'Hard Drive Data Recovery Software & Services' Blog RSS Feed

Tips to Resolve NTFS Error

jacobluis — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:33:37 -0700

Ntfs.sys file is one of the most important system file in Windows operating system. The file is located at C:\Windows\System32\drivers. The main function of this driver file is that it allows the computer system to read and write the NTFS partitions. However, like any other system file, this file can also be corrupted or damaged. In such situations of NTFS file damage, you encounter an error message while booting your Windows operating system. This error message also prevents you from accessing the files saved in your hard drive. An easy way to access the files at this time is by restoring the data from an updated backup. But, there can be different situations when the backup file is not accessible. For accessing the files in such situations, you need to search for an effective File Recovery Software.

To explain the above problem, consider the below error message that appears when you attempt to boot your Windows XP based system:

“NTFS Error: error reading file_volume MFT record.”

Once the above error message pops up, the files saved in your hard drive become inaccessible.

Cause:

The three main causes for the occurrence of the above error message are:

Damaged NTFS.sys file.
Corrupt hard drive partitions.
Damaged hard drive drivers.

This occurs due to improper system shutdown, virus infection, or application crash.

Resolution:

To resolve the above NTFS error message and to regain access of the files saved in the hard drive, you need to replace the NTFS.sys file. However, if the problem persists, then you need to format your Windows XP system. The process of formatting will delete all the entries of the old file system. This will help you to get over with the problem and boot your system. But, the only problem with formatting is deletion of all the previously stored files on the hard drive.

To recover all those formatted files, you need to opt for a File Recovery Software. A File Recovery tool recovers all kinds of formatted files and restore it at requisite location.

Windows Data Recovery Software is a powerful File Recovery Software that recovers files from formatted NTFS, NTFS5, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, and VFAT hard drive partitions. The recovery tool supports Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000. In addition, the tool allows you to preview and select the files before recovery.

System Unbootable Post Boot Sector Virus Attack

jacobluis — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:04:00 -0700

Every Windows based hard drive is divided into numerous small sectors. The first sector among all the sectors is known as the boot sector, which further consists of MBR (Master Boot Record). The MBR is the first sector that contains information about bootable hard drive partition. Corruption in boot sector can occur due to various reasons like, improper system shutdown, file system corruption, operating system malfunction, and malicious software like virus. In most cases CHKDSK displays an error message when the boot sector gets damaged. Two major hazards of boot sector corruption are system unbootability and data inaccessibility. These problems can be easily surpassed in case the user has maintained a complete backup. But, if the user has not maintained any backup or backup falls short of restoring the backup, then you need to use advanced Data Recovery Software to recover the data.

Out of the above causes of boot sector sector corruption, virus attack is the most common reason. Few of the boot sector viruses are:

SCA (Swiss Cracking Association)
Michelangelo
Stoned
Stealth_C
Byte Bandit
Byte Warrior
Brain

After any of the above viruses hits the boot sector, it gets automatically loaded in the memory and corrupts a non-infected disk that is accessed by the computer. Underneath is the error message that CHKDSK pops up on the screen post boot virus infection:

“653312 Total Bytes Memory”

To resolve the above error message and to access the system's data, follow these measures:

Run DOS SYS or DOS LABEL command to restore the boot sector.
Run FDISK /MBR to replace the MBR.
Run an anti-virus software to remove the virus.

However, if the above resolutions fail to resolve your issue, then you need to format your system. While formatting removes all the viruses from your system, it also deletes all the previously stored data from a hard drive. The formatted data can be recovered only by advanced data recovery software. A Data Recovery utility is easy-to-understand and allows even a non-technical user to recover formatted data. The recovery software also allows you to preview the recoverable data and restore it at required location(s).

Data Recovery is one package that recovers lost, deleted, missing, or formatted data. Compatible with FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 file systems, the Data Recovery utility supports recovery from almost all kinds digital storage media. It is designed for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000.

Data Loss in Windows 7 System Post BIOS Upgradation

jacobluis — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:51:56 -0700

A system BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a first program that is executed when you turn on your system. It ensures that the chips, ports, hard disks, video display card, and CPU (Central Processing Unit) are working together. Upgradation in BIOS is performed by a firmware upgrade, which is called as 'flashing'. While BIOS upgradation is an easy process, the data saved in the hard drive might become inaccessible after the completion of the process. This happens primarily due to a bootable error message that appears at the time of booting the system. In such cases, if you need to access the hard drive data, then you can restore in from an updated backup. However, if no backup is backup is available, or the backup file is damaged, then you will need to use advanced third-party Data Recovery Software to recover the data.

To illustrate the above scenario, consider a practical case where you have a Windows 7 based computer system. You upgrade your BIOS on your system. However, when you try to boot your system after upgradataion, you receive a BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death).

