SSDs and data recovery: everything you need to know
With the cost of the hardware needed to manufacture SSDs continuing to fall, the popularity of this flash-based media is certain to grow.SSDs offer a few advantages when compared to HDDs, but there are a few drawbacks, too, chief amongst which is that SSD data recovery can be a difficult task.SSDs fail without warningWhilst hard drives typically let users know that a failure is imminent by making unusual sounds, the same cannot be said for SSDs.Hard drives are mechanical devices that utilise moving parts whilst SSDs do not. Instead, they use electronic components and are completely silent. As a result, SSD failure often comes completely out of the blue.SSDs have a specified shelf lifeMechanical devices fail, but they do not fail exclusively because of the regularity with which they’re used.Cars are a good example of this: one model could last more than 200k miles whilst an identical model could last for less than half of this. It is not the frequency with which the car is driven that determines when it fails. Rather, mileage is on of several things that can affect an automobile’s functionality.Hard drives are comparable in that the amount of times they’re used alone does not determine when they’ll fail. The environment within which they operate, how they’re used etc. all influence their lifespan. SSDs, however, will fail after a set number of writes and re-writes.In order to store data, SSDs write information to cells and each of these cells can only withstand so many writes before they cease to function.Generally speaking, SSDs are capable of withstanding thousands of writes and rewrites, so this should not deter the average user but it’s certainly something you need to be aware of, particularly if you’re likely to be using an SSD in an enterprise environment.SSD technology is constantly evolvingOn the face of things, the fact that the technology used in SSDs is always being updated is no bad thing. It’s led to better speeds, lower costs and greater capacities, for example. When it comes to recovering data, though, it’s a source of difficulty and frustration.Hard drives have been using almost identikit setups for decades and, as a result of this, data recovery engineers are au fait with the techniques that need to be utilised in order to retrieve data when one fails. When they’re tasked with recovering data from a failed SSD, they need to utilise bespoke techniques or may even need to develop a completely new technique if the device is relatively new.Encrypted data is extremely hard to recoverEncrypting the data stored on an SSD substantially reduces the likelihood of a full recovery in the event of data loss. Without getting too technical, encrypted data is difficult to piece back together and we’d advise any SSD user to consider whether or not they genuinely need to encrypt their data as a result.Always backup your dataWhatever type of media you use to store your data, we cannot stress the importance of backing this up to at least one other location strongly enough. No type of storage media is immune to data loss; people will make mistake; accidents will happen. The only way to be certain you’re protected against data loss is to regularly backup your data.
29Mar
Choosing the right RAID for your business
As businesses grow, so does their need for data storage solutions offering superior capacities, performance and reliability.For many SMEs, the solution to this problem is to utilise RAID arrays. Such a setup can offer impressive read/write speeds, increased protection against data loss and capacities that are easily scaled. The benefits of a RAID differ greatly depending on the way they are setup, however, and this can make it difficult for decision makers to settle on which RAID arrangement best meets their business’s needs. As a business that has not only seen substantial growth within a relatively short period of time but also specialises in data storage and recovery, Fields Data Recovery are ideally placed to provide a comprehensive guide on this matter.What are RAIDs?Before we can begin the process of stating which RAID is right for your business, it’s worth explaining what they are and what they do.RAID is an abbreviation and stands for ‘Redundant Array of Independent/Inexpensive Disks’. To put it simply, a RAID array is a type of NAS (Network Attached Storage) housing at least two – though usually several – separate pieces of storage media. The way data is written to these pieces of media is what determines the benefits – and drawbacks – of each setup.So, without further ado, here are the five most common RAID setups and a summary of their pros and cons:RAID 0This configuration stores data across two or more drives. Known as ‘striping’, the individual bytes that form the data are split across the drives equally so, if the setup uses four hard drives, exactly a quarter of the relevant file is stored in each. Think of it like storing a physical 100-page document across four folders – 25 pages would be stored in each.ProsBecause data is split across several drives, each needs to read/write a smaller amount of data resulting in increased speeds. This setup also offers superior storage capacities.ConsRAID 0 offers no protection against data loss. If one drive fails, it is not possible to access any of the data that’s been stored on the array. As a result, you’ll either need to accept that the data’s been lost or pay a RAID recovery specialist to recover it for you.RAID 1Like RAID 0, this setup utilises two or more drives. Unlike RAID 0, it stores all of the bytes that form data to each drive in their entirety (a process referred to as ‘mirroring’). Say a RAID 1 setup contained three drives, each one would be an identical