Global Data Recovery and Continuity will grow from $24.3 billion to $39 billion in next 5 years
ABI Research ”forecasts that the global market for business continuity and disaster data recovery solutions will grow from $24.3 billion in 2009 to exceed $39 billion in 2015.”
The cause for this is quite apparent. As businesses increase the reliance on technology, there comes the inherent need to protect the data that is integral to the daily operations of the business. While most large Fortune 1000 firms have developed sophisticated and comprehensive data backup procedures, most small and mid-sized firms have largely neglected to implement effective data backup procedures. The end result is that such firms must rely on data recovery firms like Pronto Data Recovery in the instance of catastrophic data loss.
Prudent businesses are advised to develop simple and effective data backups as part of the standard operating procedure. The costs of not implementing backups are very real. According to research from Acronis®, 63% of organizations take a day or more to recover from system downtime, and only 10% could recover within an hour from a data disaster. This downtime can cost thousands of dollars per hour that an enterprise is left stranded without its systems. Most surprisingly, the Acronis study indicated that 19% of businesses perform no backup whatsoever.
At Pronto Data Recovery, we focus on recovering data in the aftermath of a catastrophic data loss. Until the day comes that every machine has a mirror on the cloud that is backed up in real time, the need for data recovery will exist.
Pronto Data Recovery serves the Upper Midwest and can be reached at 888-360-3282.
New Website Being Published Tonight!
Looking forward to the new web 2.0 inspired design. Our new site promises to be a lot easier on the eyes. Looking forward to having it up!
Our new site should be up by Midnight tonight – www.prontodatarecovery.com
Cheers,
The Staff at Pronto Data Recovery
Pronto Hard Drive Recovery Services
Filed under: Data Recovery Services | Tags: Data Recovery Services, Pronto Data Recovery
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Need a Hard Drive Recovered? Call 1-888-360-3282 today.
Pronto Data Recovery is able to perform hard drive data recovery in the cases of mechanical failure or logical failure of your computer hard drive. Our technicians possess the training, skills, training and abilities to recover data from hard drives thought to be totally lost.
For cases of mechanically failed hard drives, we utilize a clean room located in Eden Prairie, MN to perform data recovery. We utilize the strictest industry standards to prepare your machine to reduce the possibility of further data loss.
While our technicians have a very high success rate, there are some situations that prevent data recovery. No firm in the industry has a 100% data recovery success rate.
What is Hard Drive Recovery?
In cases where the hard drive is in proper physical condition but another component in the computer is malfunctioning, we remove the hard drive from your machine and connect to it directly to extract the data. These are standard hard drive recovery cases where there is no mechanical failure.
At Pronto Data Recovery, we utilize specialized imaging devices to connect to and to read drives that have logical failure (they may be mechanically sound but in the process of failing, or the data is not being read correctly) by first determining the cause of failure. Where mechanical failure is unlikely, we connect directly to the hard drive and perform a disk image. In many cases, the hard drive may be imaged on to a new hard drive, and the data is then recovered from the newly imaged drive.
In more difficult cases where the hard drive has crashed or become damaged, we must access the platters inside the hard drive. In order to do this, we must utilize our clean room facility located in Eden Prairie, MN in order to work directly on the magnetized disk.
Accessing the platters on a hard disk drive is a procedure best left to professional technicians at Pronto Data Recovery. Hard drives are particularly sensitive to dust, and as such should never be opened outside a cleanroom environment. Once we have gained access to the platters on your hard drive, we utilize sophisticated processes to read the data on the platters. Direct access to hard drives can be an expensive proposition, so we counsel with our clients throughout the process to determine if the cost of recovery is worth the investment.
Pronto Data Recovery Fair Price method allows us to give you options. We charge $69.99 to review your device and determine next steps and to generate an estimate of the data recovery repairs. From there, hard drive data recovery prices range immensely from $495 – $1995 for logical failures, and $1495 + for mechanically failed hard drive recovery.
No case is identical, and as such we recommend you give us a call today to determine your options. Contact us or call Pronto Data Recovery today at 888-360-3282 to review your case and determine your options.
How Hard Drives Work
Filed under: Pronto Data Recovery Posts | Tags: About Hard Disk Drives, Hard Disk Drive Failure, Hard Disk Drives, How Hard Drives Work
Leave a Comment Hard disk drive manufacturers are constantly working to improve the technology of hard drive disk storage devices, and so the technology is ever changing. Hard Disk Drives (commonly called hard drives or hard disks) are the main storage area where all files, applications, the operating system and all data are stored by default.
