Hard drive data loss occurs in a variety of different ways. User error, viruses, fires, storms, power surges, spyware and file corruption may all lead to data loss. Retrieving data from a hard drive that has crashed is data recovery. Most of the time you experience data loss, it will be necessary to consult a data recovery specialist, as most attempts at recovering your own data may damage your hard drive or make the data irretrievable at all.

Professional data recovery specialists have a variety of advanced and specific tools. In many instances, hard drive data retrieval involves substituting flawed parts in a “clean environment”.

No regular room cleaned by hand is a fit place to do data recovery. Even when nothing is visible in the air, contaminants still exist, and will cause permanent damage when coming into contact with the platters on a hard drive.

A class 100 “clean room” is a room full of high-powered air filters. The “100” means that less than one hundred microscopic contaminants per square foot of space. Any room with a greater number of contaminants probably won’t work for data recovery.

Clean rooms are very expensive to set up and support. The cost of a 300 square foot clean room is about $8,000 just to set up. Also, regular maintenance, and checkups are required to check for contaminants.

What are contaminants?

There are two main categories of surface contaminants that can destroy hard drive data. They produce defects in the miniature circuits used on the hard drive. Film contaminants are one kind. Film contaminants reduce coating adhesion on a chip. Particle contaminants measured at 0.5 microns or larger are the most dangerous.

Clean room environments must maintain proper procedures to keep out the most commonly known contaminates. This is a delicate and expensive process. The most common contaminates are: walls, floors and ceilings, air conditioning debris, room air and vapors, skin flakes, cosmetics, clothing debris, friction particles, brooms, mops and dusters, bacteria, organics, and moisture, floor finishes, cleaning chemicals, silicon chips, clean room debris, and metal particles.

For most people, the cost, maintenance, and trouble associated with acquiring the tools necessary for data recovery are prohibitive, and that’s why data recovery specialists are really the best answer when you find yourself with corrupt files, lost photographs, destroyed business critical data, or missing academic work.

Once you’ve exhausted all methods of retrieving your data from your operating system interface, your next step is to call an experienced professional​ in the data recovery field. In most cases, they are the only people with the tools and qualifications necessary to properly recovery your important data.

Call 866.575.9512 or Contact Us to learn more.

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Jason Dick,

Northwest Computer Support