After the above error message appears, your system becomes unbootable and the data saved in the hard drive becomes inaccessible. Additionally, the same error message pops up every time you attempt to boot your system.

Cause:

The primary reason liable for the occurrence of a BSOD error message in such cases is that the Windows 7 operating system sees your system as a different machine.

Resolution:

To resolve the BSOD error message and access the hard drive data, you will need to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows 7 operating system. While formatting the hard drive proves to be an adequate solution to overcome the error message, it also results in erasing the data saved in the hard drive. In such cases, the data erased after the formatting can be recovered by using advanced third-party Data Recovery Software.

A data recovery tools ensures complete recovery of all the files, irrespective of their reason of inaccessibility.

Windows Data Recovery is a user-friendly data recovery software that recovers data from formatted FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 file system volumes. The original data in hard drive, however, remains untouched and unmodified. Compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000, the read only tool allows you to store the recovered data at your desired location.

File System Conversion May Lead to Data Loss

jacobluis — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:42:47 -0700

In computers, file system is a set of various logical constructs, which indicate how the hard drive space has to be used. Every operating system has a set of file systems, such as FAT and NTFS in Windows, HFS, HFS+, HFSX, and HFS Wrapper in Macintosh. In some situations, you may need to change hard drive partition/volume from one file system to another. It could be due to performance improvement, system security, and system recover capabilities. Modern file system use journaling concepts to recover your operating system from system crash like situations and prevent need of Data Recovery Software.

You can convert your current file system to its successor, such as from FAT16 to FAT32 and HFS to HFS+. If you convert from FAT to HFS or Ext3, you may need to have commercial third-party utilities to effectively complete the process. There are two most common reasons behind the file system conversion. First one is the slack reduction and the other one is to enable a hard drive partition to be elaborated in size after upgrading.

In order to convert the file system type of a hard drive partitions, you can either use built-in tools of your particular operating system or go for an effective third-party partition management tool. The in-built utilities, such as FDISK in Windows and Disk Utility in Mac OS X, works in a number of such cases, however they may not have advanced features like the third-party tools have.

Inbuilt file system conversion tools have a number of limitations. For example you can not undo the conversion process and you can not uninstall the operating system if you have performed an upgrade install.

All the hard drive partition modification operations come equipped with some risks of the data loss, particularly if the process gets terminated or interrupted due to power failure or system crash. You must create a valid backup of your data to prevent data loss situations, or else you need to go for Data Recovery Software to get your precious data recovered.

The Data Recovery applications are powerful enough to carry out in-depth scan of the affected hard drive and extract all lost, missing, and inaccessible data from it. Data Recovery Software enable you to perform recovery on your own as they have simple graphical user interface and do not demand sound technical skills.

Stellar Information Systems Limited offers world-class recovery applications to handle all types of logical data loss situations. They are available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, UNIX, Linux, and Novell operating systems.

What Are the Hard Drive Failure Modes?

jacobluis — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:43:57 -0700

There are various ways in which your hard drive may fail; these situations are usually known as failure modes and identifying the failure and its cause is known as failure determination. Head Crash is one of the most common way in which your hard drive can fail. In fact, the head crash is an 'airline disaster' of hard drive world; it is dramatic, feared, and well-known. Such disaster leads to any sort of data loss and require Data Recovery Software to be handled.

Following are some common types of hard drive failure, which are usually faced by a number of computer users:

Logical Failure- Such type of hard drive failure include hard drive data structure corruption, virus infection, hard drive formatting, file system corruption, operating system malfunction, and accidental deletion. After occurrence of logical failure, your critical data becomes inaccessible and you encounter significant data loss situations.

Mechanical Failure- These failures include the component failure that is related to hard drive mechanics. Issues of this failure is generally relate to actuator arm and spindle motor like excessive heat, motor burnout, stuck bearings, and vibration.

Read/Write Head Failures: A severe head crash and other read/write head related problems such as head contamination, head manufacturing defects, improper flying height, bad wiring among logical board and head, and exuberant read/write errors. All these failure situations comprise a high percentage of total number of disk failures.

Firmware or Logic Board Failure- Such issues are related to the integrated circuit board of the hard drive, its chips, circuits, other components, and firmware (software routines) that runs it.

Media Failure- This category of issues relates to difficulty with hard drive platters and magnetic media, servo operation, formatting, and more. It includes the hard drives, which fail due to poor handling, read/write errors, low-level formatting errors, and scratches on media surface.

Nevertheless the failure mode and failure determination, ultimate result is some sort of data loss. In such situations, backup proves a real help. However, if the backup is not available, you need to opt for Data Recovery methods to extract lost data.

