วันศุกร์ที่ 17 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2550

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วันอังคารที่ 31 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2550

Computer Data Recovery Options

Losing files on your computer can be a frightening experience if the files are of importance to you personally or professionally. Computer data recovery techniques include the most simple of operations, like simply retrieving an accidentally deleted file, to very complex file retrieval procedures that only professionals should attempt to do.
If you are trying to proceed with your hard disk recovery solution on your own, first start with the most obvious answer. Look in your recycle bin to see if the file has been placed there. If it is, you can choose the "restore" option, and your system will automatically put the file back on your computer where it was stored originally. Of course, if every retrieval was this simple, there would be no need for computer professionals who specialize in data recovery, so chances are you'll need to try a different technique to find your lost data.
If you've deleted a file on your computer, and you've emptied your recycle bin, don't despair. When a file is deleted on a computer, it's not erased immediately from the system. What actually happens is the computer marks the deleted file as "deleted", and it is no longer in view to users within your computer's files. The file remains on the hard drive until new data is saved over it, similar to recording songs on cassette tapes. So, in order for computer data recovery to happen on files that have been deleted, you'll need to attempt to recover them before new data has been written over the file.
The best thing you can do to increase your chances of success is to immediately stop using the computer until you've retrieved the deleted file. The more you use your computer, the more information will be saved and the more likely the information could be saved over the file you are hoping to get back!

Do I Really Need To Backup?

Okay, computers a machine, right? Okay, maybe not yours. You have this special relationship, but that a subject for another article. Machines break. Software gets fouled up. People make errors. These things happen, and for those reasons alone, you need to back up all your critical data, redundantly, in a couple of different locations.
You can do this using the tools your system provides, or a utility you buy for that purpose, but however you do it, do it! Some more things that can go wrong include disks that turn bad and erase sections of your files, power failures or surges, the aforementioned human error (one of the most frequent causes of data loss!) overheating, water or your beverage of choice, magnetic issues and last but certainly most popular, computer viruses.
How is all this accomplished, you ask? There are many ways to backup your data these days, from DVD's to CDR's to ZIP drives, to portable hard drives, as well as offsite internet backups. All have their pros and cons, but the cold hard facts are that it's becoming increasingly easier to back up your critical data.
Don't let that lull you into a false sense of security regarding your sensitive data. Either do it now, and frequently, or start preparing an epitaph for your lost files!

Comparing Data Recovery Software

Software programmers recognize the importance of data files, and thankfully, they have been able to create products that demonstrate their understanding of how often people accidentally delete or lose important data. Thanks to software programmers and development companies, people have a variety of data recovery software programs available to purchase in the event they've lost vital data.
There are disk recovery applications that are specific to recovering files of a certain format, like graphics files as opposed to word document files, and there is software that can recover any type of lost file regardless of the format. If you've accidentally deleted an image on your digital camera, there is even software available to retrieve that!
It's important to take the time to research and compare each software program before purchasing one in order to make sure that it will have the best possible chance at retrieving your lost file. Remember that there is no program on the market that can guarantee recovery of every file, as there are simply too many factors and situations that effect whether or not a file can be retrieved once deleted or lost. You can increase your chances for recovery by selecting the appropriate program for the file you are trying to save.
Do-it-yourself software is less expensive than hiring a company that specializes in data recovery and you should at least attempt to recover your data yourself with the use of this type of software program if money is of concern for you. Even if money is not a concern, your first step should be to check whether or not recovering your data is as simple as running a software program, as that will be your fastest and most convenient way.
In addition to recovering data files from accidental deletion, there is data recovery software that can recover files after you've formatted the drive, after a computer power failure, natural disaster, or files lost from a virus.

