing your data loss through routine backups. If you have a good backup system (one that has been both tested and restored from), you can be up and running in hours after a failure or disaster occurs.

A good anti-virus software package, updated regularly, also offers some protection against data loss due to fatal virus attacks.