Wednesday, February 10, 2010

How to Choose the Best Data Recovery Software

Losing data is a very frustrating and costly experience. Your computer could suffer from hard drive malfunction, corrupted operating system, Malware, and system crashes. These are common problems that could result to permanent data loss. That is why you need data retrieval software in order to protect yourself from data loss.

The use of software is a cost effective solution to recover and rescue your data. However, this option may not be suitable if your computer is suffering from physical problems. Data recovery software is ideal for retrieving corrupted files, locating missing files, and for accessing problematic hard drive. If you do not have enough technical experience, the best choice is to bring your defective hard drive to a data recovery service. But if you insist on using software for data retrieval, then here are some of the functionalities that you have to look for.

Choose Software That Can Be Loaded From Optical Media

The data recovery software should have the capability to start and load from a CD or DVD. Most applications must be installed on your hard drive before you can use them. Installing new software could overwrite missing files that you want to recover. You can lose your data permanently if the software will overwrite them. That is why it is best if the software can load independently from a separate media device in order to minimize risks of permanent file overwrite.

Buy Recovery Software from Known Vendors

Because your data is important, you need to buy software from reliable vendors and developers. Although there are good freeware apps, most free data recovery applications are unstable and could further worsen your problem. As much as possible, you have to avoid using freeware data retrieval applications. Go for supported and proprietary software so you can get technical support and more functionality.

Lastly, the data recovery tool should work on most data loss scenarios caused by faulty hard drive, corrupted OS, virus attack, or corrupted boot sector. Your software should also recover all known file types and format. Most importantly, you have to choose a data recovery application that is compatible with your operating system.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Mac Data Recovery After Time Machine Backup Media Failure

Backup is the best possible way to prevent data loss. For this purpose, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard provide an inbuilt backup utility- Time Machine. It works with Time Capsule and various external USB (Universal Serial Bus) hard drives. The utility enables you to create incremental backup of the files, which you can restore later. This backup tool enables you to restore entire system, several files, or even single file. If data loss occurs, you can restore all your critical data and prevent need of Mac Data Recovery solutions through third-party applications.

Time Machine is a complete backup tool, which has a great set of features. Some of the most common features of this backup utility are as given below:

1) Do not need regular attention- The tool works with Mac computer and external hard drive. You need to just connect your external drive and assign the drive to Time Machine. It automatically creates backup of entire system, including applications, accounts, system files, photos, movies, music, preferences, and documents.

2) Takes you back in time- If you have deleted your critical files from hard drive, just enter your Time Machine browser and you can see how your system looked on the date that you are browsing. With this feature, you can easily Recover Mac Data from Time Machine backup.

3) Backs up every hour- Following initial backup of entire system, the tool automatically creates incremental backup every hour, copying the data that has modified since last backup. The backup process is preformed in background, so that you can work while Time Machine creates backup.

4) Easy Migration- While setting up new Macintosh system with old data, Time Machine helps you to simplify the process. You can use Migration Assistant for copying backup data to new machine, or use 'Restore System from Time Machine' option in Utilities menu on Mac OS X installation disc.

Time Machine safeguards your valuable data in every situation, but what if the backup media fails? In such cases, you can not restore data from backup and come across critical data loss situations. At this point, you are required to opt for Mac Recovery solutions to get your lost data back.

Data Recovery Mac is possible through third-party Mac Recovery Software. The applications are specifically designed to thoroughly scan the damaged media and retrieve lost data from it. With read-only conduct and rich graphical user interface, the applications are quite safe and easy to use.

Stellar Phoenix Macintosh Data Recovery is the best ever made and the most advanced tool for assured recovery of lost Mac data. It recovers data from HFS, HFS+, HFSX, HFS Wrapper, and FAT file system volumes. The software is designed for Mac OS X 10.6, 10.5, 10.4, and 10.3.9.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Finding the Expert Data Recovery Service You Need

You need a data recovery service provider that can get the job done right the first time. After all, second chances are rare when it comes to recovering data. It's not uncommon for data on drives to completely disappear if the proper data recovery techniques are not used as soon as problems occur. Sure, cost is a big consideration in most things, but with data recovery services the price isn't what should concern you the most...

The Critical Who Question

Knowing how to choose the right provider for your data recovery service needs can be the difference between a successful recovery and never seeing your data again. Yes, time and money are important considerations as you search for a data recovery service, but you also need to think about the time and effort you put into the data you created. What will it take to recreate those lost files?

There are usually two choices of providers available to assist you with data recovery service: your local technician or a professional data recovery specialist. If you search the Internet for data recovery specialists, you will find thousands of providers listed. How can you tell a data recovery specialist from a computer service technician? There are a few clues to watch for...

What To Ask Them

If you really want to know what kind of data recovery service provider you are contacting, ask them about any other computer repairs and services they offer. Ask about purchasing a back up server, and then inquire about the cost to have one set up. If they begin asking you for more specific information, you can be sure you have contacted a technician that also cross-markets hard drive data and recovery services.

These technicians can do two things: make a image of your drive at the bit level for safety purposes, then attempt to reclaim your files using an automated recovery utility. If you don't understand these required steps, have a dead hard drive, or if data safety is a high priority, you should seek the services of a professional data recovery service firm.

Choosing a Professional Service

Any company specializing in data recovery service and computer forensic investigation services is considered a professional data recovery service provider. Firms like these focus their expertise on data recovery service and are recognized industry experts. They deal with file undelete and tape recovery as well as more complex issues like RAID Recovery.

A professional firm will also have drive imaging techniques and computer hardware tools far more sophisticated than your everyday basic data recovery utility. And you can be sure they will use the absolute safest data recovery techniques available to retrieve your data.

And keep in mind that even though the demand for data recovery services has increased dramatically over the last decade, few expert providers are available in the industry. You probably can't just flip through your local phone book to find a data recovery specialist in your area. In fact, there's a good chance that you won't find a provider available in your state.

Computer Technician or Professional Firm

At first going to your local computer shop may seem great because they are cheaper and located nearby. But you need to remain aware of the risks involved when you choose less experienced technicians to recover your data.

The bottom line is, looking at the numbers, and then through them to find and choose the best data recovery service available, often decides whether you get your data back - or not.