In case of logical failure, you can get your data back in a quick and easy way through Data Recovery Software. On the other hand, mechanical failure, media failure, firmware failure, and read/write head failure like circumstances need special assistance from Data Recovery Service professionals, to be sorted out.

Stellar is the foremost provider of superior recovery software for all types of data loss situations. The software are provided for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, UNIX, and Novell operating systems. Recovery service is delivered through safe and sterile environment of Class 100 Clean Rooms.

What is the Base of Hard Drive Quality?

jacobluis — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:47:06 -0700

Do you read technical articles and study material, or involve yourself in technical discussions on Web? If you have done any of these, then you must have observed that a number of users ask, “Which is the best hard drive brand?” And, in reply to that, virtually each hard drive manufacturer is mentioned as 'The Best' by some users and as 'The Worst' by others. The final result is that you've no clue about which one is the best. The reason for this is, hard drive failure and data loss is a big fear for all the computer users, as they store critical business data on their hard drives. Data Recovery Software become need of the hour in case you come across data loss.

Almost all the major hard disk manufacturers develop high-quality of hard drives. And most of the hard drives offer reliable services to their owners. However, all hard drive manufacturers may at some time make a bad hard drive (of course, by mistake), which may have some issue with a specific drive. If you mistakenly or unfortunately buy any such hard drive, you experience hard drive failure and critical data loss.

In all probability, you may hate the manufacturer of that hard drive, and may avoid their products in future. This is true with most of us, as we generalize such things into “Brand X is unreliable”. Unluckily, the encountered problem occurs even with the best hard drive brand in the market. However, you must consider that the problem may not be with the hard drive always. Disk failure may also occur due to virus infection, system metadata structure corruption, user errors, or even accidental dropping of the hard drive.

Hard drive failure situations are divided into the following two major categories:

Logical Errors - Caused by error or problem in the logical components of hard drive. Logical Errors occur due to file system corruption, operating system malfunction, hard drive formatting, virus infection, user errors and similar situations. If hard disk fails due to logical errors, it remains physically intact. To retrieve lost data, you need to go for Data Recovery Software solutions.

Physical Errors - This type of disk failure occurs after damage to the internal hard drive components. Some of the most common physical errors are caused by read/write head crash, spindle motor damage, actuator arm damage, disk controller failure, and many similar reasons. You can get your critical data back in such circumstances with the help of Data Recovery Services.

The above data loss causes are totally different from each other and likewise their solutions too differ. Before finalizing which Data Recovery Software is suited for you, identify the type of failure.

Stellar is the foremost provider of superior recovery solutions. The recovery software are available for running on Windows, Mac OS X, UNIX, Linux and Novell operating system platforms. Recovery services are performed in controlled and sterile environment of Class 100 Clean Rooms to ensure safety of the internal components of the disk.

Error ' Setup cannot continue..' Upgrading to Windows 7 and Data Loss

jacobluis — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:42:44 -0700

Windows 7 is the latest Microsoft release and is equipped with top operating system qualities. This is the reason why most of the Windows users opt for upgrading to Windows 7. From data preservation perspectives, it is however suggested to backup all your data prior trying to upgrade. Users not following this practice can fall in critical data loss situations and may require a Partition Recovery utility.

The following scenario illustrates one such problem that can occur while upgrading to Windows 7. Consider you use Windows Vista or XP. Next, you try to upgrade to Windows 7, but the operation cannot continue properly as you receive the below error message:

“Setup cannot continue due to a corrupted installation file. Contact the vendor of your Windows installation disc or your system administrator for assistance.”

This error usually occurs if the Windows 7 installation disc is corrupted. As the corrective measure of this specific problem, you download the Windows 7 ISO file. Additionally, you experience some unexpected symptoms such as:

You cannot boot into Windows 7 and rollback the system
You try to boot in Safe Mode and select the 'Last known good configuration' that enables you to boot in Windows 7
After logging in Windows 7, you observe most of the data missing from the disk partitions. Though you may be able to see the folder, but not the files.

Tips to Recover

The similar problems, as mentioned above, are typical examples of data loss with Windows 7, however, you can try the following tricks to solve it:

Detach the hard drive in issue from the system and move it to another computer running Windows. The data should be accessible now. If it is, backup all the files and folders to a backup storage media.
Make a rescue CD on another computer running Windows 7 and boot the failed system using this CD. Image or backup the partition to a storage media.

Use a Partition Recovery Software that might be available with boot CD/DVD support and allow you to read Windows 7 NTFS partitions. A Partition Recovery utility uses specific scanning algorithms to retrieve inaccessible or deleted data from hard disks and other storage media.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery Software is a professional utility designed to recover lost/deleted/inaccessible data from Windows partitions. The Partition Recovery Software is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000. The tool also allows you to create disk image, clone the disk, perform RAW data recovery, and several advanced options.