Hard drives components
All hard drives contain similar components, no matter the manufacturer. Here is a quick overview of the major components:
- Platters. Where the data is stored. Many hard disks possess multiple platters that spin at the same time. The bottom and top of each platter is coated in ferromagnetic material. Each platter arrives from the manufacturer unformatted. Low-level formats are performed on blank platters to create the structure so that data and files can be stored (on tracks and sectors). A track is one entire circle around the platter, and on each track are sectors that are given a unique address. Data is stored on the platter by arranging the ferromagnetic material directionally to represent a 1 or a 0 (binary code).
- Spindle. As the name implies, it is located at the center of the platters, and acts as the rotational center of the platters. The platters spin at very high speeds.
- Actuator Arm/Axis. The arm has a head on the top and bottom of each platter to read and write data to the platter. It moves back and forth over the various tracks on each platter as the platters rotate.
- Actuator (motor). Moves the actuator arm so that the head can access all locations on the platters. Can fail.
- Head. Located on the actuator arm, the head’s primary responsibility is to read and write on the platters by arranging the ferromagnetic material. The head is located in VERY close proximity to the platter, and is able to modify the magnetic data on the platter. A common source of hard drive failure is when the head makes physical contact (crashes) on the platters.
- Disk Motor. Rotates the platters around the spindle.
- ATA/IDE Interface. AT Attachment (ATA) is a popular hard disk interface. Integrated Disk Electronics (IDE) will identify a hard disk that has a logic board built into the disk. These ATA disks have special connectors, jumpers and power connectors in order to connect to the other components of the computer.
Hard drive units, when assembled, are precise, air-tight, rigid devices. The platters and head operate in very fine tolerances, and should NOT be disassembled except by those with access to a clean room.
Hard Drive Data Recovery
Data can often be recovered from hard drives without disassembly if all physical components are still in tact. However, if the hard drive has physically failed, the hard drive must be opened using specific tools in a cleanroom environment (do not attempt at home).
Hard Drive Failure Prevention
Hard drives typically last 500,000 to 1.2 million hours. Eventually, all hard drives will fail. There are no sure methods to prevent a hard drive failure. There ARE, however, important methods users can take to protect the data on the hard drives, the most important of which is backing up data to external sources.
Hard Drive Manufacturers
Today, five manufacturers account for the majority of the world hard drive production: Seagate, Western Digital, Samsung, Toshiba, and Hitachi. Many other manufacturers have been acquired, or failed and no longer manufacturer hard drives. The world market is incredibly competitive, and demands to continually update technology are ever present.
No specific industry statistics have been released to indicate reliability by brand of hard drive, however it is widely accepted that certain brands fail more frequently than others.
Working on Hard Drives
Accessing the platters on a hard disk drive is a procedure best left to data recovery professionals at Pronto Data Recovery – we utilize a cleanroom to work on the interior components of failed hard drives. Once we have gained access to the platters on your hard drive, we utilize sophisticated processes to read the data on the platters so that the data can be restored.
Call Pronto Data Recovery today at 888-360-3282 to review your case and determine your options or visit us online at www.prontodatarecovery.com.
10 Data Recovery Tips
Filed under: Data Recovery Services | Tags: free data recovery tips, top 10 data recovery tips.
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Pronto Data Recovery (www.ProntoDataRecovery.com) offers the following 10 tips for data recovery.
1) Troubleshooting and documentation of problem. Is your machine completely dead? Does it boot up but certain files are missing or corrupt? Does your machine make clicking noises?
During step 1, the key is to identify the symptoms, so that you can start to begin to discover the exact nature of your problem.
2) Are your virus definitions up to date? While modern virus prevention software is quite often more than adequate at preventing a virus, in about 5% of cases we handle we determine the root cause is a virus. Since this accounts for about 1 in 20 of the cases, we do recommend that as a first step you perform a full system scan using one of the recognized virus protection systems commonly available on the market.
3) Cleanup & PC environment inspection. We often find that machines that have become unresponsive are dirty, dusty, and generally full of such things as pet dander, hair, dust mites and more. While cleanup doesn’t usually resolve issues, it is a completely necessary step. We also tend to find PC’s confined in tight spaces, or conditions outside of recommended operating temperatures are more sensitive to failure.
