A hard drive is a delicate instrument. Inside, there are platters — usually made of glass or aluminum — where data is stored, along with a magnetic head mechanism for reading and writing. The inside of the drive itself is air-tight, proving just how intricate the inner workings really are.
In the event of a hardware failure, special handling is needed for a successful recovery of the stored data. Unfortunately, there are still misconceptions and myths about how data recovery should be handled. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of those myths and learn the truth behind them.
The Hammer, Freezer, and Microwave Methods
The most common misconception about getting a broken hard drive to work again is actually a series of myths. There is a myth called the hammer method, where the damaged hard drive is tapped with a hammer in an attempt to ‘unstick’ a stuck magnetic head. Some even go as far as dropping the drive from five feet to achieve the same effect.
The freezer and microwave methods use the same theory. Freezing or microwaving the drive is said to help shrink the platters and unstick the magnetic head. The truth is, none of these methods actually help with the recovery of your damaged drive.
In fact, dropping the drive, freezing it, or placing it in a microwave will only damage the platters even further. You are actually reducing the chances of recovering your data by trying these methods. You may even lose your data forever.
The Circuit Swap
Another common myth about hard drive repair is one that says swapping the circuit board of a broken drive with a good one is worth trying. This may be true for older drives, where the boards are more similar. Modern drives, on the other hand, use circuit boards that vary from model to model. Even the exact same model of hard drive can have different variations of board.
A secure data recovery expert reads data directly from the platters instead of the drive as a whole. Instead of swapping circuit boards, the recovery expert takes your drive’s platters — in a sealed, carefully-controlled environment — and reads them with a special device. A simple circuit swap may seem like a good idea at first, but it could actually end up with you breaking two drives instead of one.
The High Cost of Recovery
One of the primary reasons why people don’t really consider professional recovery options is the high cost. In reality, however, recovery services are far more affordable than you think. They are also a lot more valuable compared to the cost of losing all of your data. Of course, you still need to weigh whether recovering data from a broken hard drive is worth doing. If the drive is filled with years of family photos and important documents, then a professional recovery service is the best — and perhaps only — way to go.
Stop taking these data recovery myths seriously and start searching for a reliable service provider to help you. It’s the best way to retrieve valuable data.
Originally published at SocialUnderground.