Causes and Cure of Computer Hardware Failure

jacobluis — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:35:42 -0700

The physical failure of computer hard drive or other hardware components is the most common reason to create backups. Indeed nothing jolts you into understanding the importance of a good backup more than an irrecoverable hard drive failure. Since the computer hard drive stores all your valuable data and programs, this is a hardware component whose failure harms you the most. That is why, it gets more attention. In such circumstances, Hard Drive Recovery solutions come into picture.

However, there are some other hardware issues, which can lead to severe data loss situations, and some of them could be rather difficult for you to figure out. It is due to the fact that they do not appear like they can cause this issue. Some of such issues are as discussed below:

System Memory Errors- As a number of modern systems and hard drives are running today without the Error Detection and Correction techniques on system memory, there are great chances of memory error. The memory error may corruption hard drive data structures or even the data.

System Timing Issues- Setting up the timing for cache or memory access so sharply, or using the hard drive interface transfer mode, which is so fast for your device or system, can lead to data loss. It can often be realized before it cause some amount of damage to your system and data.

System Resource Conflicts- A computer system have a number of peripherals, which use several system resources concurrently. Conflicts caused from the peripherals, which attempt to use same DMA (Direct Memory Access) channels, I/O addresses, or interrupt requests, may lead to data loss or data corruption.

Power Loss- It is a major reason of hardware failure. Losing power while working with some sensitive data may cause data loss from your hard drive. Power loss may also damage hard drive data structures.

Nevertheless the cause of failure or damage, they eventually cause serious data loss and need Hard Drive Data Recovery solutions to retrieve data.

If you are experiencing hard drive failure due to damaged system data structures and other logical problems, Hard Drive Recovery Software help you to extract lost data. However, in case of physical damage to the drive, Hard Drive Recovery Service come for your rescue. It is a personalized and sophisticated help, offered by recovery experts.

Stellar Information Systems Limited is the leading provider of efficient data recovery solutions to help you get your business back. The software are offered for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, UNIX, and Novell operating systems. Recovery service is carried out in safe and sterile environment of Class 100 Clean Rooms, using indigenous tools and techniques.

Recovering Data Post ““A kernel file is missing..”” Error on an NTFS system

jacobluis — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:05:54 -0700

Kernel is the central part of the operating system, responsible for establishing communication of various programs and data processing applications with the hardware in a secure manner. It manages the system's resources and bridges the gap between hardware and software components of the system.

But, no computer component or file is immune to corruption, and the same is the case with the kernel. It gets corrupted owing to reasons like power failure, improper system shutdown, malfunctioning operating system, etc. Corruption in kernel causes the system to become unbootable and hence the hard drive data becomes inaccessible. But, you can always use a backup file to restore your data. However, if the backup refuses to do so or if it is not available, then you need to use a good-quality NTFS recovery application to recover your data successfully.

Imagine a particular situation – Suppose, when you try to boot your NTFS based system, the system suddenly hangs after the Power On Self Test (POST), and an error message pops up that states:

“A kernel file is missing from the disk.
Insert a system disk and restart the system.”

The system fails to boot after this error message appears.

Cause:

The above stated error message may occur, if the NTFS disk data structure, that is stored in the MFT (Master File Table) is corrupted or fragmented. This prevents Windows NTLDR or boot loader of Windows NT from being read.
As a result, the system fails to boot and this error message occurs.

Resolution:

Consider the following steps to resolve the issue:

Verify the system partition as an active partition, with the help of MS-DOS based Fdisk utility.
Try repairing NTLDR file using the following method:

1.Boot the system from the floppy using the NTLDR on the floppy disk.
2.Shift the NTLDR file to a different location on a hard disk.
3.Unfragment NTLDR using an NTFS defragmentation tool.

This will probable solve the issue. However, if you do not find the above mentioned measures of any help, then use an NTFS data recovery application to recover your inaccessible data or information. To ensure systematic recovery of your data, the ntfs partition recovery tool employs immense scanning algorithms and also provides interactive user interface.

Data Recovery Software is a powerful recovery software that performs the task of recovering all the lost, missing or inaccessible information. This software supports FAT 12, Fat 16, FAT 32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 based file systems. Some additional features of the software are Disk Cloning and Disk Imaging which facilitate data recovery from areas where the scanning becomes slow due to damaged sectors. It is designed for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000.

