How to Prevent Data Loss: Beware of Hard Disk Drive Clicking Sound

Hard disk drive is a key component for a functioning computer. Due to its delicate structure and critical importance, caution is advise when handling hard disk drives. Failed hard disk drives are the primary cause of data loss.One of the early signs of a failing HDD is the clicking sound.

What Caused the Clicking Sound?

Some clicking sound are normal.The read/write head of a hard disk drive is mounted on the actuator arm and moves back and forth to access files across sectors of the platter. Different models of HDD make different clicking sound and if your HDD has been making clicking sound and appears to be functioning correctly then these clicking sound may be the natural working sound of your drive.

If you are hearing unusually loud clicking sound, there is great chance that the read/write head is about to worn out and unable to function normally after a long time of service. It also could be a design/manufacturing defect. A malfunctioning read/write head is unable to access data correctly and will move back to its original position to try again. This process rapidly repeats thereby making the clicking noise.

If the read/write head fails completely and you cannot access any data, you may need to bring it to a professional data recovery company where the experts may try the following:

Step 1. Open up the HDD case in a class 100 dust- and static-free cleanroom to determine the cause of malfunction.

Step 2. Swap a new head that matches the original model and make fine adjustments.

Step 3. Begin the process of disk cloning. This is the most crucial part and requires advanced tools and expertise. Depending on the level of damage, this process could last from minutes to days.

Step 4. Data recovery and re-organize. This is the last part where data are recovered from a cloned disk. Depending on data size, time needed for this process vary from minutes to several hours.

It is highly recommended to cease using the HDD when unusual clicking noises appear and backup important data when you still can access data, or send it to professional hard drive recovery companies for more secured solution. 

The clicking sound may also be caused by scratched or damaged platter. Learn more about data recovery from scratched platter. 

Data Recovery: Files Lost After Defragmentation

Fragmentation occurs naturally on HDDs when we create, modify or deleting files. It is because the file system allocates parts of a file in noncontinuous clusters in order to reuse chunks of unused storage sectors. 

For example, when we deleted an old file, the storage space it used to take will be marked as available and will be overwritten with new files when needed. These separated pieces of data are generally called "fragments". File fragments will in time slow data access, cause undesired file corruption or random system crashes.

What is defragmentation and what does it do?

Defragmentation is the process of physically reorganizing files into fewer fragments or into the whole file. Regularly defragment can benefit your hard drives in the following ways:

1. Reduce the read/write head seek times

Electromechanical  disk drives move the read/write head over different areas for fragments in order to access the whole file. Defragmentation will make files easier to access and applications will run more efficient and faster.

2. Extend your hard drive life

As is pointed out above, electromechanical drives rely on the read/write head movement to access files. Less fragments mean less travel distance, thereby less taxing on the mechanical parts.

3. Prevent potential data loss

Defragmentation can detect bad sectors that could lead to file corruption or loss if you have data saved on them.

What should I do when files accidentally get deleted during defragmentation?

Files may get accidentally deleted during defragmentation as the system moves files around and attempts to repair bad sectors. But this doesn't mean your files are lost forever. Use professional data recovery software to recovery your data. Hdata Recovery Software is designed to handle all kinds of data-lost situations. Check our website for download and more information.

Data Recovery: How to Recover Files Lost in Cut and Paste

Sometimes people use cut and paste to move files around. But accidents do happen. When the transfer process goes wrong, files seem to have disappeared into oblivion. Is there a way to retrieve files lost in cut and paste?

What happens when we cut and paste?

When we select a file and "cut" it, it will be move from its original place into "clipboard". "Clipboard" data are stored in random-access memory (RAM),  a volatile type of memory that retains the data only when the power is on. This is why the clipboard is always empty when a computer is restarted. 

What to do when we lose files using cut and paste?

First and foremost, never put anything new into that partition. "Cut" functions similarly to "delete". When a file is cut, rather than being deleted permanently, it is marked as inaccessible and waits for being overwritten by new files. Chances are when you put new files into that partition, parts or even all of the previously cut file would be covered with new data, causing file corruption or a complete loss.

Solution for files lost in cut and paste

Use a professional data recovery software to retrieve your lost files! Hdata Recovery Software with its easy-to-use interface can be applied to all kinds of complicated data lost situation like how to recover data from formatted hard drives and how to find lost files when using cut and paste.