4) Use of backup data and creation of a boot disk. Have you recently backed up data? Probably not if you are reading this. However, if you are looking for best practices, you should create a duplicate copy of data on an external hard drive, CD-ROM’s, or another machine. In addition, you should keep a boot disk available in case your machine has difficulties in the future starting up.
5) System restart. Surprisingly, many issues can be resolved by performing a full system shut-down and restart. We recommend going to Start > Shut Down and allowing the system to fully turn off. Restarting a system has in many cases restored functionality of a document that locked up during normal use, or became non-responsive (or gave an error message such as “low memory” during saving).
6) Use of System Restore. Many users are unaware of a system feature in Windows called system restore. While system restore is not meant as a data backup system for personal files, it can restore your machine back to an earlier time. This can be particularly useful if you have recently installed new software that has made your system slow or unresponsive.
To access system restore on PC’s running on Windows, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. Prior to operating a system restore, we recommend you visit the Windows site to read more about any potential implications.
7) Undelete Deleted Files. Many users mistakenly think that once a file is deleted, it is gone forever. What actually happens is that once a file is deleted, it is moved (typically) into the recycle bin, where it sits waiting to be permanently deleted. Perhaps surprising to some more tech-savvy users, many novice computer users find that the lost file is in the recycle bin. To restore files from the recycle bin, simply go into the folder on your desktop called “recycle bin”, find the file you are looking for, right-click and click restore.
Your file will then be restored to its original location. It is sometimes difficult to remember where you originally located the file. If you are uncertain where the file will be moved, prior to restoring you can right click and select properties. This will show the “origin” of the file, which is usually the file folder name where it was located.
8. Advanced Search. Many times, files are not deleted, but rather the references to the location of the file has been removed. This is similar to removing the index from a book, in that if you did it would be difficult to quickly find the topic you were searching for, but given time going page by page you may find the topic you are looking for. When file location references have been removed, the file often still resides on the disk.
A first step in finding missing or partially corrupt files is to perform an advanced search for the file. The recommended procedure is to go Start > My Computer > Search > (Select on the Left Files or Word Docs, for instance). Type in as much as you know about the file name or description. We usually recommend enabling advanced search options, and from there entering as much as you know about the file.
Often times you will find files that are not in the format you originally saved them in. For instance, say you were working on your college thesis and saved it as a Word document, but then one day it mysteriously has disappeared. Doing an advanced search by modified date in last 7 days for “thesis” brings up only one result, ~wrl0005.tmp. When you open this temporary file using notepad, you find embedded in the notepad substantially all of your college thesis. You can then copy the GOOD data and paste back into a new working document. Be certain you don’t copy any of the jumbled characters.
9) Data Recovery Software. In many cases, DIY data recovery software can provide a simple solution to getting back old files. In cases where you have scoured your machine for the files to no avail, many users have experienced good success downloading one of our software packages. These software packages search your computer in search of files that don’t have known signatures (most software and viruses have known data signatures). Then, by process of elimination the software can begin to parse through the remaining data in search of your files. Files deleted are not usually totally deleted, but rather their index location has been removed.
10) Recognize when it isn’t a DIY case. Perhaps the smartest thing you can do is to realize when you are up against something too big. When your hard drive is clicking, you have gotten the blue screen of death, or smoke starts coming out of your machine – it is probably time to call the pros at Pronto Data Recovery. Do not attempt to restart a machine that you suspect has a damaged hard drive, as further damage can result. Under no circumstances should you attempt to access the contents of the hard drive, as further data loss is likely to result.
In need of help, contact us online via our site www.ProntoDataRecovery.com or call Pronto Data Recovery today at 888-360-3282.
iPod Troubleshooting
Filed under: iPod | Tags: iPod sad face, iPod troubleshooting
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If your iPod has become unresponsive – prior to plugging it in to your computer and syncing with iTunes, attempt the following steps.
Buttons Unresponsive to User
1) Are buttons unresponsive? If so, be sure that you first check to ensure the “hold” button is not in the engaged position (it will be orange if in hold – aka locked).
2) Attempt to reset your iPod. This is different than turning it off. Some call this a “hard reset”, in that it is similar to rebooting a computer. In order to acheive this, you will need to simultaneously press “MENU” and “SELECT” (the center button). You must depress these buttons for 10 seconds for the device to reset. During the process – the Apple logo will appear and then the normal menu will appear.
3) If your iPod returns to normal working functions, you can continue to use normally, including syncs with iTunes.
If your iPod reset is unsuccessful, and you would like to recover the files from the iPod, you will need file recovery software.
