A Data Recovery case for a customer

Data Recovery

We perform data recovery from internal or external mass storage media (SSDs, HDDs, USB drives, SD flash memory cards, CDs, DVDs) that are experiencing data access problems.

A few days ago, we had to recover files from a hard drive that was not recognized by the operating system. The client needed the data because they didn’t have a backup (we can also help you set up backup systems: on-site, remote, cloud, or hybrid).

Using specialized systems and equipment for detecting hard drive errors, we performed the first step to extract as much data as possible. This involved accessing the raw data without requiring a functioning file system, since in this case, the first sectors of the disk were damaged, rendering the logical file structure unusable.

This process is slow, and although we were able to recover most of the data, some files were lost.

In this stage, an attempt is made to recover the information while trying to maintain the original hierarchical organization structure and folders. However, in some cases, because these details were located in the damaged sectors, some of the recovered files end up grouped in random clusters with strange names, lacking extensions to identify the file type, and missing other attributes they previously had, such as permissions, ownership, or creation and last modification dates.

Another possibility is to recover files that had been deleted and restore them for reuse.

Once these recovered files are saved to another secure storage medium, the second stage begins: detecting, enumerating, and marking damaged sectors on the hard drive. An attempt is also made to recover information stored in these sectors, a low-level process that can take several days, depending on the size and physical condition of each drive.

In this case, no further recovery was possible.

Note that marking damaged sectors can, in some cases, contribute to a subsequent series of partitions with a file system that allows the hard drive to be used on a computer and thus be used again (Linux, Windows, Mac). However, we know it has problems, these are problems detected by the operating system, and it will generate constant warning logs about the damaged state of the drive. Therefore, it will definitely not be reliable. This should only be done in special cases, because the actual recommendation would be the secure erasure of data so that it can never be recovered and the decommissioning of this drive by replacing it with a new one.

Finally, the hard drives are delivered to the client: a new one with the recovered information and the old drive. A report and recommendations are provided.

In cases where the client cannot acquire a new mass storage medium to save the recovered data, we can offer an external hard drive rental service so that they can temporarily relocate their data to another computer in the meantime.

We can also securely store your data in our cloud, with restricted access for the client only. This data can be encrypted upon request, providing additional integrity beyond the security and access control we already offer.

Contact us with a brief description of your situation. We’ll follow up, discuss your needs, and propose a course of action.