Want To Beat The Odds? Disaster Recovery Planning is Essential

Statistics show two out of five businesses go out of business within five years of experiencing a major disaster.
These statistics are staggering. Even if the business survives the initial attack or natural disaster, it typically leaves the business so devastated that long term survival is not possible for 40% of the businesses hit. Disaster recovery planning can ensure the viability of a company after an attack. Proper planning helps companies to develop contingency plans and put them in place that limit the losses in the event us such catastrophes. It is not just the big guys that need to plan, disasters leave small companies even more devastated.
Business of all sizes should develop a business continuity plan, and test it on a regular basis. Every department and every employee should have a clear idea of how they should respond to a disaster. It this is not done, the company will have a much harder time recovering from disasters of monumental magnitude. The bottom line, disaster recovery planning for the continuity of your business is a key to survival in the new millennium. Business continuity planning is no longer something the big guys do. It is something the "smart" guys do.
It is not a factor of size; disasters hit companies of every size. If you have a small business website you are as vulnerable as a large corporation when a new virus is released. If you had a mom and pop hamburger stand next to the world trade center, your losses in terms of percentages of the whole, were just as large if not larger than the multi-national corporations. Plan for the disaster, and your business can recover with the least amount of losses; fail to plan, and you could be out of commission for weeks, even months, or in 40% of the cases?forever.
You can find expert disaster recovery planners and business continuity planners to help with solutions that are not obvious. You don't have to reinvent the wheel! In the wake of 911, and the terrorist attacks that are prevalent around the globe all businesses must prepare for the strong possibility of further attacks. It is not a question of if we will have further attacks; it is indeed a question of when. Can your business really afford to ignore the odds?

Are The Words Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning Rolling Off Your Lips?

It might be more fun to talk about those free online business cards that are saving the company money, or those nifty designer business checks that are helping to solidif your branding efforts at the next staff meeting, but what really should be rolling off your lips are the words "business continuity and disaster recovery planning". Nothing is more important to a company than having a comprehensive recoveery plan in place prior to when disaster strikes. The framework for disaster recovery and business continuity planning will be different for every company. But every company needs to have a plan.
If you are unsure of your company's plan, or if you think there might not even be one, it's certainly time to ask. If a comprehensive plan is not available, it's time everyone rolls up their sleeves and creates one. For the businesses continuity planning to be effective everyone in every department should become part of the process. The left hand should know what the right hand is doing. A disaster recovery planner can be very helpful in these meetings. If one is not available, disaster recovery software can be readily found on the internet to guide you through the process.
Once plans for business continuity and disaster recovery have been made, the entire company needs to be educated as to what to do in the event of a disaster. Knowing what to do in the midst of the disaster as well as the days following the disaster can be invaluable. Ask any company that has experienced a disaster, and they will all tell you that disaster recovery planning is vital to maintaining business continuity when the unexpected happens. It could be a tornado, or a virus attacking your database. Whatever the disaster, having a plan prevents chaos. It is worth the time and effort it takes to implement. The consequences are clear... Fail to plan and your plan to fail!

Do You Have The One Key Ingredient Necessary For Disaster Recovery?

