Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! By Paul Kurivchack March 14, 2005

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 2 Before Disaster Strikes! Back up your data files. Manual Data Backup Burn CD-ROM or DVD Data Disks Copy Data Files to 2 nd Physical Hard Drive If on a Home Network –Another PC or File Server Copy Data Files to External Device USB Hard Drives ZIP Disks

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 3 Before Disaster Strikes! Back up your data files Automatic Data Backup Use Backup Software to automate the backup procedure on a fixed schedule. Commercial products from Symantec/Veritas & others There is also a wide range of shareware and small developer companies that produce backup software that can be downloaded from PC Support sites such as Cnet, ITpro, PC Mag, etc.

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 4 Before Disaster Strikes! Back up your data files Imaging & Deployment Software Symantec’s GHOST 9.0 Complete Hard Drive Backup for transfer to a new hard drive or re-image. Hard Drive Cloning Software – Various Vendors

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 5 Before Disaster Strikes! IBM ThinkVantage Solution Rapid Restore & Recovery IBM Rescue and Recovery™ is a one-button solution that includes a set of self recovery tools to help users diagnose, get help and recover from a software crash, even if the primary operating system will not boot. It helps with everything from complete software failure to occasions when you need only to restore a corrupted or deleted file. Available as a free download for both IBM & Other PC’s

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 6 Remember, Develop a Backup Plan Before It’s Too Late!

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 7 But what if I have no backup? What are my options!

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 8 Hard Drive Data Recovery Computer users and many experts often consider lost data permanently destroyed, with no hope of recovery. And because much of the information about data loss is complex, inconsistent or inaccurate, it's not surprising that data loss and data recovery are some of the most confusing and misunderstood concepts.

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 9 Hard Drive Data Recovery Findings indicate that in most cases, data is recoverable – no matter what the circumstance. So never assume your valuable data can't be recovered. Always check with a qualified data recovery expert before determining what to do when data loss has occurred. Remember that Data Recovery can be Very Expensive!

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 10 Perceptions of Data Loss (Ontrack) The chart below clearly represents the complexities and differing perceptions of data loss between what customer’s believe caused their loss and the impact of the loss versus what our engineers actually discover once they evaluate each situation. These findings reinforce the complexities of data loss. Causes of Data Loss:Customer’s PerceptionOntrack Data Recovery Findings Human Error11%26% Computer Viruses2%4% Natural Disasters1%2% Effects of Data Loss: Hardware or System Problem78%56% Software Corruption or Program Problem 7%9%

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 11 Hard Drive Data Recovery Options OS Corruption Run the Windows OS Repair Tools found on the CD Run Third Party Repair Tools SystemSuite Norton SystemWorks Hard Drive Mechanic PC Doctor ERD Commander Other Shareware apps

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 12 Hard Drive Data Recovery Options OS Corruption Pull the Hard Drive from the PC and place as the second drive of a known working system. Recover the data to another location Re-image the hard drive and install all the applications

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 13 Hard Drive Data Recovery Options Tools to Use Use a open IDE connection of the host PC Best for 3.5” IDE Hard Drives External USB to IDE Hard Drive Case For both 2.5” or 3.5” Hard Drives

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 14 Hard Drive Data Recovery Options Tools to Use EZ-gig Data Transfer Device for Laptop Drives Disaster Recovery - Simple one step recovery process You can be back up and running in no time at all· No reloading the operating system No need to format, load OS and load software

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 15 Hard Drive Data Recovery Software OnTrack EasyRecovery Pro Ontrack® EasyRecovery™ software is a comprehensive collection of essential tool components designed to help you quickly and easily diagnose your system, recover inaccessible data, and repair corrupt files. Accidentally deleted files Formatted or fdisked partitions Virus outbreaks Application damage or corruption Make Emergency Boot Diskette of Data Recovery tools

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Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 19 EasyRecovery Pro Select the Files to Recover The files are then recovered and saved to a pre-determined location for transfer back to the new hard drive

Princeton PC Users Group Hard Drive Disaster! 20 EasyRecovery In Action!