Stop Error in Windows 7 post device driver damage

jacobluis — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:11:22 -0700

A device driver (also known as software driver) is a program, which interacts and controls with the hardware device attached to your computer system. Few common hardware devices for which a normal computer user installs a driver are printers, diskette drives, and displays. Corruption or damage in any of the device driver results into serious issues, even resulting into making your system unbootable. In most cases, you receive a STOP error (BSOD) on the booting screen of your system. The data saved in the hard drive becomes inaccessible after the above error message pops up. To access the data in such cases, you will need to restore the data from an updated backup. But if in case, you have not created any backup file, then you will need to use advanced Data Recovery Software to recover your lost data.

To illustrate the above scenario, explained is the complete drive corruption scenario – You receive a “STOP Error” message when you start your Windows 7 based system. The error message specifies a name of the damaged device driver, which the system is unable to load. After the error message appears, your system becomes unbootable, making the hard drive data inaccessible.

Few main causes for device driver damage are discussed below:

Operating System malfunction

Improper system shutdown

File System damage

Virus Attack

Loading an incompatible device driver

To resolve the STOP error message, try the underneath measures:

Uninstall any new hardware from your Windows 7 based system.

If the STOP error message still persists, then format your system and reinstall Windows 7 operating system.

While the second measure creates a way to resolve the STOP error message, it also has a disadvantage of deleting all the previously saved data from the hard drive. For comprehensive recovery of formatted data, Read On...

When ever a hard drive is formatted, a new file system is installed. This deletes all the entries of the previous file system. The data saved on the hard drive, however, remains intact and can be recovered easily by using a third-party Data Recovery tool. Such Data Recovery utilities scan a hard drive and salvage all the data stored on its platters. Such recovery software are easily available on the Internet. However, if you want to choose the best recovery application, then you should firstly go through its trial version.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery provides a complete preview of all your formatted files in its free downloadable demo version. The Data Recovery Software supports recovery from FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 file systems based volumes. It is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000.

DLL file corruption in Windows 7

jacobluis — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:21:15 -0700

DLL (Data Link Library) files form an important part of Windows operating system. These files are codded with various functions, which can be easily called from an executable code. Corruption in DLL files results into a booting error message, which makes the data saved in the hard drive inaccessible. In most cases, the error message contains the name of the DLL file that is corrupted or missing. To access the hard drive data after a DLL file error, an ideal way is to restore data from an updated backup. However, maintaining data backup on daily basis is a not an easy task. So, in absence if an updated backup, the user needs to use a third-party Data Recovery Software to recover its data.

As a practical situation, you receive any of the below error messages when you attempt to boot your Windows 7 operating systems:

“Problem in loading c:\windows\system32\msnhoqog.dll”
Or
“Problem in loading c:\windows\system32\msdhgjpd.dll”

After any of the above error message pops up, the system becomes unbootable, further resulting into inaccessibility of data saved in system hard drive.

Cause:

The root cause for the occurrence of any of the above error message is corruption or missing of files. This primarily occurs due to any of the underneath situations:
A new installed application removed the DLL file, which was required by another program.
Improper or bad installation of a new application results in corruption of DDL file.
A new installed program has overwritten the DLL file
Virus Attack

Resolution:

To resolve a DLL file error, you will need to take below measures:
Download the missing DLL file from the Internet.
Try to boot your system in safe mode.
Uninstall any new program.
Run a full virus scan on your computer.

However, if all the above resolutions fail to resolve your issue and you still encounter the above error messages, then you will need to use an effective Data Recovery Software to restore your inaccessible data. These Data Recovery utilities are easy-to-understand and can be downloaded directly from the Internet.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery is a reliable recovery tool that recovers lost, deleted, or formatted data within fraction of minutes. The read only Data Recovery tool supports recovery of data from all hard drives based upon FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 file systems. It supports Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000.

Get Rid of Dangerous“Blue Screen Of Death”

jacobluis — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:34:10 -0700

Apart from all other errors that Windows come across, STOP error ( also known as Blue Screen of Death) is the most confusing and frustrating error, which causes the system to become unbootable. It comes out of nowhere (usually at the time of startup or shutdown) and often leaves the computer users in a dizzy about the cause of this sudden error message. This error generates disastrous scenarios as it renders your hard drive data inaccessible. The only way to access the data left at that moment is to use a backup file to restore the data. However, if the backup is not available or gets corrupted, then you need to use a powerful file recovery application to recover your data completely.

Just imagine a situation one day you tried to view your best friends picture saved on your desktop. But, while the system was trying to boot, suddenly the screen turned blue and a STOP error appears. You immediately power off the system and try to restart it again, but witness the same situation. The STOP error can be similar to any of the following:

“0x00000001: APC_INDEX_MISMATCH”

“0x0000000A: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL”

“0x00000024: NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM.”

“0x0000005F: SECURITY_INITIALIZATION_FAILED.”

