Data Recovery Articles & Case Studies

Physical media damage is not a visual yes-or-no diagnosis. A scratched or damaged platter is only one part of the recovery equation. The affected surface, the corresponding head, Service Area accessibility, firmware-level control and the condition of the...

A continuously clicking hard drive is often assumed to have failed read/write heads. That is a reasonable starting point, but it is not a complete diagnosis. This Western Digital VelociRaptor case demonstrates why the...

If you have ever had an SD card suddenly stop working, you probably know the usual routine. Try it in the camera again, try another card reader, try another computer, and when absolutely nothing...

Have you tried buying a hard drive lately? If you have, you may have noticed something strange. Drives that used to feel cheap and boring are suddenly not so cheap anymore. A basic 1TB...

Before getting into this, I need to clarify something. I am not saying backups are useless, and I am definitely not saying people should not have them. If anything, most people still do not...

Most of us treat saved files like they’re set in stone — click Save, close the program, and it should be there forever. Except sometimes it isn’t. Maybe you open an old photo and...

Many people assume that magnetic tapes like LTO, DVS, and similar formats are used the same way as hard drives. That is the biggest misconception I see, and it is usually the reason why...

What Is a Hard Drive Service Area? Ever heard of a Hard Drive Service Area (SA) on a hard drive? Most people haven’t — yet it’s quietly one of the most vital components of...