It is not rocket science, we all know that we should have a disaster recovery plan in place for our business regardless of its size. When disaster strikes, it seldom discriminates on the size of the company. Every business is vulnerable. Whether the disaster is a hurricane, tornado or the latest virus or worm unleashing fury on your computers and databases, every business faces risks.
A small business is seldom immune, and in many cases a small business is the most vulnerable of all businesses because they simply aren't prepared for disasters. Large corporations allocate resources (staff and budgets) and are as a whole more prepared to face the unexpected. Most of the fortune 500 companies have disaster recovery plans in place to insure the continuity of their businesses.
So, what's the key ingredient necessary to recovery from a disaster with the least amount of damage to the business? It's really very simple. The key ingredient is a having a plan before the disaster strikes. It is virtually impossible, to be organized and strategically think through and implement a disaster recovery plan while in the throws of a disaster.
However, when all conceivable disasters have been imagined and contingency plans are calmly and methodically implemented in advance, a company has a tremendous advantage. Contingencies are now in place to fall back on when and if a disastrous event occurs. You are beginning to get the picture. Protecting the company assets and sustaining the least amount of damage, is simply a matter of planning and making that plan known to all corners of the corporation. It is importing to oversee properly implemented prior to any need. This is business continuity in a nutshell, and business continuity is becoming more and more important as we move into the new millennium.
Business continuity, for the small entrepreneur, doesn't have to be as complicated as we try to make it.
A few simple questions can help you determine how extensive your disaster recovery system needs to be. One of the first questions to ask is what would happen to the business if all of the data processed in the last hour was lost? How hard would it be to recover if you lost all of the data over the last 24 hours? Or what about losing a week's worth of data? If you are a banker, or a stock broker, losing even hour's worth of data would be unacceptable. You can imagine the nightmares that would cause! However, if you are a shoe store, losing data for a day would be inconvenient, but not tragic. These types of questions will help you determine the level of risk your company can live with, and how to move forward in your planning.
If data recovery is essential to your business, experts in this field are available to make sure you have done all that can be done to minimize any damage that could be caused from a disaster of any type. Expert disaster recovery planners and business continuity planners are trained to help find solutions that are not obvious. It is not necessary to re-invent the wheel!
If you are like most small entrepreneurs, you are probably able to put a perfectly good plan in place on your own. Take a few minutes and imagine the most disastrous event that could happen to your small business right now ? Do you have a plan as to how your small business would attempt to recover? A scary thought, but isn't it something that you should take a minute to consider and plan for. This enables you to put into place NOW the very things that you would want and need to have at the time of the disaster.
Pre-disaster planning makes recovering from the unthinkable possible. If you fail to plan, you can plan to fail. It is simple. Don't think planning for disasters are something to put off until you have nothing else to do. The success of your small business may depend on your taking the time now to review your situation carefully and consider all of the worst case possibilities for disasters that you hope never happen. Remember, disasters don't make appointments to happen!
What can I do if I didn't do my disaster recovery planning?
The most common disaster for a company is not the Tsunami or the hurricane, but the simple loss of data. Computer crashes, hard drive failures, and software malfunctions cost corporations millions of dollars every day. Disaster recoveries are completely dependent on the reliability of the backup systems in place at the time of disaster.
Server disaster recovery software is available for those caught without a plan or those who failed to properly implement a data backup plan. It is not always reliable, and often a very costly solution for a business. So, why take the risk. Consider your business continuity planning a top priority. If a disaster should strike, you will be very glad you did!

The Best Data Recovery Choice For You

The best defense against a loss of data is a really solid and faithful backup routine of important files to reliable media. It's also a good idea for the media to be removable and portable if possible so that even if something happens to your whole computer for any reason, the data is protected by being in a totally different physical area.
OK, so that is the best solution to data loss. But what if you have not been backing up your drive like you should and now you find yourself confronted with the daunting task of getting all the important files back that were on your computer before the emergency happened? (By the way, you can take some comfort in knowing that quite a few people find themselves in this situation. You are not alone.) What are your choices at this point?
Well, basically there are two ways of recovering data from a damaged disk, either by using a data recovery service or a data recovery software package. Either can do the job, but there are some factors that should go into your decision about which one to use. First, are you pretty computer savvy? If you are then maybe data recovery software will work for you. If not, do not try this method at all. The other is how much time do you have to spend on retrieving this data? If you have lots of time to put into it, then consider doing the job yourself with a reputable software package. If you don't have much time to devote to this endeavor, don't waste both time and money with the software option.
If you have decided upon using a data recovery service, you should know that the odds are that you will get a good portion, if not all of your data back. The generally accepted success rate in the industry is around 80%. Much of the success will depend on the skill and determination of the data recovery specialist who will be working on your drive. They all have sophisticated software tools to work with, but data recovery is not as simple as just plugging in a piece of software, walking away and coming back when it has found all the files. It often requires a specialist who is a bit of a detective, andnot easily discouraged, to get back a good portion of data, especially on drives with physical damage.
Don't be surprised to get two quotes for data recovery from some companies either. One for logical data retrieval that is much easier to handle and will be a much lower figure, and one for physical damage which is far more challenging and therefore rightly costs more. You will also find that cost quotes will often vary considerably. It is usually best to choose somewhere in the middle of the pack toward the higher end. The reason for this is that some companies engage in a bait and switch tactic that indicates that they will cost less initially, but when they actually receive the drive they wil claim that upon review the cost will be much higher. It's best to avoid messing with these companies at all.
So if you have lost data and have no backups to fall back on, data recovery can still be done. Just use the guidelines presented in this article for choosing the data recovery method that will work best for you.

