DR specialists weigh-in wanted!

R

RolandJS

New member
I posted this snippit, I'm asking for input from DR specialists to help me understand the whats and whys of an end-user doing the thing right before shipping HD to a DR company.

Long story short:
-- during a crisis, an end-user wants his/her Data (and/or OS) back
-- some data recovery folks recommend an end-user, in a crisis, assume imminent HD physical failure,
therefore they recommend the end-user operates as though one has only a couple of hours or part of a day -- those same folks recommend an end-user stop, breathe, wait for expert help and advice, do not throw several "software solution hope-fors" at the HD; because that:
-- often leads to a much harder, longer, more expensive, data recovery operations

Two tidbits from "first response":
what could be done by an end-user prior to doing "everything", and
Potentially right and proper things that could be done by an end-user in the midst of an OS and/or Data crisis depend largely upon things done by the end-user long before any such crisis.

My first attempt at a tiny while paper fell flat
http://collegecafe.fr.yuku.com/topic/13 ... ices-exper
I'm hoping to get an education from DR specialists before trying a tiny white paper again!
[A following poster alerted me that my original link was bad! Now, I hope this fixes it!]
** I was wanting to post this in the Chat room, however, it is locked.
And my request really does not fit into the other forums. **
 
LarrySabo

LarrySabo

Member
Hello, @RollandJS. Your link is incomplete. It sends me to a Terms of Service page. Perhaps one needs to be registered on your forum to access the whitepaper?
 
Jared

Jared

Administrator
Staff member
The first step in any case where important data is lost, should always be duplication of the original sectors. That way if anything is ever to go wrong during the data recovery process you've got a fallback copy. Only after a complete clone is made should logical operations such as scanning using data recovery software be performed.

That having been said, it's not uncommon for inexperienced users and even computer repair techs to mess up during the data duplication phase and ruin the chance for recovery. Also, many computer guys are too lazy to properly make a clone first and they start immediately working off the only copy. It's not uncommon for them to assume that a case is just logical corruption when in fact it's a case of hardware that's starting to fail. So this laziness ends up killing the drive before any data is actually saved or backed up.

If the data is semi-important and budget is more important, then it might be worth trying to DIY or allow the local PC repair tech to do it. However, if it's data that can't be replaced or has very high financial consequences it's often best to go directly to an experienced data recovery center. Sadly, too many computer repair techs don't actually discuss the importance of the data before they start messing around. Often, this leads to irreplaceable data being permanently lost when it could have been recovered for just a few hundred dollars. I've seen quite a few angry customers who were never properly given options for recovery before their local guy destroyed all hope.
 
R

RolandJS

New member
Jared, if I give you full credit at the beginning and at the end, may I quote your post in 2-3 forums and in college cafe where my thread is the strongest?
 
Jared

Jared

Administrator
Staff member
RolandJS":29aciel0 said:
Jared, if I give you full credit at the beginning and at the end, may I quote your post in 2-3 forums and in college cafe where my thread is the strongest?
Click to expand...

Go for it.
 
R

RolandJS

New member
Because of the wealth of information provided by data recovery folks in numerous forums on The 'Net,
I have these two threads [along with a few others elsewhere] for the purpose of passing on your wisdom
and experience, passing on your advice and ideas.

http://collegecafe.fr.yuku.com/topic/13 ... ices-exper
college cafe's Computer Technologies;
Thread title: First Response Restore and Recovery ideas, beliefs, practices, experiences

https://www.dost-tech.com/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=730
Dost-Tech's Microsoft Windows Support; subGroup: Backup, Restore, Recovery; Ext/Int FD&HD MGT
Thread title: First Response restore and recovery ideas, beliefs, practices, experiences

Anyone, everyone, is very much welcomed to add content, add comments, ask questions, etc.
Those threads hopefully will awaken end-users who are in any sort of data loss crisis, to consider
-- data recovery concepts and practices
-- restoration and copy-back concepts and practices
as a Unified Whole rather than linear parts and parcels.

Also, rather than over and over printing a post in numerous threads across The 'Net, I'm going to print the vast majority of "rollerstoller"-generated stuff in two threads in those two forums. You all can from time to time visit the above two and see additional stuff.
 
R

RolandJS

New member
First Responses before, during, after OS or Data loss crises.

** Those with Dynamic, RAID, SSD, or 3GB+ setups -- seek advice from those specialists. **

A few good "first responses" PRIOR to any OS and/or Data loss crisis
AND
A few good "first responses" AFTER any OS and/or Data loss crisis
-- using Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper, EaseUS Todo, or anything similar, free or pay-for:
---- routinely make full image backups of one's OS and Data onto affordable and reliable external media; or
---- routinely make a clone of your OS and Data hard-drive onto another reliable hard-drive
---- make usb and dvd boots with your backup/restore utility of choice
[if no cd/dvd device in laptop, if affordable, get a usb cd/dvd device]

During any of the following situations, these three first responses may be best:
1) chill 2) breathe 3) chill

During any file or files deletion loss
If Windows works, if Recycle Bin works - check for any deleted file(s) you want to un-delete.
If Windows works, if you have a 3rd party un-delete program, check that bucket.

During any Windows not working crisis
If no Windows,
OR
During any partition(s) not found crisis
If no partition(s),
Boot backup/restore/cloning utility usb or dvd,
[if no cd/dvd device in laptop, if affordable, get a usb cd/dvd device] and:
-- if possible, make a one-pass DIY clone onto an external HD; or
-- if possible, make a one-pass DIY full image of the hard-drive onto any affordable and reliable external media
-- wait patiently, in whichever forum you're in, for expert advice and help; or
-- if affordable, take it to a local computer fix-it place/specialist and let him/her help you; or
-- if affordable, if possible, send the hard-drive to a data recovery place

During any hard-drive not found crisis
If no hard-drive access, it's mostly either a physical failing or a "logical" failing
There is a fork in the road, you choose which tine, which path, you believe is best --
1) Boot backup/restore/cloning utility usb or dvd,
[if no cd/dvd device in laptop, if affordable, get a usb cd/dvd device] and:
-- if possible, make a one-pass DIY clone onto an external HD; or
-- if possible, make a one-pass DIY full image of the hard-drive onto any affordable and reliable external media
OR
-- wait patiently, in whichever forum you're in, for expert advice and help; or
-- if affordable, take it to a local computer fix-it place/specialist and let him/her help you; or
-- if affordable, if possible, send the hard-drive to a data recovery place

Making a DIY one-pass clone or full image means:
-- the process reads or tries to read each sector only once, there is no re-reading, re-trying any sector
-- the process is started and run, without interruption, to completion
-- when the process "says" it is finished, it is finished and the 2ndCopy HD is put away for safe-keeping
-- if the process interrupts itself at any time or point, the process is finished, the 2ndCopy HD is put away
AND
-- wait patiently, in whichever forum you're in, for expert advice and help before continuing; or
-- if affordable, take it to a local computer fix-it place/specialist and let him/her help you; or
-- if affordable, if possible, send the hard-drive to a data recovery place

This is as far I can go for this article. I'm hoping data restoration and data recovery specialists
will weigh in with their advice and practicals in future articles.

If you want to see snippits, elsewhere-posted comments of data recovery folks far wiser than I,
gathered from across The 'Net, see my itty bitty place's backup,restore...thread.
 
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