copy of the other.ProsAs data is duplicated across all of the drives in the array, several backups are effectively created at once thus protecting your organisation from the negative consequences of data loss. As drives can read ‘portions’ of a file from each of these locations it’ll also provide better read speeds. ConsAs data is always being written to each drive in its entirety, this array offers no improvements on performance when writing data and, as data is written onto each drive in its entirety, there’s no improvement in capacity.Also, whilst it provides businesses with a basic backup plan, a RAID 1 setup doesn’t protect against human error or physical damage.RAID 5RAID 5 setups use ‘striping’ like a RAID 0 but also use an additional drive to store ‘parity data’. In laymen’s terms this additional drive can be used to reconstruct any data lost in the event that one drive fails.Pros‘Striping’ offers superior read performance whilst the additional drive offers a solution in the event of one primary drive failing. This setup also offers enhanced storage capacity.ConsWhilst this setup’s use of ‘striping’ generates superior read speeds, the need to store parity data every time someone saves a file results in slow write speeds. The process of recovering data from a parity drive is also time-consuming.RAID 6Like RAID 5, RAID 6 uses a parity drive. Unlike RAID 5, though, it uses two. By using an additional parity drive, a RAID 6 can rebuild data following two drives having failed.ProsThe benefits of a RAID 6 are identical to a RAID 5 with one exception: this array can be rebuilt even if two drives fail.ConsJust like RAID 5, write speeds are slower than you’d expect and rebuilding a failed array is a slow process.RAID 10In order to offer excellent performance and protection, RAID 10 setups use both ‘striping’ and ‘mirroring’ and is also commonly referred to as RAID 1+0.ProsThis setup offers great performance and protection against data loss.ConsYou’ll need at least four drives and, as any data you store will be duplicated across two, the potential capacity of the array is halved. Storing large amounts of data in a RAID 10 array can become expensive as a result.ConclusionIf your budget is large enough, RAID 10 offers both enhanced performance and reliability. If you only care about performance, a RAID 0 setup will provide this, whilst RAID 1 suits companies looking for increased reliability. If a compromise between cost, storage, speed and reliability is required, RAID 5 or 6 are the way to go. Please remember, however, that a RAID array alone does not provide a comprehensive backup and data loss plan. These setups should be used alongside more robust backup such as tape or cloud storage. 
20Mar
What is a corrupted file and can my data be recovered?
Corrupted files are one of the most common causes of data loss. Most people have experienced it in some form, with files becoming inoperable for no apparent reason. As common as it may be, though, very few people understand why it happens or what can be done to return corrupted files to working order.Why files can become corruptedFiles of any kind can become corrupted for a multitude of reasons; so many, in fact, that providing a comprehensive list is simply not possible. Generally, though, they’re attributable to bugs in software or a problem with the read/write process when initially creating and storing data or when trying to retrieve it at a later date.A file becomes corrupted when a piece or pieces of the data that form it are lost. As a result, when a user tries to open such a file, the storage media is unable to reconstruct it and reports an error. At other times, the data required to reconstruct the file is still present, but the media is unable to locate it. Either way, the file in question has been corrupted.The most common causes of these errors include power surges, failing to shut down a device properly and ageing media.Can corrupted data be recovered?For those asking if it’s possible to recover corrupted data we have good and bad news: it’s possible but professional help may be needed.Sometimes, users will be able to recover a previous version of the file using their operating system’s built-in software. These tools are often able to reconstruct files by finding older versions and using them to piece the corrupted file back together.If this is unsuccessful, then a user may purchase specialist software and attempt a recovery themselves. This may work but we’d recommend against this, particularly if the data is of emotional, monetary or practical value.Data recovery software is capable of achieving results in certain circumstances, but using it effectively requires a skillset that the vast majority of people simply do not possess. Instead, you should trust the professionals.How to prevent data corruptionIt may not be possible to ensure that you never have to deal with corrupted data again but, with a little effort, you can go a long way towards preventing it.Firstly, ensure you always shut down your device correctly. This is undoubtedly behind the majority of corrupted files we’ve encountered over the past two decades.Older hard drives often generate corrupt data at a far greater rate so we’d also recommend that you remain mindful of this and replace your drive once it reaches a certain age.Finally – and most importantly – always backup your important data. This won’t prevent data corruption directly, but it’ll ensure that you always have a secure copy of your data to hand when it does.What if I’ve forgotten to backup my data? If you’ve lost vital data and don’t have a backup, Fields Data Recovery can help! We’re data recovery experts offering a free diagnostic and no-obligation quote. Get in touch with us today.
