How to Choose the Right Data Recovery Tools

Find and repair damaged, lost, or deleted computer files with the right data recovery tools.

Step 1: Know if your drive is physically damaged Know if your drive is physically damaged. Does it make a clicking noise, or restart on its own? Notice whether your operating system shows a boot failure.
Step 2: Know about potential data loss causes Know about potential data loss causes such as power surges, virus attacks, a hard drive crash, file system corruption, or corrupted hardware drivers.
Step 3: Run Windows recovery tools Run Windows recovery tools in a Safe Mode for data loss. System Restore rolls back your operating system to an earlier time when everything worked.
TIP: If you have no technical experience, don't attempt to use an operating system utility program.
Step 4: Try data recovery software free trials Try third-party data recovery software if your own data recovery software doesn't work. Use free trials of the software to determine whether the program is compatible with your operating system.
Step 5: Try an online data recovery service Try an online data recovery service for data loss. They may be able to restore your data remotely, but the process requires a stable broadband connection. Good luck restoring your data.
FACT: A forensic computer crime unit traced serial killer BTK's location through a floppy disk he'd mailed.