Data Recovery The Easy Way

If you aren't prepared in advance, you will most likely have to use a data recovery service or data recovery software solution to help get back as much as you can of what was lost. This can be a very good idea if there is no other way to recover your files, but it doesn't have to come to that in most cases.
This is a classic situation of where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A very simple backup routine that is adhered to on a daily basis can usually solve any data loss situation quickly and fairly painlessly. And it won't cost you anything but the time neded to restore the data files from your backups, and maybe the program files from the original disks.
There is a wide choice of media that you can backup your files to, inclusing CDs, DVDs, external hard drives, other internal hard drives, tape drives, etc. They all work, it's just that each media choice has it's own pros and cons regarding ease of use, data storage capacity, and so on. A discussion of those limits is beyond the scope of this article, but the most important thing to remember is that the best backup is the one that works. That means that regardless of the media you choose, just make a choice and stick to a backup schedule like glue.
There are sevral good backup programs out there that work very well and will do a fine job, but most Microsoft Windows users have a great backup program included with their operating software. If you are a Windows XP user that program is called NTBackup. If it's not already installed on your computer insert your Windows CD, find the folder titled ValueAddMSFT tbackup, and run the program in that folder called ntbackup.msi. It will set up the backup software for use on your computer in no time and you will even have simple to use wizards that will walk you through doing file backups and restores simply and easily.
Once the software is installed, it is now up to you to use it faithfully to prepare for data recovery when it is needed. Maybe you never will need it. But don't count on that. You will be so glad that you have a solid reliable way to restore lost files if disaster ever happens on your computer. It's truly the easy way to data recovery!

Data Recovery - You Can Get It Back!

Data recovery is a process whereby you can save data and files you accidentally deleted, had eaten by malicious software or viruses, hardware failures, corporate espionage and many more scenarios. Most people believe that when the hard drive crashes their world ends also, but that's not usually the case. In fact 85% of the time the data is recoverable, and at far less trouble and expense than you might fear at first.
It's a wonder something that spins at thousands of times a minute doesn't crash more often than they do, what with all the abuse we heap upon them. When's the last time you did a dust patrol near your drive ports? Hard drives aren't the only data that can be saved too. Zip drives, floppies, DVD's, CD-ROM's and more can be rescued. And sometimes the worst of disasters will yield up results. Technicians regularly extract data from computers that are burned to a crisp. Admittedly this is trickier and more expensive, but it can be done. On woman had her Apple Powerbook sink to the bottom of the Amazon, whereupon tiring of waiting for the salvage operation, she promptly donned her scuba gear, swam down to the sunken boat and retrieved her precious files. She then mailed the whole mess to DriveSavers and they managed to save most of her data, despite being submerged for three days!
Most recoveries aren't nearly as sexy, and can usually be resolved with a software solution, usually by the client his or herself. Off the rack data recovery software is quite good and relatively inexpensive, especially when you compared to the cost of dealing with replacing the lost files. Most data recovery issues stem from human error, roughly 25%. A software solution can run you anywhere from $75-$400, whereas if the problem is too difficult and you have to box it up and send it out, expect to pay between $500-$2000, with the average price of $1000.
The key to remember is that deleted data is usually not gone forever, just maddeningly misplaced. The good news is that recovery can be a mouse click away!

Data Recovery - What Not to Do!

Data recovery is a tricky thing, and if you've somehow deleted or had your important files corrupted or lost due to human error, business espionage, faulty hardware or software or any other reason; the good news is that your lost data is probably recoverable. This article will show you a few things NOT to do when an event such as this occurs.
Don't run the drive anymore, or use the device. (MP3, portable storage, camera card, whatever) If you think it won't hurt to even just poke around the internet for a solution to this mess you've made/found, you're wrong! Don't install or run anything on the drive you hope to recover data from. Only access this drive again from a healthy PC with the software solution you're going to use. Since files are overwritten in the order they've been deleted, the last files that have been excised from your drive will be the first to be lost permanently. Even just surfing, with all the cookies and temporary internet files that are always being generated will often doom the process without you even knowing about it.
Don't use tools that may reside on your computer, such as Scandisk, or a boot record utility, as these will probably overwrite exactly the files you're seeking to get back.
In short, be careful! Your data may very well be recoverable, as long as you don't do something to erase it forever! Find a good data recovery software solution, and then follow the instructions to the letter, and you'll more than likely live to see your lost data return!

