1. Do not change anything about the current situation
Stop working and turn off the affected device. In the event of (incipient) physical damage, the medium and the data stored on it may be damaged beyond repair if you continue working. Of course, this is troublesome in a server or virtual environment. Do not write data away or install software on a system from which data needs to be restored. Overwritten data is lost forever.
2. Determine the type of damage
- Physical damage: Physical damage can manifest as clicking, scratching or tapping noises, among other things. The cause may not always be obvious, but past history, for example, may already indicate damage of the heads. Caution is advised at this point, as further damage is possible. If in doubt, do not proceed. Do not attempt to boot discs with visible damage. Also, do not shake the media, open and clean it. This may hinder the recovery process.
- Fire/water damage: If a building is damaged by fire or water damage and multiple systems are affected, start to create a situation report. Label and record each system and its owner and make a priority list. Do not clean the media or put it in a refrigerator to cool down. Also do not remove it from the computer or its housing. Drying the medium is not wise. Do not take it apart or place it near a heat source. Take it wet to a laboratory.
- Logical damage: Users then see messages such as “No OS found” and “Corrupt Volume” or simply miss files or folders. Attention should be paid then because there may be physical damage underlying this underlying the problem. Do not run programs such as “CHKDSK”, “fsck” or “VRepair”. There may be plenty of time for this later.
3. Evaluate data
- Determine the value of the data
- Take stock of whether backups have been made.
- Establish how soon what data should be active again.
4. Determine the solution strategy and recovery plan.
- Software error/Logical damage: Always work with a copy. Prior to the recovery process, create a bit-by-bit image or engage a data recovery company for this purpose. An incorrect RAID rebuild is more common. Use the right tools. Realize what impact recovery actions can have. For example, with UNIX, “fsck” from a data recovery point of view can have very destructive consequences.
- Physical damage: Have the disk examined by a reputable recovery company. For a small amount it can already clear what data is recoverable.
5. Don't give up
- Consult a professional data recovery company. It is often surprising what can be recovered after a crash.
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