After you have downloaded and installed Hdata Recovery Software, it's just a few clicks away from recovering your missing files.

Step 1. Launch your Hdata Recovery Software and click on "Deleted Your files Accidentally"

Step 2. Select a partition where you lost your data. In this case, select (C:) because usually files deleted from the Recycle Bin are stored in (C:). Then click on "Next".

Step 3. Wait till the scan finishes and choose the files you wish to recover. Click on "Next" to wrap up the process. Then you will have your files back! 

Some tips when moving files

To avoid any trouble, use copy and paste when moving important files, or back up your files before transfering. Cut and paste is faster only when you transfer files within the same partition, because only directories are changed.  Using cut and paste to transfer files across partitions takes as much time as using copy and paste.

Hope above infomation helps if you are struggling to find your lost cut files. You can download Hdata Recovery Software here.

Hard drive data recovery: can you recover data from a scratched platter?

Recovering data from damaged platter has always been challenging since a platter is where data in your hard drive are stored. Damage to the platter literally means damage to your data. But is it possible to salvage files from a scratched platter?

what are the causes of scratched platters?

A normal hard disk platter looks smooth as a mirror, its the magnetic surface been divided into sub-micrometer-sized magnetic regions, each representing a binary unit. 

Scratches on a platter destroy magnetic regions along with data within them, which causes corruption of files.

The most common cause of a scratched platter is the read/write head failure. Under normal working condition, the magnetic head floats above the spinning platter with a “flying height” as small as 3 nano-meters. It leaves the platter and goes back to its rest position when power is down. But a sudden motion of the disk may cause the head unable to maintain the floating position and crashes into the platter. 

Besides, a defective head is also a possible cause of platter damaging.

Can you still recover data from scratched platters?

Whether you can recover data from scratched hard drive or not depends on the scratches.You may send your hard drive to a professional data recovery company to have it fully examined, because to open up a hard drive requires a dust- and static-free clean laboratory. 

If there are very little circular marks, most data can be recovered by reading around the scratches. But do expect some degree of data loss. However if the platter is severely damaged with wide path of scraps, no current data recovery technology can restore the lost data. 

Don't take unnecessary risks by attempting to swap a new head to an already scratched platter. It can be both difficult and risky, as the uneven surface can cause the head to deteriorate faster which in return would cause further damage to the magnetic data. 

To minimize loss, it is rather important to have trained and experienced experts to look into your hard drive, preferably at the first sign of damage(suspicious clicking or screeching sound).

The best hard drive recovery software ever

Partition table is a very important component in the computer. It will lead to serious consequences if the partition table got trouble. Once the partition table is missing or damaged, our computer may not be able to use, or use normally. So how to fix this problem? How to restore the partition table? Now we are going to talk about that.

First of all we need to know what is the partition table? Partition table can divide the large data table in our computer into a bunch of smaller ones, and support the normal work of the hard disk. If the hard disk lost the partition table, the data can not be read in accordance with the order and write, and it can not be operated.

Once the general partition table got damaged, the computer will show prompt notice, saying" Non-System disk or disk error, replace disk and press a key to reboot", "Error Loading Operating System"or "No ROM Basic, System Halted".

So why the partition table got data loss or damaged?

First, the partition table failure caused by virus. 

Computer virus damage is a big problem, the general computer virus is one of the most typical cause that lead to the partition table failure. For example, a typical variant of the CIH virus not only attack the motherboard BIOS, but also got the destruction of the partition table. And a lot of boot sector virus will also damage the partition table directly.

Second, the partition table failure caused by the environmental problems.

Currently Windows systems and XP are support NTFS file format, and the program is the default file system to install this format. If you partition the hard disk or accidents happens while partitioning NTFS partition, it will lead to power outages or crash, then the partition table may be damaged, and the hard disk data may even got lost.

Third, the partition table failure caused by human error operations.

If more than one operating system is installed on a computer, the partition table may fail when uninstalled. Such as the installation of Windows7 and Windows10 on the same computer, directly delete any one program may cause partition table errors. At the same time, if you do not delete the extended partition first when you delete the partition, instead you directly delete the primary partition, that will lead to the partition label volume failure.

Fourth, the partition table failure caused by the hardware damage.

Error on hard disk or a number of computer components can also lead to failure of the partition table.

