Physical Media Damage – Is Data Recoverable From My Hard Drive?

1
Physical Media Damage Is Data
Recoverable From My Hard Drive?
Website h ttps//www.takingitmobile.com/
2
Physical media damage, a.k.a physical damages to
hard drives that can make data unrecoverable, is
something every computer user should know about
and take precautions against (especially if your
profession requires you to work with sensitive
information).
Causes for damage may include anything from
dropping your hard drive off the desk to having
one withstand fire and then being put out with
water which was then spilled on the hard drive
by the sprinklers. In this post, we will learn
the basics of physical damages and what it means
for the data on your hard drive. What is
Physical Media Damage? The term physical media
damage, or PMD, is used to differentiate from
data corruption which can occur on media that
physically is in good condition. PMD may occur in
other storage mediums such as CDs and DVDs, Zip
disks, and magnetic tapes often used in
enterprise backup systems. Our engineers have
experience in all these areas. How Can This
Happen to a Hard Disk Drive? Inside a hard disk
drive are moving parts that are made to operate
at extremely tight tolerances. Any disruption to
these mechanics can lead to operational failure,
but not necessarily data loss. Though its
easier to imagine damage from dropping a hard
drive on a concrete floor, PMD may occur from
overheating or even from normal usage. All
Website h ttps//www.takingitmobile.com/
3

• mechanical devices have a lifespan, hence
  redundancy (RAID systems with multiple drives)
  and regular backups in mission-critical systems.
• How to Identify Physical Damage in a Hard Disk
  Drive?
• Some warning signs may be similar at first to
  data corruption (which our experts can also help
  with) and may include more sounds coming from
  somewhere they shouldnt.
• Computer or server failing to boot or not
  operating as normal
• Delays when opening files
• Data access error messages, or system locking up
• Clicking noises on data access a typical pattern
  includes pauses, followed by the drive stopping
  and restarting again
• Silence. No spin-up. No vibration. Nothing to
  indicate operation
• Is the Data Recoverable?
• The answer depends on the severity of the damage.
  Make and model of the drive also are a factor.
  Once inside the cleanroom, an engineer will open
  the drive for assessment.
• Minor crashes are barely apparent to the naked
  eye. If the damage is in the system area, the
  drive may not become ready and accessible as
  before, but the chances are that the data is
  still recoverable.
• Visible damage may indicate a drive is
  unrecoverable. However, experienced engineers
  may be able to image the drive, making an exact
  copy sector by sector, reconstructing the file
  structure, and rebuilding links to data.
  Extraction of data is performed to external
  storage.

Website h ttps//www.takingitmobile.com/
4
What to do Next? If you believe your hard drive
to be damaged, turn it off immediately to avoid
further potential harm. Anytime you have a hard
drive fail, send the drive to an expert data
recovery company even if it feels like things
are not salvageable. Do not open the drive! Do
not bang it on the table and hope it starts
again. For any data recovery services, be it
hard disk drive PMD or data corruption, or other
media types, give us a call right away, and we
will step through some questions together and
determine the best plan for recovering your data!
For help recovering data from your d amaged hard
drive, please feel free to c ontact Taking I t
Mobile at 8 88.877.5002 (1-888-Call-TIM)
today! Find us on Yelp or B ing.
Source https//www.takingitmobile.com/physical-me
dia-damage- recoverable-hard-drive/
Website h ttps//www.takingitmobile.com/