15Mar
Businesses: it’s time to start encrypting your USB drives
Cost reports, client information, SWOT reports; when there hasn’t been enough time in the day to complete important tasks and you need to take some files home with you, the small but dependable USB drive is the perfect device for the job. They’re often the unsung hero of the business world and we see them in our data recovery lab almost every day. More-often-than-not, tough, these drives are unencrypted and this needs to change. Here’s why:You’re risking a big, big fineYes, we know, we’ve used ‘big’ twice in the subheading but, trust us, we’re not engaging in melodrama or exaggeration: the fine for failing to encrypt data before taking it out of a business premise is absolutely gargantuan!In an attempt to get businesses to take data protection more seriously, the European Union introduced the General Data Protection Regulation (more commonly called ‘GDPR’) in 2018. This new piece of legislation allows regulators to impose fines of up to €20 million or 4% of a company’s annual turnover – whichever happens to be higher.So, look at it this way: if you fail to encrypt your USB drive, you could incur a fine that’ll literally put you out of business! Don’t think you won’t have to observe GDPR after the UK has left the EU, either. If you hold data relating to any EU citizen, these rules still apply.It’s confidential informationYes, the potential fine should be more than enough to convince a business’s decision makers to utilise encryption but, if it hasn’t, perhaps the possibility of harming one of your customers will.A person’s individual data is highly valuable. Why? Because it can be used to steal their identity. In turn, a criminal can then take out credit cards, loans etc. in their victim’s name. Such crimes ruin thousands of lives every year – do you really want to contribute to this?Plus, this is data that your company has gathered. We’re assuming there are people who work for that you wouldn’t want to see it, let alone a random member of the public.You need to take digital security seriouslyUltimately, encrypting a USB drive you intend to take out of the office is something that should be second-nature to you; a small part of a much bigger effort.Keeping data secure is something that far too few businesses take seriously – even though the fines mentioned previously can come about as a result of any kind of data breach. Taking care of customers’ data is not voluntary, it’s mandatory. 
