When it comes to hard disk recovery, the best method is to insure that
you will never need it. Besides making frequent backups, the following
measures will keep your system running smoothly.
Antivirus Protection
New viruses are invented every day, and system security is a concern
for every business. Malicious software can damage your system to the
point where it will not even boot up. The latest versions of Windows
are the favorite targets of malicious programs such as spyware and
viruses, and it is helpful to use 2 or more antivirus/anti-spyware
programs to prevent destruction or theft of your data.
Spyware Scanner
The clues that spyware is on a computer include a barrage of pop-up
ads, a hijacked browser,a sudden or even repeated change of your
computer’s Internet home page, the appearance of a new toolbar or new
screen icons, malfunctioning keys, random error messages, and most of
all, sluggish computer performance. Any sytem with access to the
internet is prone to this problem, but there is software to block
spyware installation. In addition, make sure all employees using the
office network do not download from unknown sites, and set your
internet browser security at "Medium" or higher. Install individual
firewalls to prevent uninvited users from accessing your network. A
firewall blocks unauthorized access to your computer and will alert you
if spyware already on your computer is sending information out.
Purchase an anti-spyware program from a vendor you know and trust. Set
it to read on a regular basis, at least weekly and if possible each
time you run your computer. Delete any programs the anti-spyware
program detects on your computer.
Computer Maintenance
The best way to avoid having to use file recovery software is to be
sure that no corrupt data is stored on your computer. Companies like
Norton sell disk optimization programs keep your network running at top
speed, correct problem files and maximize the available space on your
hard disk. Run disk optimization and anti-virus programs at least once
a week.
Hard Disk Recovery
There are disk recovery applications specifically geared to recovering
files of a certain format, like graphics files as opposed to word
document files, and there are general-purpose programs to hunt for any
type of misplaced file regardless of the format. There is no program on
the market that can guarantee recovery of every lost file, but you are
able to increase your chances for recovery by selecting the appropriate
program for the file you are trying to save.
Do-it-yourself programs are a lot less expensive than hiring a data
retrieval company that specializes in information recovery, and to save
money you should at least attempt to utilize of this type of program
before calling a professional.
In addition to recovering deleted files, there exists information
recovery programs that can restore files after you have formatted the
drive, after a power failure, natural disaster, or even files damaged
by a computer virus.
RAID
RAID is short for Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive)
Disks, a category of disk drives that employ 2 or even several drives
in combination to improve data storage fault tolerance and performance.
RAID disk drives are frequently installed on servers but can also run
on individual computers. Because of the duplication of data, it is
possible to recover files from one or another disk when the need arises.
As you might expect, RAID disk repair is quite a complicated process.
However it is one of the most foolproof methods of data storage because
the RAID architecture strategically distributes information randomly
across the array. However, this sort of architecture demands the
services of a recovery professional.