“0x00000005: INVALID_PROCESS_ATTACH_ATTEMPT.”

And the list goes on.

The main consequence of a STOP error is that it halts the system's booting process and renders the hard drive data inaccessible.

Cause:

Generally, a STOP error message occurs due to hardware and software issues but the message that is displayed with the message may vary, thereby helping you determine the specific cause of the problem.
But, one main cause of the STOP error is a fragmented or corrupted registry.

Resolution:

Try the following measures to solve the issue:

Make sure that all hardware components are properly connected.
Remove or disable any recently installed hardware or software.
Update all your drivers and BIOS.
Check the HAL (Hardware Compatibility List).
Scan your system for virus or malware.
Scan the registry for errors with the help of a registry repair tool.

These aforementioned measures should help you in solving the issue in most cases. But, if the situation does not get any better even after using the above mentioned measures, then you should re-install the operating system. However, doing this will delete all the data from the primary partition, after which you can recover the data by using an efficient file recovery application. The software does a complete scan of your hard drive to provide comprehensive hard drive recovery by employing its complex scanning algorithms.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery Software is an efficient software that recovers all the lost or deleted information from the hard drive. This software is embedded with various features like Disk Cloning, Disk Imaging, etc and natively supports FAT 12, FAT 16. FAT 32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS 5 based file systems. It is read-only in nature and works with Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000.

Drive Formatted! Backup Corrupted! Is Data Still Recoverable?

jacobluis — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:13:26 -0700

Disk formatting is usually done to eradicate or remove all the errors or problems that a computer might be facing previously. Though, formatting renders the hard drive error-free and results in its increased performance, it also results in complete deletion of all the hard drive data saved in the primary partition. Therefore, it is always recommended to maintain a backup of your essential data (if not all) before formatting the hard drive. This enables you to restore your data after formatting. It is hard to imagine anyone formatting the hard drive without creating a backup, but if someone does so, data will be lost. To overcome such situations, you will have to use a powerful Hard Disk Recovery application to recover all your lost data from the formatted hard drive.

To make this clearer, let us see what Mike says about his experience:

“I had been upset with my system's performance since a few weeks. One day, I got really frustrated and without thinking much, I formatted the system, though I took its backup. This resolved the problem with the system. Then, I started restoring my data with the backup. But, to my surprise, the backup failed to restore the data as the restoration process was not starting up. This was because the backup got corrupt and there was no source or instance of my data left. I have lost everything now!”

Mike became the victim of this unfortunate event, as his backup got corrupt and he could not restore his data. At this point of time, most of the people like Mike, give up on the hope of recovering their data, as for them formatted data is gone forever. However, the lost data can be recovered comprehensively!

Let us see, how?

A high-quality Hard Disk Recovery application recovers all the data stored in the hard disk but got deleted or formatted. These applications are designed by highly-qualified data recovery specialists who furnish these tools with interactive graphical user interface, so even laymen could use them. These Hard Drive Recovery utilities incorporate advanced scanning algorithms to recover all your deleted or inaccessible data accurately.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery Software is one such powerful yet professional data recovery software that should be used to recover your lost, missing, or deleted data from the formatted hard drive. This Hard Drive Recovery software is enriched with various features like Disk Cloning, Disk Imaging, etc and recovers data from FAT 12, FAT 16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 based file systems. This application is designed for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000.

Fixing Windows Vista Booting Error Messages

jacobluis — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:18:19 -0700

A Windows based system with only one hard drive partition is considered more safe in comparison to a system with multiple hard drive partitions. Most of the corruption scenarios in a Windows based system occur during or after partitioning your hard drive. Few main causes of corruption are, MBR corruption, file system damage, and operating system damage. In most cases, you encounter an error message while booting of your computer system. This booting error message does not allow your system to boot, further resulting into inaccessibility of your hard drive data. In such cases, if you have created an adequate backup, then you are safe. However, in case of unavailability of a backup, you might encounter professional or personal issues. To avoid any such data loss scenarios, you can download a Data Recovery Software from the Internet and recover the data.

As a practical case, your system prompts any of the below error messages during its startup:

“BOOTMGR is missing
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart”
Or
“File: \Boot\BCD
Status: 0xc0000034
Info: The Windows Boot Configuration Data file is missing required information”

The data saved in the hard drive becomes inaccessible after the above error message appears.

Cause:

Three main causes for the occurrence of any of the above error messages are discussed below:

\Boot\BCD is damaged\corrupt or missing
BOOTMGR is missing in the root drive
MBR (Master Boot Record) is corrupt\invalid.