08Mar
What happens to a hard drive when it overheats
Heat is a typical by-product of many of the devices we use on a daily basis. Engines, for example, produce a tremendous amount of heat; as do items like washing machines, televisions, blenders and more. Anything that uses moving parts or needs an electrical current to function will generate heat. Thanks to advances in cooling technology, overheating is now less of an issue that it has been at any other time – but it’s not been eradicated in its entirety… and hard drives and high temperatures are not the best of friends!When any device is forced to operate in a hot environment, its performance suffers. As far as hard drives are concerned, this can come in the form of slow read/write speeds or an operating interface that is frequently freezing or even shutting itself down. What’s more, these environments are also likely to result in hard drives becoming damaged. In some cases, the damage is so severe that the drive can no longer read the data it holds.  How overheating can cause data lossHeat causes electrical components to degrade and potentially fail. There are several parts of a hard drive that can fail as a result of being overexposed to heat, including the part that actually stores data.Do you remember chemistry lessons? More specifically, do you remember the lesson where you heated and/or cooled metal? Remember how it expanded/contracted? All of the data that is stored on a hard drive is written onto metal discs referred to as platters and, when these expand and contract, they can damage other components and even cause a head crash.Even if expanding metal doesn’t damage any individual components, it’s still more than capable of transforming a hard drive from a functional piece of storage media into an expensive paperweight. As platters expand and contract, they gradually become warped. Even though the distortion is minimal, this’ll be more than enough to prevent the retrieval of your data.As we said previously, all of the data that can be found on a hard drive is stored on its platters. The individual pieces of data that form a file – called bytes – are all stored in separate locations. When you save a file, the location of each individual byte is recorded by your drive. When you then open this file, these individual locations are viewed, the bytes are read and the file is reconstituted and displayed. These bytes are stored in microscopic sectors so, if the platter’s position changes – even fractionally – your files cannot be retrieved.What to do with a hard drive that’s suffered heat damageWhether excessive heat has fried electrical components, warped platters or damaged anything else, successfully recovering the data held on a hard drive will be dependent upon it being opened within a sterile environment; Fields Data Recovery’s clean room, for example. Oh, and we’ll diagnose the drive, work out how to recover your data and how much work will be required without charging you a penny! Plus, after we’ve done all of this you’ll get a no-obligation quote and, if you don’t like the price, we’ll return your hard drive to you – all for free.
15Feb
Dropped your hard drive? Here’s why it’s stopped working
There is not a single person on this planet that has not, at some point in their lives, accidentally damaged a household electronic item. Televisions get knocked off stands, metal objects find their way in to washing machines, phones get stood on – these are just a few common examples and, here at Fields Data Recovery, we’re well accustomed to helping people who’ve dropped their laptops or external drives. It’s more common than you’d think and, sadly, the first thing that 99.9% of people do after such an accident is the worst thing they could possibly do under such circumstances.Never power up a dropped hard driveWe know from first-hand experience that the first thing you’ll want to do after dropping your laptop or drive is turn it on to see if it still works. It’s understandable: your anxious and want to find out if your expensive gadget and valuable data are still fully-functional and intact. The second you press the ‘on’ button, though, you run the risk of losing all your data.When a hard drive (or a device housing one) is dropped, various components can move or suffer damage. In either case, it’s a serious problem that will only worsen should you attempt to operate the drive.One typical outcome is a head crash wherein the drive’s head (used to both store and retrieve data) comes into contact with its platters (discs coated in a magnetic material). All of the data a hard drive holds is stored within the surface of its platters. The surface is also extremely sensitive and is literally stripped away when anything touches it.As we’ve said previously, a head crash is a common following a drive having been dropped. We’ve also said that this results in the read/write head coming into direct contact with the drive’s platters. So, if you were to then power up the drive and the motor began spinning the platters, the delicate surface – the part that holds your important data – suffers more and more damage.This motor seizing is another common symptom of a dropped hard drive. This is problematic as a seized motor cannot turn but, power up your drive and it’ll try persistently, to do so, generating lots of residual heat in the process. Hard drives don’t like heat and trying to boot up your drive under these circumstances is also a sure-fire way of losing your data forever.What you should do if you’ve dropped your hard driveFirstly, don’t power up your hard drive. Secondly, get in touch with hard drive recovery experts Fields Data Recovery and book a free data recovery diagnostic. We’ll be able to check your drive and determine what needs to be done to repair it without risking permanent data loss. The best part: we’ll then provide a no-obligation quote and, if you don’t like the price, we’ll simply return your drive to you without needing to spend a penny. You literally have nothing to lose. 
