Computing
There are Ways to Recover Damaged Data By
Jay Dougherty
Bad things can happen to good data. Hard drives can crash.
Memory cards can be formatted accidentally. CDs or DVDs on
which important files are stored can become scratched and
unreadable. But there are steps you can take to try to
retrieve damaged data.
The course you take will depend upon the type of media on
which the data is stored as well as how severe the damage
is.
If the scratches aren't deep, it's likely that you can at
least improve the playability of the disks simply by
cleaning them. Just mix up a solution of water and window
cleaner or other gentle detergent, such as baby shampoo.
Then use the solution to dampen a soft, lint-free cloth.
Use the dampened cloth to wipe the data side of the CD.
Sometimes what appear to be scratches are actually just
smudges, and these can often be removed in this fashion.
For more stubborn smudges and superficial scratches, another
homemade remedy can work wonders. First, locate the
scratches on the disk by looking at the data side at an
angle under a bright light. Then place a small bit of
toothpaste, which contains a gentle abrasive, on a cotton
swab. Use the cotton swab to gently scrub the disk in the
area where it's scratched.
After a few seconds of scrubbing, rinse the disk off with
water and then dry it with a soft cloth. You might want to
perform this entire operation in the bathroom, where you'll
usually have all the supplies - and light - that you need.
At a computer store, you'll find plenty of CD and DVD
cleaning kits. Some of these can be quite effective for
stubborn scratches. Generally these kits consist of one or
more cleaning solutions along with a micro-fibre cloth. Some
even automate the cleaning process for you. Don't expect
miracles, however: it's possible to scratch a disk beyond
any means of repair.
Sometimes you can't. Hard drives occasionally just go bad,
refusing to start up one day, either emitting a clicking
sound or no sound at all.
Other times, though, there are warning signs. If your hard
drive starts making noticeable clicking noises or you begin
to experience random data loss or have very slow drive
performance, a drive failure may be imminent. It's best to
begin copying all-important data off of the drive
immediately.
Sometimes shutting down your PC for a while or rebooting the
computer may eliminate the problem. But don't assume it
won't return. Take any opportunity to safeguard your data as
a gift, and start preparing to replace the drive.
Most drive manufacturers have drive diagnostic software
tools that are freely downloaded from the manufacturer's Web
site. These can run exhaustive diagnostic tests to determine
the health of a hard drive.
You can also try the free HDD Health utility, which should
work with all recent-vintage hard drives, regardless of
manufacturer. HDD Health uses the self-monitoring and
reporting technology (S.M.A.R.T) built in to all
recent-vintage hard drives - those made within the past few
years - to predict hard drive failure.
PhotoRescue has been around a long time now and has a good
reputation. It can recover photos that have become damaged
on flash cards, and it will even recover photographs from a
flash card that has been formatted. There are versions
available for Windows and Mac, and you can try it before you
buy it. A license is a reasonable $29.
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