Your data and program files are usually stored inside your computer in a component known as the hard drive. Data recovery deals only with retrieving your data files, since the programs you use can always be reinstalled from the original software cd.

A hard drive is spinning at very high speeds so that your information and program files can be retrieved quickly. Due to their always moving nature, hard drives have a greater failure rate than other computer parts. Many users fail to backup their files or make an extra copy because they ignore how to do that or it simply gets neglected in favor of other more pressing tasks. Backing up files takes time and it does not seem to provide any immediate benefit, but when a backup copy is needed it, it more than pays to have access again to your

• Documents
• Pictures
• Databases
• Quickbooks company files
• Outlook emails & contact information, etc.

How does a hard disk store information?
While a hard drive is usually composed of multiple round platters or disks to make this article more simple to understand, we are going to picture it with only a single platter. Keep in mind that information is actually stored in both sides of the platter.

The master boot record or MBR has the information that Windows needs in order to load or start up your computer. A failed MBR should not cause any of your data to get lost, only windows will be unable to start up.

The file allocation table or FAT is an index that contains the names and the location of all your program and data files. Just the same way a book can be read even when the index is destroyed your files could be retrieved when the FAT is damaged. This kind of operation requires special knowledge and tools.

The Data area, is the part of the drive where the actual program and data files are kept, it is the most important area. When a file is deleted by Windows, the file itself does not get destroyed instead the entry for this file is removed from the FAT. By doing this Windows ensures that this area can be used to store new files. When new files overwrite the area previously occupied by a deleted one, the one just deleted can no longer be recovered, unless it was a big file and only part of it got overwritten. For all practical purposes once a deleted file gets overwritten it is gone. Very rarely is a partial file usable.

More information about deleted files. Windows itself creates temporary files while it is operating, so do Internet browsing and most other computer activities, this means that a deleted file has the potential to be permanently erased at any moment beyond any chance of recovery. The safest thing to do if you need to recover files is to turn off computer and consult a specialist.

Your files are at risk from different sources, mechanical failure, user errors, and viruses. Your best protection is to backup, before disaster strikes, to an external device such as a flash drive, an external hard drive, a writable CD or DVD.

Data recovery is best left to experienced computer technicians. An error could cause further damage and decrease the chances of getting your data back. Make sure to contact us first for any of your data recovery needs.