Your hard disk is where all your software applications and your operating system is stored. Due to this reason, the normal operation of any computer relies heavily on a properly working hard disk. Unfortunately, hard drives are prone to failures; they are always the weakest link your computer.
Due to such an uncertainty associated with hard drives, data recovery is an important factor for most of our visitors.
There are three levels of file recovery for a broken hard drive:
- Basic Level: With this, the drive spins but doesn’t boot to the operating system. This serves as an indication that a few Windows files may have been damaged or corrupted. Now you have two options:
Use of Rescue CD: You can get your hands on bootable CD with hard drive utility software installed on it.
Move bad drive: In case of no bootable CD, you can move the infected drive to some other working desktop PC. Once installed you can usually view all your files stored on that bad drive.
2. Intermediate Level: Here the drive also, but still you can’t access the files. Following methods can be used in this case.
Now with this level of broken hard disk there is work to do to solve the problem. There are various data recovery programs available such as “Recover My Files”, “Active UNDELETE” etc. You may want to download and run one of these for data recovery. They are easy-to-use and reliable so you can bet on any of these.
“Active UNDELETE” will let you make a bootable CD to run on your PC if it is not possible to move the broken disk. Also, a technical support option is available to you in case you need further help. Feel free to call us for help.
3. Advanced Level: Before arriving at the advanced level, you have likely already spent hours (or worse, days) trying to rectify the malfunctioned disk. You may have wasted money buying software, but you probably have a physical drive issue, which cannot be fixed with software. Certainly, you have arrived to the point where you need to take your broken disk to professional recovery specialist like HDRA.
Recovery From A Broken Hard Drive
When your drive is broken, the useful and sensitive data can either be lost or can be recovered professionally. If the files and data present on the drive are not corrupted the data can be recovered quite easily, actually. However, if the data is corrupted, the recovery of data is difficult or sometimes impossible. An expert opinion may help, so contact us here!
Some points should be kept in mind for the safest possible data storage:
- IDE are the thick sized cables that are attached to the hard drives. They carry data and control signals to and from the hard drive to the computer’s central processing unit (CPU). You must make sure that the IDE cables from the hard drive are disconnected.
- Remove all the electronic devices kept very close to the hard drive.
- Keep the hard drive away from any type of magnetic or electric charge
- Place the drive on an insulating surface
- Carefully identify the IDE or SATA cable. Search for an unused cable or wire. These unused connectors are normal wires that are no longer in use. Gently plug in your hard drive to this unused connector.
- Carefully mount the hard drive. Do not let the hard disk to hang loose in air from motherboard with cables.
- Remove the jumper from the drive. The drive would now work as “slave”.
- Add another drive in master slot and start your computer.
- First completely scan the drive before you start copying the data.
These are the steps that are to be followed when your system has broken hard drives. The broken hard drive can again be used and the data in those broken hard drive can be recovered back if done properly.