Sad Face Appears on iPod
Usually not a good sign. It means there is a hardware issue with your iPod.
In order to get the device working again, we recommend that you go into “Disk Mode”. In order to do that, follow the following steps.
1) Move hold switch back and forth several times, then place the device so it is NOT in hold.
2) Simultaneously press “MENU” and “SELECT”, holding down for 10 seconds until Apple logo appears.
3) As soon as Apple logo appears, release “MENU” and “SELECT” and then press down “SELECT” and “PLAY/PAUSE” simultaneously until disk mode appears. You should be able to connect your device to iTunes at this point.
Exclamation Point with Folder appears on iPod
This is usually due to communication error inside the hard drive. At this point, iPod recovery software may be appropriate.
Accidentally Pressed iPod Restore Button and lost all my songs
In these cases, you have 2 options:
1) Plug the now clean device back into iTunes and reload all the songs
2) Utilize iPod recovery software to recover the songs that were deleted (appropriate if iTunes does not have all the files you want).
NOTE: If all the files on your iPod reside on your iTunes, recovering the data from a totally damaged iPod may not make sense financially. Pronto Data Recovery recommends in such cases to simply purchase a new device and load the iTunes files on the new device.
Recovery software really only makes sense when files on your iPod no longer reside on iTunes for some reason. In these cases, recovery software would make sense so that the files can be recovered and loaded on a new device.
888-360-3282
www.prontodatarecovery.com
What it means when your computer says “Drive Not Recognized”
Filed under: Data Recovery Services | Tags: drive not recognized
Leave a Comment It means your hard drive is in the final stages of its life – the discs inside the hard drive may still be spinning, but there may be a logistical or mechanical failure in one or more components (actuator arm, heads, spindle motor, etc.)
If your computer is clicking – it should be shut down immediately. If you drive is spinning but nothing is happening – there are several possibilities:
1) Determine if the drive is the issue: Remove the non-functioning drive and replace with another drive if one is available. If the other drive works – the drive you removed is likely damaged. Most PC’s have 2 drives – a C: and a D: drive. If you are able to recognize one drive but not the other, then you also have a damaged hard drive.
If you remove the hard drive and replace with a known drive that is operational, and this new operational hard drive now is not recognized - you likely have an issue with your BIOS – this is something that many local computer repair companies can handle. If your system recognizes the new drive with no issues – then your old drive is the culprit – something we can handle for you.
2) If you have an external hard drive and your computer recognizes all other hard drives but the one with your data – you are likely facing a data recovery situation. The more you try to work on the drive the more data you risk losing, therefore we recommend an evaluation and we can determine the extent of the damage and provide an estimate for data recovery.
We charge $79 to evaluate your hard drive and provide a list of files we can recover. From there we will provide a full estimate of the costs of the data recovery. Most data recoveries in the clean room run $500-$1500 + a new hard drive. Don’t believe web quotes for $299 – trust Pronto Data with your project – we handle data recoveries ethically, fairly and quickly and will never hold your data hostage.
Still having issues? Give us a call at 888-360-3282
Are Twitter and Facebook dead?
Our team in marketing spends inordinate amounts of time on social media – they have convinced us it is the future of the Internet. Recently, we became aware that Google is planning to take over the social network with the launch of Google Buzz.
We are paying close attention to our marketing efforts to ensure we stay on top of the trends. We know that SEO goes way beyond optimizing our website’s HTML. While we doubt that Google will be taking over social networking – it is something to pay attention to as we redesign our site.
New Data Recovery Website
We are about 30 days from the re-launch of our 2010 inspired data recovery site. Stay tuned – we are optimizing our site for user experience and to define our regional Midwest (MN) presence. http://www.prontodatarecovery.com
Fast Data Recovery
One of the unique things about being a nimble data recovery company is that we are able to wade through the red tape to get our data recovery projects done quickly and effectively.
We are one of the few data recovery companies that actually answer the phone on the weekends. Recently, we had a client call us late on a Saturday from out of state. We were able to have the client send the drive for Tuesday delivery – and with rapid cleanroom service were able to have their drive back to them by the following Saturday.
Cleanroom recoveries are taking us on average 3 business days – and with our fast processing we are often able to get a drive in and out in the same week.
Keep Pronto Data Recovery front of mind – we promise to be there when you need us.
Pronto Data Recovery
Minneapolis: 612-709-4195
St Paul: 651-967-9030
South Metro: 952-657-7470
North Metro: 763-392-7262
Toll-Free: 888-360-3282