Resolution:

An easy way to resolve the above error messages is by formatting the hard drive. Formatting allows you install new file system on your drive, thereby deleting all the previous entries of the previous files systems. Formatting a hard drive results in inaccessibility of all the previously stored data.

To recover the lost data, in case of no backup available, you will need to use advanced third-party Data Recovery Software. A Data Recovery tool recoups lost, missing, deleted, or formatted data from your hard drive by using high-end recovering methods. A good way to select such recovery applications is by firstly testing their downloadable demo versions.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery is a Data Recovery utility that meets all your expectations and provides desired results. The do-it-yourself recovery utility does not require any prior data recovery experience or technical understanding. Designed for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000, the software is compatible with FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 file systems.

Severities of Read Errors and the Error Management Logic

jacobluis — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:19:11 -0700

Every computer has a hard drive. Infact, the hard drive is the heart and soul of a computer. And each hard drive in turn has controller. These controllers, while reading data from the disk, use a number of complex techniques for managing errors. The techniques used follow a sequence, and, the simplest method is for managing errors, if any problem occurs with the hard drive. If that method does not work, then high level complex methods are used to manage the error. The error correction methods prevent failure of hard drive and the need to go for Data Recovery solution

Though, every hard drive manufacturer uses different error management techniques, below is just a rough idea of how the hard drive approaches error management:

Error Detection using ECC(error correcting code): In this technique, the hard drive sector is read and the error detection is used for checking read errors. If the sector is error free, it is passed on the interface and read is successfully over.

Error Correction with ECC: Hard drive controller tries to fix the error by applying ECC codes. The data is generally quickly corrected with the codes and is taken as Corrected Automatically, and is not even taken as a read error.

Subsequent Error Correction Attempts: After this, system waits till the disk spins again to reread the sectors, as first step might have failed due to some change in physical state or some other non-repeating problem, like a physical shock or magnetic field. Some errors are repaired after one or more retries, is taken as recovered. And, hence almost all the disk controllers, make more attempts to read through the sectors, a given number of times, before eventually giving up.

Advanced Error Correction: Advanced error correction techniques are deployed by most of the most hard drives, after the failure of the first attempt. These techniques are by far more complex and slow, but more capable of error correction, than, routine correction procedures.

Failure: If hard drive sector is still unreadable, the controller gives read errors. These are unreadable read errors and lead to flashing of error messages on the computer screen.

Even before the read errors occur, hard drives may face issues with locating the data. The manufacturers test the hard drive for quality, at the development stage. However, if any error occurs during the general hard drive operations and can not be fixed through hard drive error correction techniques, your data may become inaccessible.

This behavior of computer hard drive cause critical data loss situations and need Data Recovery solutions to get your data back. If the problem is with hard drive controller or any other physical component, Data Recovery Solution is required to retrieve lost data.

On the other hand, logical failure of hard drive can be fixed through Data Recovery Software. The applications use efficient scanning techniques to methodically scan entire hard drive and extract all lost data from it.

Stellar Information Systems Limited offers advanced recovery solutions for all data loss scenarios. The software are available for Windows, Mac OS X, UNIX, Linux, and Novell operating systems. Service is delivered through safe and sterile environment of Class 100 Clean Rooms using indigenous tools.

Processor Overclocking May Corrupt File System Structures and Cause Data Loss

jacobluis — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:08:12 -0700

Processor Overclocking is the procedure of running the CPU (Central Processing Unit) at higher clock rate. It increases the speed of your processor, which is the most significant device in your computer for performance purpose. However, there are some definite risks of overclocking the processor. The issues may range from system resource destruction to data loss. Data loss is something that can not be accepted at any cost, and you need Data Recovery Software to get your valuable data back.

Followings are the possible hazards of overclocking of processor:

Complete Destruction of Processor – Overclocking the processor may lead to complete destruction of the processor, i.e., the processor will not boot after overclocking. Infact, in rare cases, even on returning the speed to normal, it may not work. Although, such type of failure is quite uncommon, but it happens.

Non-Functionality - Processor may not function at new speed, but work properly when it is returned to original speed. It is very common after overclocking.

System Instability - Processor may start at new speed, but may behave strangely. Parity errors, random hard lockups, odd hard drive issues, beeping, program crashes, resource conflicts, and operating system refusing to boot up are some common symptoms of it.

Electromigration - If you run the processor at a speed, which is higher than its speculated speed, internal components of the processor might break down at some point. To put it simply, overclocking makes the processor run at a high frequency, which generates additional heat. This generated heat leads to formation of shorts or opening of the metal lines in the processor, which damages the processor in due course of time. The computer in such a case work fine for some time, until it finally breaks down.

Data Loss - It is quite likely that you lose the data and information after processor overclocking. If your processor is not working correctly, you risk corrupting the file system of your hard drive. Operating system registry may also get damaged, requiring re-installation of the operating system.

