Data Recovery from Heat Damaged Devices

Short timeframes of exposure to temperatures of 100° Fahrenheit may not cause any major damage, however, exposure at 200° Fahrenheit will most likely lead to some corruption of data. Exposure at 300° Fahrenheit or higher can cause more extensive damage, warping HDDs and platters and de-soldering your device’s electronic connections.

Do not turn the device on. While fire damage is usually noticeable, smoke damage may not always be visible. Powering up the device can cause further damage, as any hidden soot can cause it to crash. In the same vein, a hard drive that has sustained comprehensive external damage may be perfectly operable internally. In either case, it’s important to take caution and have the drive checked by a professional data recovery specialist as soon as possible.

Heat has the ability to damage both the external and internal electronics of your device. The exact amount of damage depends on the intensity of the heat applied. 

Circumstances of extreme heat may not always be preventable, so having a good response system should an incident occur is highly recommended. Keeping your devices out of direct sunlight and away from tight spaces with other electronic devices that may generate heat is also important. Remember, any source of heat can cause damage.

Short timeframes of exposure to temperatures of 100° Fahrenheit may not cause any major damage, however, exposure at 200° Fahrenheit will most likely lead to some corruption of data. Exposure at 300° Fahrenheit or higher can cause more extensive damage, warping HDDs and platters and de-soldering your device’s electronic connections.

Never place an electronic device in a refrigerator or freezer as an attempt to cool it. Just as extreme heat can cause damage to your device, so can excessive cold temperatures. The sharp drop from hot to cold can lead to condensation which will damage the internal components of the device, rendering it unusable.