So how to restore the partition table?

In general, we choose different recovery methods in specific situations. For example, due to data loss caused by the virus, you can download anti-virus software; and if it is man-made misuse, you can download a data recovery software to repair, like HData Recovery Software.

Analysis of RAID Faults and data recovery on hard drive

While mobile hard disk is nothing out of the ordinary, few people knows the existence of "disk array", an important component in hard disk. In fact, the “disk array” means a number of disk in accordance with a certain form and program organization, with its abbreviation of RAID.

In the form of RAID, the disk can get higher speed, better stability and greater storage capacity than a single hard disk. As a general user, we never care about how many disks needed to make up a “disk array”, but we have to know what should we do if there are some small RAID failures.

RAID can provide PC system with three excellent performance.

First, the greater storage space. Compared with a single hard drive, a combination of hard drive can provide more storage space, allowing users to store more data.

Second, faster transmission speed. Due to the multiple hard drive combinations, the transmission speed will be promoted to higher level and enjoy faster transmission speed.

Third, higher safety features. Multiple hard disk array increase the difficulty of being cracked, and the hard disk will get higher security performance.

Normally, RAID failures are divided into software failures and hardware failures.

First, the software failures.

1. Information loss in RAID disk array card as a sudden power cut off.

2. Unreadable data or data loss caused by reconfiguration of the RAID array information.

3. Sudden configuration error in the disk sequence.

4. Data loss caused by mistakenly operations of formatting or partitioning hard disk, deleting, copying or decrypting files, or even virus infection.

5. Error operations of rebuild array or array expansion.

Second, the hardware failures.

1.RAID are generally composed of several hard drives, and the data may not able to read as single hard disk failure.

2.Bad sectors in RAID or a single disk disk disk will also result in data loss, and this kind of data loss has a relatively high data recovery rate.

3. In general, RAID array consisted of multiple hard drives, it can still run if only one or part of a single hard disk damaged, but if there are more than two failures, it will lead to serious problems.

General speaking, if the problem was caused by software failures, we can use a data recovery software for data recovery, like Hdata Recovery Software.

Note that, type in new data to the hard drive is forbidden after data loss, as that may lead to data overwritten and partly data restoration. Mean while, as the complex configuration of RAID, the recovery software is not everything. You must immediately find a professional data recovery institution for help if the lost data still can’t be recovered after using a data recovery software.

The ordinary users can’t fix the hardware failures by themselves, the best choice is take your PC and go to the professional data recovery center for help.

Things you have to know about data recovery

Data recovery is very important in nowadays. As it will cost a big loss if data loss happened on individuals or companies. Now we will talk about those common sense of data recovery.

First, things you should pay attention to during the data recovery procedure.

1. Do not write new data to the source disk, as the secondary damage of data aroused by error operation will lead to data recovery difficulty.

2. Do not format the partition again. After the user’s first formatting, the partition type got changed and that result in data loss. When you suffered from data loss and the general software can not scan the original directory format, you may format the partition again into its original type, then scan the data.

3. Do not restore the recovered data to the source disk. Many users may restore the recovered files to its original directory, that will destruct the original data.

4. Do not rebuild the partition. When the partition table has destroyed or deleted, if you use the partition table to reconstruct or create the partition, the original partition file allocation table or file table is very easy to be destroyed, and that will cause difficulty to data restoration .

5. Do not make array twice after the array has lost. Any writing operation will lead to the data loss.

6. Do not store new files on the partition. The best choice for you is to close the download tool, do not surf on the Internet, turn off the unnecessary applications, then scan the data. 

Second, things you should notice when you doing data process.

1. Do not cut the file. Sometimes you want to cut a directory to another disk, and that operation will cause troubles. The source disk data is gone, while the target disk has stored none data. It is better for you to copy the data to the target disk first, then delete the source disk directory file.

2. For the directory file has lots of partitions, do not defragment directly, because the disk defragmentation process may cause wrong operation, and the lost data is difficult to restore. Therefore, first copy the data to the other disk, and then format the disk to do the finishing disk, and then copy the data back.

3. Do not adjust the size of the partition arbitrarily. As it is easy to make mistakes during the partition adjusting process. Once got data loss or overwritten, it is very difficult for restore the data.

Pay attention, crate data backup for the important files. And find a professional data recovery engineer for data recovery when you got data loss.