Hard Drive Crash? The Essential Data Recovery Report

Your worst nightmare just became a horrifying reality. You keep hearing that little voice in your head mockingly shout "you should have backed that stuff up" The voice keeps echoing throughout your head as you perform a quick inventory all of the important information that you just lost?..your client database, a years worth of e-mail, your entire inventory database, even your family photos.
Even worse, you've got a deposition in two-weeks and key information needed to help win the case were also lost. You quickly call a service technician and have them come over to check the computer out, only to hear the worst news of all?.your data has been lost. When a hard drive crashes, it's too late to worry about what you "should have done."
Today data recovery is a multi-million dollar industry. The number of data recovery firms out there seems to exceed the number of fast food restaurants for the entire planet. These companies specialize in helping their clients retrieve data on anything from hard drives to flash-roms. In the following report, we will discuss what data recovery really is; the different types, the costs, and what you can realistically expect when it comes to getting your data recovered.
What To Do In The Event Of Data Loss?
Around 44% of all data loss is caused by hardware failure. It's important to make sure that you immediately shut your system down if you suspect that hard drive has crashed. Don't even try to go through the shutdown procedure, just pull the plug from the wall. Do not try to run off the shelf data recovery software or drive utilities. Many times these applications will assume the drive is functioning properly and will increase the risk of permanent data loss.
Types Of Hard Drive Failure
When we discuss data recovery in this report, we will primarily focus on issues surrounding hard drive failures; since these types of failures are most common. There are really two primary forms of failure in a hard drive, logical and physical. Logical failures are usually a result of file-system corruption. This can occur due to a virus, accidental deletion of key files or registry components, and in some cases even electro-static discharge. In most cases where a logical failure has occurred, the drive is still recognized by the system BIOS, but it will not boot. In most cases, your data should still be intact on the drive, even though it may appear to be inaccessible.
If the system BIOS does not detect the presence of the hard drive, then chances are a physical failure has occurred. Physical failures can result from a wide variety of causes. There are really two sub-categories for physical hard drive failures; mechanical and electronic. Mechanical failures usually result from a failure of the spindle motor. Spindle motor failure can result from excessive heat due to a bearing failure. The increased heat resulting from the bearing failure will expand the drive shaft and therefore seize the spindle motor. Suddenly, your drive will become inoperative. Occasionally, you will get a warning that something bad is about to happen. You may hear a loud whining, a grinding noise, even high-pitched screeches. If anything like this starts to occur, BACK UP YOUR DATA IMMEDIATELY.
Another physical issue that sometimes rears its ugly head is an electronic failure. If you look at a hard drive you will notice a circuit board on the bottom. This board is basically the brains of the drive, and it is where the computer interfaces to the hard drive. An electrical failure can occur unexpectedly at any time. Even brand new hard drives are not totally immune to having electrical failures. Sometimes it's just a faulty component, sometimes it's improper installation (i.e. electro-static discharge, grounding out the board, damaging circuitry during installation). It's important to also keep your system clean and well ventilated, since excessive heat can damage the electrical components on the drive. If you have a system that is in a somewhat contained area, you may look at adding an additional 80mm fan to cool the internal components of the system, especially the hard drive. No other component of a computer works as much as the hard drive, and therefore it is vitally important not to overlook it when cooling issues arise.
How Is My Data Recovered?
One of the most often asked questions that customers ask is, "how do you get my data back?" Well, it's really not black magic or rocket science. It's just a matter of having the right tools and the knowledge necessary to know what to do, much like a surgeon performing heart by-pass surgery. Many prominent data recovery facilities have a large array of hardware, software and tools for recovering data.
Generally speaking when a hard drive is received by a data recovery firm, the first thing they do is evaluate it, and determine what recovery solution will be necessary. If the drive failure is a logical issue as mentioned earlier, then a scan of the drive will be performed to try and repair the file system corruption. Sometimes a partition can be repaired and the drive restored to the status that it was before the failure. If this is not possible, then a very low-level scan will be performed that essentially searches every sector of the hard drive for files. Once the files are located, they can then be copied to the media of choice, i.e. a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or another hard drive. Logical recoveries can take up an enormous amount of time, especially if the drive is on the verge of physical failure. It's not uncommon to allow for one day of scanning and a day for recovering the found files.
