The 4 Most Common Causes of Data Loss
The frequency of data loss incidents has been on the rise recently, despite improvements and cost reductions in data storage media. In addition, with the increased storage capacity of hard drives today, a considerably large amount of data can be stored on just one hard drive, making the consequences of a single damaged drive that much more critical.
With that in mind, here are the leading causes of data loss and what you can do to help protect your data from them.
1. Hardware Malfunctions.
This is the most common cause of lost or corrupted data. Due to mechanical failure, system malfunctions or simple wear and tear, the hard drive stops functioning as it should and your data becomes lost or corrupted. This type of failure manifests itself in problems such as controller or electrical failure or a problem with the read/write heads on the drive.
Common symptoms of a hardware malfunction include:
- Some of your files mysteriously go missing.
- Grinding, clicking or other unusual noises coming from your hard drive.
- Your hard drive stops spinning.
- The system BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) no longer recognizes the hard drive.
The best way to protect against hardware malfunctions is to keep your computer in a relatively cool, dry environemnt, away from high traffic areas. You should do you best to prevent any physical jarring of the computer and use power surge protection. If you suspect that your hard drive is experiencing a mechanical malfunction, you should shut down your computer as soon as possible as continued use could result in further degradation of the disk and the loss of your data. If the disk is extensively damaged, you may not be able to recover your data even with the assistance of a professional.
2. Logical Errors.
Logical errors are caused by software corruption or computer viruses such as malware. This includes problems with your system configuration or corrupted files, boot sector viruses or file infecting viruses.
Signs that your hard drive may be experiencing logical errors include:
- Getting a number of memory error messages.
- Messages stating that your data is corrupted.
- Your computer "freezes" frequently.
- Files take an extremely long time to load or simply won't load at all.
- Unpredictable behaviour from your computer.
- A blank screen or the famous "Blue Screen of Death" or a stop error screen.
To protect against logical errors, the best defence is to use a good anti-virus program, and back up your files regularly. Only open email attachments from sources you know and trust, and be careful with diagnostic utilities - which can sometimes create more problems than they solve.
3. Human Error.
No one likes to admit it, but we all make mistakes, and this can be a significant contributor to incidents of data loss. Despite the best of intentions, sometimes we may delete files accidentally, make a formatting error, or even physically damage the computer as a result of an accidental drop or a conscious repair attempt - without the proper knowledge or tools.
When this happens, you'll find that data you've had no trouble accessing in the past mysteriously disappears, or you may get a "file not found" error message. If the damage was physical, you'll get symptoms similar to those of a hardware malfunction.
The best way to protect yourself against human error is to be vigilant and never attempt repairs that you are not fully confident you can complete. All but the simplest repairs (i.e. reinstalling a new battery in your laptop) should be done by a computer repair specialist. They have the knowledge, experience, tools and facilities to successfully complete any repairs you need. When in doubt defer to an experienced technician.
4. Natural Disasters.
Fortunately this doesn't happen every day, but nonetheless about 3% of all data loss events are caused by fires, floods or electrical "brownouts" or lightning strikes.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself from these eventualities is to store your backups in a different location than your machine, or use a web based backup system. This is particularly important if you live in an area that is prone to floods, earthquakes or extreme weather events.
When it comes to data loss, often the best defence is to simply be prepared and know how to handle these situations when they arise. It pays to have a backup plan in place that will protect you and your data in case of a data loss emergency.
If you do experience a data loss event, it's best to take your drive to a reputable company that specializes in data recovery. These service providers have the ability to give you the best possible chance to recover your lost data. Shop around, talk to a few different data recovery companies, and try to get the best deal in combination with excellent customer service, privacy protection, and most importantly – data recovery expertise.
Questions and Answers
Article Tags:
data loss
,hard drive
,data recovery
,logical errors
,data loss incidents
,data loss events
Data Loss and data recovery- file recovery tool to HDD repair tools- how to prevent data loss
Unfortunately, data loss is a relatively common occurrence. In fact, for most computer users it's almost inevitable that you will eventually experience some form of data loss incident that results in lost or corrupted computer files.
An Outlook .ost file is playing a major role in providing effective communication and managing user's data by Microsoft Outlook e-mail client.
The main issue with office based systems is the day-to-day running costs, with servers needing to be updated on a daily basis, and unless you employ an I.T. manager then running a server can be a costly business.
Accidently deleted your precious data from your iPod Classic? Don't panic. All you need is Photo Recovery for Win when you lose files from your iPod Classic. Follow this guide to do iPod classic recovery only by a few clicks.
Accidently deleted your precious files from your memory card? Don't panic. All you need is Photo Recovery for Win when you lose files from your card. Follow this guide to get back your card memory only by a few clicks.
Hard drives nowadays are becoming problematic and no matter whatever brand hard drive you use, it has been seen that clicking sounds are coming out of every second hard drive. If you think that you having a Hitachi, Seagate, western digital or any other hard drive would not cause this problem, then you are only in blue.
Hard drive failure can be a fact of life. Unfortunately, almost all hard drives will ultimately fail at some point. Sometimes they fail without any warning, you simply turn on your computer and it will not boot or you get the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death" that signals a catastrophic problem with your hard drive. But often, your computer will give you subtle and not so subtle signs that your hard drive is nearly the end of the line. Some of the mechanical components in your hard drive can fail g
Sooner or later most computer users will experience some form of data loss. Depending on the importance and relevancy of the data that has been lost, you may want to consider hiring a data recovery company to help you get your files and information back. In many cases, you can recover your lost data if you take the correct steps to protect your drive and your files from further damage. Data recovery specialists generally have a success rate of around 80-90% when recovering lost files.
One of the worst feelings computer users can have is the realization that their computer's hard drive has crashed, taking with it sensitive and valuable data. Often this data can be recovered with the help of a data recovery specialist, though it can be expensive and will take some time.
Losing data and important files can be exceptionally frustrating at best, and if your business depends on your data, can be very expensive as well. Computer hard drives are mechanical devices and as such will fail eventually, taking your precious files and information with them. While it is often possible to recover some or all of the data you've lost, there are no guarantees and it can be costly and time consuming.
Discuss this Article
