When do you need recovery services for your hard drive?
Your computer is down!
All your data seems to be gone...
Is it:
- a hardware problem
- an operating system problem or
- a hard drive problem
Having your computer go down is a terrifying proposition. The first thing to do is to take a deep breathe and relax. Rushing through your troubleshooting steps will only lead to further confusion or worse yet bigger problems.
Hardware Problem...?
Try to determine if the physical hardware of your computer has failed you. Do you get any lights or LED's indicating power to the box? Can you hear any fans running? If not, then you probably have a power supply issue and your data is most likely just fine.
Operating System Problem...?
If you have working lights and fan's, but you are still not seeing a standard log in screen or your desktop - then you might have an operating system failure. The operating system is the software that runs your computer. Sometimes is can become damaged or fail to work properly. When this happens your computer won't behave normally and it can appear that your data is gone. There is a small chance that your data will be effected by the operating system failure, but it is minimal.
Hard Drive Problem...?
Another possible explanation of a machine failing to boot up normally is a hard drive failure. If all other parts of your computer are working normally, but you see a blank grey screen or the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)"if might be that your hard drive has stopped communicating with your computer.
What can you do from here...
Depending on the type of computer you have and your proclivity to take things apart, you could pull out the hard drive and try connecting it to another computer using and external case. If you can access your data this way, you might have a bad cable or power feed to the hard drive.
If pulling a hard drive out of your computer is not feasible or just not up your alley, then I suggest finding a reputable data recovery firm in your area. A quality company will provide a free evaluation and estimate. By letting a technology professional review the situation you are giving yourself the best chance of getting your data back in a timely manner.