01Feb
Why hard drives can stop spinning
When you start up your computer, you’ll be used to hearing a gentle emanate from it. This is the sound of the discs (platters) spinning and, when this no longer happens, your hard drive cannot read your data.How a hard drive stores and retrieves dataAll data that is stored on a hard drive is found within its disks. Everything that is stored here – whether a photograph, music file, word document or anything else – is comprised of ones or zeroes, each of which is written onto small sections of these disks. Each one or zero is known as a byte.When a hard drive is relatively new, and a large number of these spaces is available, the individual bytes are placed close to one another. The more a hard drive is used, the more it is necessary for the bytes that form a file to be stored further and further apart. This is why, as a hard drive ages, it will become slower.Hard drives also have a read/write head. This is used to, as its name suggests, both write data to and read it from the disks. When you open a file, the drive uses a motor to rotate these disks so that the read/write head can access them.When a hard drive is no longer spinning, this means that the disks can no longer move. As a result, the read/write head cannot view the data that it needs to retrieve files, or even to boot the machine up.Reasons a hard drive can stop spinningA hard drive can stop spinning for a number of reasons, but the most common are:A faulty Printed Circuit BoardA problem with the drive’s PCB is, in our experience, the most common reason its disks can no longer spin. When this component is damaged, the drive is not receiving power and the motor cannot turn as a result.Naturally, the solution is to replace the PCB. This task involves opening up the drive and sourcing the correct board and, whilst it’s a relatively straightforward task for a data recovery company, it’s not something you should try at home.Failed MotorsHard drives use moving parts and, as we all know, moving parts can fail. More often than not, this happens because motors have failed due to insufficient lubrication.Recovering data from drives with failed motors involves opening the drive so, once again, it’s something best left to a data recovery specialist like Fields Data Recovery.Head CrashA head crash occurs when the read/write head we discussed previously comes into contact with the disks themselves. In extreme circumstances, this can effectively hold the disks in place. The motor will continue to try and spin the disks but will be unable to generate enough force to do so.A head crash is a serious problem that can cause data to become unreadable if not addressed quickly. If you suspect your drive may have suffered from a head crash, you should get in touch with us today.What to do if your hard drive stops spinningIf you hard drive stops spinning, it’s absolutely vital that you turn off your device immediately. The longer you leave it, the more damage you’ll cause. So, power the drive down and get in touch with the hard drive recovery experts at Fields Data Recovery for a free data recovery diagnostic and no-obligation quote today
25Jan
How to protect data stored on your iPhone
The data we have stored on our phones has become an integral part of our day-to-day lives. Smartphones have become so commonplace and are capable of doing so much that this is by no means surprising. Everything from our notes, to our contacts and even our photographs and videos are tremendously important, both practically and emotionally. This means, sadly, that if a user finds that their smartphone has lost data, it has truly meaningful consequences.iPhones losing data is actually much more common than you might think. People regularly delete things they wanted or needed to keep. Software updates can also go wrong and render a phone unusable. It’s also far from uncommon for people to restore an old backup of their iPhone only to realise this has resulted in them losing data they created following them having made the backup in question. Whatever the cause of the loss, though, one thing is certain: the user is unhappy, frustrated and wants their data back!The task of recovering data from an iPhone can be performed by a data recovery service provider such as ourselves, but users can save themselves both the inconvenience and the cost by:Backing up regularlyIt’s an old-fashioned way of preserving data, but it’s also tremendously effective. Simply set a few minutes aside each week to connect your iPhone to your computer and back it up via iTunes. While the process is underway (it can take a while) you can treat yourself to some ‘me time’. So, catch-up on your favourite shows, have a bath, listen to some music; do whatever makes you happy whilst safe in the knowledge that your taking care of your precious data.Getting an iCloud accountPaying for an iCloud account is, providing you don’t have a colossal amount of data stored on your phone and other Apple devices, a sensible option. For less than £1 a month, users are given 50GB of online storage. With most of us having opted for iPhones that store between 16 and 32GBs of data, this nominal fee will provide us with all of the online storage we’ll need; provided you’re only looking to backup data stored on an iPhone, that is. If you’re also using an iPad, Mac etc. and want to back these up too, you’ll need to pay a larger fee. If you’re looking to protect data stored across several devices, Apple offer a family subscription that’ll provide 2TBs (2,000GBs) of online storage for £6.99 a month. 
18Jan
Can a broken hard drive be repaired?