If the drive has suffered a physical failure, then the recovery procedure is quite a bit more challenging. As mentioned above, there are really two sub-categories of physical failure; mechanical and electronic. An important element in recovering data from a physical failure is having the necessary parts to get the drive functioning again. Unfortunately with hard drives if you have a 20GB Maxtor Hard Drive for example, then you will need another identical 20GB Maxtor Hard Drive for salvaging parts. In cases where the electronic circuit board has failed on the hard drive, then you have to have the exact same circuit board on hand in order to retrieve the necessary circuit components for replacement. Many times you cannot even exchange circuit board for circuit board. These repairs generally require soldering skills and a thorough knowledge of electronics to be successfully completed. You will most likely hear "Class100 Clean Room" thrown around a lot when talking to data recovery professionals. Simply stated, a Class100 Clean Room maintains exceptional air purity, and contains less than 100 airborne particles larger than 0.5 microns in each cubic foot of air. This is vital in protecting sensitive internal components of hard drives. Anytime a hard drive is having an invasive procedure performed on it, a Class100 clean room or better is needed.
The time frame for recovery is generally 5-10 business days for physical issues and 2-4 days for logical issues. Sometimes if components are not readily available, then it may take weeks to complete the recovery. Some firms offer expedite service and you definitely pay for this added attention.
What About Data Recovery Software
This is one area where you really do get what you pay for. Try to stay away from software in the $20-$60 range, since these utilities are generally very limited in what they can do. Also make sure that you NEVER and just to emphasize, NEVER EVER get data recovery software that writes anything at all to the damaged disk. You run the risk of overwriting data that may otherwise have been recoverable, but will be lost forever. If you are fairly computer savvy, then there are a few good data recovery software solutions available.
What To Look For When Shopping For Data Recovery
There's an old saying, "you get what you pay for." In most cases this is true. However, just because a company with a fancy website quotes you $3,500 for data recovery, does not mean that they are any better than a company that quotes you $1,500. Also, try to stay away from companies that want to charge $50-$300 for evaluating your drive. There has been a movement in the data recovery industry over the last couple of years to offer a number of free services. Most reputable data recovery companies will evaluate standard IDE drives free of charge; so don't let the word "free" this or "free" that stop you. The data recovery market is quickly becoming saturated, and a company does not necessarily cheapen itself or lack expertise by offering free evaluations.
You will find as you shop around for data recovery that prices vary greatly. You will get quotes that range from $300 to $5,000 for standard hard drive recoveries. It's not uncommon to literally get quotes that have at least a $1,500 high/low spread. We shopped one prominent data recovery company where we gave them specific indicators of a physical hard drive failure. We were eventually quoted a price range of $600 to $2,900 for the recovery. Many times this is a bait and switch type tactic. They get you to send in the drive with the low-end $600 price, then they let you know it's going to cost $2,100 for the recovery. You end up being well under the $2,900 high-end price, but well over what other reputable companies would charge. Since most customers won't go through the pain of having the drive sent back, only to have to send it out to another company, these bait and switch companies end up making huge profits off of unsuspecting customers.
Try to find a company that will give you an up front cost for either a logical or physical recovery. Most companies will be able to tell you within a couple hundred dollars the cost of a recovery. However, don't misunderstand a company that gives you a price for two different procedures. For example, some companies will give you a price if the failure is logical and a price if the problem ends up being physical. We called one firm and were told that if the drive had a logical failure the price would be $400 and if it ended up being a physical issue the price would be $1,600. This is not a high/low spread as mentioned in the earlier example, this is simply quoting a price for two different types of recoveries.
On average you can expect to pay anywhere from $400 to $600 for logical recoveries, and $1,200 to $2,000 for physical recoveries on standard IDE hard drives. If you have RAID drives, SCSI, etc. depending on the configuration prices can be as high as $15,000. Remember, backup backup backup backup backup!!
Can My Data Be Recovered?
In most cases the answer to this question is yes. On average, the success rate for data recovery professionals is about 75-85%. However, there are times when the data is just lost, either due to extensive damage to the platter or unavailability of replacement parts.
How Do I Get Started?
If you have a hard drive that has crashed, the most important thing you can do is contact a data recovery professional immediately. Make sure you aren't being charged an evaluation fee if you have a standard IDE hard drive. Most companies only charge evaluation fees for complex RAID and network server drives.
It is important to do your homework, call and talk with the companies. When you find one that you feel comfortable with, give them a chance. Your hardest job, may be finding data recovery firms that actually have someone available to answer the phones. Ask questions and be sure to have the following information available:
Size of the drive
Operating system (i.e. Windows 98, Windows XP, etc.)
Situation of failure (what happened just before the drive stopped working)
Is the drive recognized by the computer or not
Good luck in getting your data recovered, and make sure you always backup your important information on a daily basis.