In case of data loss, Data Recovery solutions are required to extract lost, missing, and inaccessible data from your hard drive. Recovery in case of file system corruption or registry corruption, is possible using Data Recovery Solutions.

The applications are capable of methodically scanning whole hard drive and extracting lost data from it. The Data Recovery Software are quite safe and easy to use with read-only conduct and rich graphical user interface.

Stellar Information Systems Limited is the foremost provider of advanced recovery applications. The software are available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, UNIX, and Novell operating systems. These tools work well in most of the logical data loss situations.

Hard Drive Performance Optimization May Cause Data Loss

jacobluis — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:31:31 -0700

Hard drive is the main data storage device of your computer that contains various applications, and important data, apart from the operating system. Yet, its performance is most underrated. However, this can be improved! The optimization methods may be related to system data structures or hard drive itself. But, in some cases, interrupted hard drive optimization process may make your data inaccessible and lead to critical data loss. In such circumstances, you have to retrieve lost data through Data Recovery methods.

There are various comparatively simple methods, which can be used for improving the hard drive performance significantly. Hard drive performance is a complicated subject, much more than conveyed by various hardware resources. The hard drive performance optimizations are divided into the following two categories:

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) setting optimizations.
Disk organization and optimizations.

Although, hard drive performance optimization is required to boost system's performance, you have to be careful while doing it. A minor mistake during optimization process may lead to critical data loss and require Data Recovery. You should bear following two things in mind while optimizing hard drive performance:

In various situations, on performing autodetect of hard drive, performance BIOS settings are set automatically by the BIOS (provided, the hard drive supports that). In some situations, optimal settings aren't set correctly. Please Note: When the drive is autodetected, and the BIOS disables a feature, you must be careful.
The process includes a number of BIOS tweaks, which may result into improper system operations and possibly data loss, if care isn't take. There is always a possibility of a problem occurring, hence, you should be prepared to undo all the changes. Before you proceed for the optimization process and changing the hard drive settings, make sure that you backup all your data.

In case the backup does not exist or is not updated, you need to go for Data Recovery Solutions to extract lost data from the affected hard drive. These recovery applications are particularly designed to methodically scan the storage media and extract all the lost, missing, and inaccessible data from it.

The Data Recovery Software comes equipped with self-descriptive and interactive graphical user interface and does not demand sound technical skills. They do not alter original data on the hard drive as they have read-only and non-destructive conduct.

Stellar Information Systems Limited is the foremost provider of high-quality recovery solutions. The software are offered for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, UNIX, and Novell operating systems. These tools are designed to work with the file systems of these operating systems.

Hard Drive Performance Optimization May Cause Data Loss

jacobluis — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:31:27 -0700

Significance of Preventive Maintenance to Avoid Data Loss Situations

jacobluis — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:30:17 -0700

Preventive maintenance is the most important thing that you should think about to avoid system failure and data loss. However, this is the most ignored aspect by the computer users. Most of the users think that their computers do not require preventive maintenance, and do not understand it until their system fails. The users who do not take preventive measures may face critical system failure and data loss situations. In such cases, Data Recovery methods are required to extract lost data from affected storage devices.

Following are some general reasons why you need to develop the preventive maintenance plan for your computer:

Saves Money: This is an old adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is true for the preventive maintenance as well. Avoiding any problems with your computer saves your money in long run, as compared to laying out money for replacing the damaged components with new one.
Saves Time: Taking few hours every month to perform preventive maintenance can save you a lot of time. It saves you from a lot of hassles of handling the system breakdown and data loss. Most of such procedures are extremely simple as compared to the repair and troubleshooting methods. Repair and troubleshooting processes can actually take a lot of time, depending upon the type and extent of damage.
Safeguards Your Significant Data: For businesses and general home computer uses, data and information on the hard drive is more significant than the hardware components that store it. Taking steps for data prevention thus makes sense and removes the need for Data Recovery.

And, if you do not take preventive steps, your system may fail at any point of time and lead to data loss. At this point, you need to recover lost data using appropriate methods.

In case of logical damage due to file system corruption, operating system malfunction, virus infection, hard drive formatting, and other such reasons, Data Recovery Software can help you retrieve data. The applications are quite safe and easy to use.

On the other hand, physical data loss cases requires special assistance, called Data Recovery Service. It is delivered through safe and sterile environment of Cleanroom by skilled professionals. The data recovery experts can handle all types of physical data loss situations.

Stellar Information Systems Limited is the leading provider of superior data recovery solutions. The software are offered for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, UNIX, and Novell operating systems. Service is delivered through Class 100 Cleanroom using cutting-edge technologies.