People that regularly use computers will inevitably have to deal with a failed or broken hard drive at some point in their lives. Just as a car will eventually cease to function effectively as a result of one of its many moving parts no longer working as it should, hard drives are mechanical devices and – with their various components becoming a little bit weaker each time they’re used – will eventually fail. Replacing a broken car with a new one, however, is less cost-effective than repairing it 99.9% of the time whereas the expense accrued having a hard drive repaired will always be greater than the cost of simply buying a new one; then again, that’s not really the point!The true value of a hard drive – and any type of storage media for that matter – is not the cost of the device itself but the worth the user attaches to the data held on it. This data can be important to users because of its potential monetary value, emotional merit, practical use or anything else. Repairing a hard drive will not restore the data it holds. In fact, the task of putting a broken hard drive back together again is – if not done within a unique environment – certain to result in it being lost altogether. So, when a hard drive does fail, what can be done?What data recovery companies doIn the most basic terms, data recovery companies recover lost data. You’d probably already guessed this, though, so we think ‘how do data recovery companies recover data from broken hard drives?’ is a far more pertinent question – and we have the answer!The first thing that we’ll need to do to a hard drive that’s suffered from mechanical failure is open it up within a sterile environment – specifically our state-of-the-art cleanroom.This is essential as, whilst everyday particles and contaminants are harmless to us, they can cause significant damage to a hard drive. Should one microscopic element find its way onto the part of the drive where data is stored (commonly known as a ‘platter’) anything stored on it will be lost permanently. Clean rooms ensure this doesn’t happen by frequently extracting old air from the room and replacing it with fresh air from which the vast majority of particles have been removed via a filter. Any that survive are too small to cause any damage.Once the drive is in the clean room and its platters exposed, our technicians can begin the process of reading and duplicating the data held on the drive before then transferring it to a new one.How much does it cost to recover data from a broken hard drive?Sadly, because the process of extracting and duplicating data differs depending on the drive’s model and manufacturer, how it’s been used, it’s age and numerous other variables, there’s no easy answer to this question. The good news is that finding out is easy thanks to our diagnostic service and, as it won’t cost you a penny, it’s completely risk free too! Find out how much it’ll cost to get your data back with our free data recovery diagnostic and no-obligation quote
28Dec
RAID data recovery: just how reliable are RAIDs?
RAID data recovery is a term that is regularly entered into search engines. Vitally, this serves to disprove the widespread and damaging myth that RAIDs are a sure-fire way of keeping vital data safe and are an unassailable means of preserving digital files. RAIDs can and do fail and, whilst they offer a degree of protection that will at times allow an IT professional to retrieve lost data without the need to enlist additional support following a failure, there are certain to be times that the assistance of RAID data recovery experts will be needed. The majority of RAID setups offer additional protection against data loss, the only exception being RAID 0 which offers improved read/write speeds, only. Other arrays reduce the risk of data loss by either containing at least two drives that store the same information (i.e. a clone drive) or a parity drive which, in the event of data loss, can be used to rebuild and recreate what’s been lost. Now, we know you’re probably thinking that this would be perfectly sufficient but, sadly, RAIDs’ ability to continue to operate following one drive having failed is often behind arrays failing in their entirety. When a single drive fails, a RAID can continue to perform the same functions as usual but with limited functionality. Once a single drive has failed, however, the likelihood of another failing increases significantly and, as RAIDs are rarely checked and the symptoms of a single drive having failed can be difficult to spot, when one drive fails, the entire array often follows. With RAIDs often deployed in servers, they consistently store data that is vital to businesses’ everyday operations and, should they fail, this can be highly detrimental and rebuilding and/or recovering the files that were once stored on it is likely to be a time-consuming process whether undertaken in-house or by RAID recovery specialists such as Fields Data Recovery. As the latter are usually able to recover data more rapidly, however, it’s generally the preferred option for businesses desperate to get their data back. How much does RAID recovery cost? Sadly, this is one of those questions that simply can’t be answered until the reason for failure has been determined and the best means of recovering the data has been decided. With businesses operating on precise budgets, we appreciate that this is less than ideal – it’s one of the reasons why we offer a free RAID data recovery diagnostic to all potential clients. 
17Dec