Big Time Disaster Recovery Solutions Available for the Little Guy

There was a time - not too long ago - that Data Disaster Recovery solutions were available only in the domain of multinational corporations and big business in general. However, with the proliferation of high speed internet access and the ability to store large amounts of data in a much more cost effective manner due to plummeting storage costs, the ability to perform a secure backup of data to a remote location engineered specifically for the purpose of securely storing massive amounts of information is now in the reach of the general public.
As we come to depend on computers more and more every day, we also make a considerable investment in the data we produce with those computers. Massive data sets were once generated only by large corporations and scientific institutions. But now with the monstrous surge in computer use by millions of individuals and small businesses, there has become a need to provide the same data protection solutions on a smaller scale to facilitate the efficient backup and retrieval of all kinds of data for nearly all types of computer users.
Think about the type of information you store on your personal computer at home. Many computer users store hundreds (or even thousands) of files ranging from word processing documents to personal finance information to educational materials. The fact is: We use our computers every day and have the potential to suffer a great loss of productivity and irreplaceable data from something as common as an electrical storm. What would you do if you woke up one day to find that the entire contents of your computer were now inaccessible to you?
Fortunately, it is now extremely cost effective to implement a Data Disaster Recovery solution that not only backs up all the files of your choosing at an interval set by you, but also provides access to your data 24 hours a day, should you need to recover your data at any time.
Gaining immediate access to your backed up data is as simple as loading the software, typing your password, and enjoying a direct connection to your own secure online data repository with instant data recovery. The process is completely automated and can be initiated in seconds from any computer in the world. You can be secure in knowing that your data is safe and sound, stored in a world class facility with redundant power backup and as much storage as you need to ensure your most important files are there for you when you need them.
Protect your data by implementing a Data Disaster Recovery plan. It doesn't get any easier than using an online data backup service.
Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it.

Disaster Recovery Made Easy With Online Backups

Whenever disaster strikes the most critical asset that every company should have protected from sudden loss due to fire, flooding, or theft is their data. No matter what happens to your hardware you can be sure to be able to be up and running no matter how sudden or how severe your damage or loss is - if you use an online backup system.
Online data back up is the most cost effective way for you to protect your investment by securely storing your data with an offsite data backup provider. No matter when incidents of data loss occur you can be sure that you will have immediate and complete access to your critical documents as you need it. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year you will be able to access and restore countless hours of work and unlimited amounts of data and documents of any type.
You can choose to restore an entire backup of your account or just the documents you need to get going in the event of a system failure. Access is available to any machine connected to the Internet (with proper authorization to the system) at any time, so you can access your backups from any remote location you choose. Access to backup data can keep employees up and running so even while facilities may be shut down indefinitely, your team can continue to do business as usual with little to no downtime.
Upon configuration of the backup software, offsite remote backups are performed transparently to the end users, so backups are performed thoroughly and consistently without the need for user interaction. There is nothing to remember when using a remote secure backup, you can just "set it and forget it" and be comfortable in knowing that your data is protected from accidental loss due to disaster or user negligence 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
With just a few mouse clicks, you can be back up and running within minutes of a complete system failure, allowing your business to remain productive even under the worst circumstances.

Online Data Backups for Newbies

How long have you been doing business online? Whether you are new or an old timer you need to understand the one important truth of the e-world. That being that the largest threat to business survival is data loss.
Online data backup is not just for huge multinational corporations and computer geeks anymore. More and more everyday computer users are saving important data to their hard drives. From schoolwork to financial documents, digital media files to journal entries, our computers are storing more and more digital data that holds personal, and in some cases monetary, value to us. It is because of this that online data storage and other backup solutions are becoming more and more critical to our everyday lives.
If the statements above describe you, you should consider utilizing an offsite data backup solution. These online-based backup providers come in many forms but can be very easy to use and convenient for end users to implement no matter what the platform or how large the network. Whether you need to back up a single laptop, or an entire network of machines, there is an online data backup solution that will meet your needs.
Although there are several methods to accomplish online backup and data retrieval the simplest method is for the end user to install a backup package that has been pre-configured to connect to the service provider's offsite servers (supplied by the offsite backup service provider). This software will allow you, the end user, to select a number of customizable settings, including what directories and files to backup, how often to back them up, number of file revisions to archive, etc. These packages take care of the complicated details such as server IP addresses, encryption levels, and secure logins for you so you can concern yourself with the important choices of what and when to backup.
Once you have set up an account with a service provider and have configured your software the rest of the process is typically transparent and requires little to no interaction from you. You can choose to be notified (via email or various other methods depending on provider) of successful backups for your records and to provide peace-of-mind, but beyond that, you can usually "set and forget" these solutions and rest assured knowing that the most critical data you generate is being saved in a safe and secure manner that is easily accessible to you whenever you may need it.
Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it!

Offsite Data Backup Not Just for Fortune 500 Companies Anymore

In today's high paced digital world there is a very high value placed on information. Not just the kind of information you read in the newspaper or your favorite trade journals, but the type of information that we generate on a day to day basis with our digital devices. There was a time when a concept like "offsite data backup" was relegated to the geeks in IT at Fortune 500 companies?
That time is gone.
With mission critical data stacking up in both our professional and private lives more and more every day ANYONE who uses a computer should think about the safety and security of that data. And it's not just geeks and big companies generating large amounts of important information. The average computer user is doing more than just word processing nowadays. Email, spreadsheets, financial data, personal music collections, movies, and more are digitally encoded onto the hard drives of millions of regular computer users just like you every day. How many of them do you think have considered what it would be like to LOSE IT ALL?
But today even the casual computer user has the ability to ensure the security and safety of their critical data. Online backup (or remote backup) solutions are available and within the reach of even the novice computer user. Many offsite backup solutions are as easy to configure as a web browser or media player software and can be installed and set up in a matter of minutes. Better yet, these online backup solutions can be set up to function in a completely transparent manner (that is, once you install and configure the application you don't have to touch it again, sometimes called "set and forget"). Backups can be scheduled to occur at intervals you choose or can be invoked manually before performing a risky computer operation such as updating your operating system or adding a new hardware device.
Nowadays we all have data that we want to preserve and ensure it's usefulness to us, and if you are serious about protecting your data you should seriously consider an offline secure backup solution.
Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it!

How Secure Are Online Data Backups?

Processing DATA is what all businesses do. Protecting data is what SMART businesses do. Smart businesses understand that if they lose their data they lose their business.
If you are considering taking steps to ensure the integrity and safety of your important computer data you may be concerned about the security involved when dealing with such a task. When considering a third party such as an online secure data backup solution there are a few things to consider:
For starters, it is critical that your data be secure not only while in the possession of a third party but also while in transit to them. Most modern online secure data backup providers make there services available via the Internet and will provide you with the necessary software to back up a predefined set of your critical data, which is then encrypted (typically up to 448 bit), before it is transferred over a high speed connection to a secure data storage facility. By securing your data before transferring it over the Internet, you can be assured that your sensitive data (such as financial reports, company memos, and client databases) are safe from prying eyes. For ultra-critical, or highly sensitive applications, the data may be transferred over a completely encrypted channel (also known as an encrypted "tunnel" or virtual private network). If you will be backing up sensitive data that demands the utmost of privacy be sure to inquire about the level of encryption offered by the online secure data backup you are considering.
When considering a remote data backup vendor you should also take into consideration the facilities in which your sensitive data will be physically stored. In addition to encryption technology other things to be on the lookout for are fully secure facilities, biometric security systems, facility lockout policies, and human security. Depending on the level of security you need there are many levels of protection for your data that can be provided by remote data backup companies.
Be sure to do your research and investigate the track record and reputation of the online data backup company you are considering doing business with and never hesitate to ask questions when it comes to ensuring the security of your mission critical confidential data.
Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it!