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Recovering Data from a Laptop

RAID ARRAY:

I have a RAID array onto my server which I use every day to save data and files from my computer. I was saving information this morning, and suddenly saw that the computer was displaying an error, reporting the failure of one of the server disks. The failed drive is one which I had previously used to store a lot of significant data on, and I now can’t get the computer to see the drive at all. It is essential that I get the data back quickly, as it is important for a project I am completing. The drive spins with the others when the array starts, but there is absolutely no display at all. It seems as though the RAID controller can’t see the drive, as it repeatedly spins and stops when I ask the computer to read from it. The disk was working fine until this morning, and I need to get the data recovered that is on the drive. It is seriously important, and is my priority.

RAID HARD DRIVE:

I am using a two disk array which has suddenly stopped working. I have already had to rebuild the drive several times, but I thought that the last time solve the problem, and that I could save data onto it again. The problems started when there was a 2-disk mirrored RAID system running into a server, which I decided to reformat it into a RAID 0 array, meaning that the drives were reformatted over the top of the original RAID. I didn’t delete the format before I rebuild the array. I can’t find the controller that the array was formatted to, and I don’t know the stripe of the original RAID. The main problem is that I need to recover data from the drives which have now failed, and I can’t see a way to do this. I have tried several recovery programs, but they all think that the drives are in the mirrored configuration, rather than in the one I am actually running. I have only managed to get a few files out of the drives using a RAID recovery system. I get reports that the data on the drives is corrupt, as well as this change in the RAID.

Recovering Data from a Laptop

COMPANY LAPTOP

I have a company laptop which is used purely for work. I had McAfee Encryption software on it, and it was working fine. I worked from home on the Monday, and then shut it down for the night. When I travelled to work on Tuesday, I got to my desk and powered up the laptop, and when I signed in, I got a message saying ‘file missing Windows/System32/Windows/config’. I tried to boot up the Windows repair CD, and tried to run a recovery boot from the console. I then tried to boot up from the hard drive again, and this time after I logged in to the Encryption, I got a message saying that there was ‘no OS’. I can see the drive in BIOS, and I can also see some folders, although the files look as though they are written in hieroglyphs, and they also have strange dates to them, some of them looking like 2076, for example. I have to get the data recovered on this drive, because it is my work from home data from Monday.

WINDOWS 7 LAPTOP

I have an almost brand new laptop, which I have been using for about 9 months. It is currently running Windows 7 Ultimate operating system software. Recently, it sent me a message saying that it wanted to do a Windows Update, and I allowed this. However, when the reboot started to complete the update, the PC suddenly claims that there is no hard drive, and that the OS is missing. The hard drive can be heard at the back of the laptop, firstly humming as usual, and then sending out a clear series of beeps. This repeats several times until the computer is powered off. There is no clicking, and no spinning of the disks. I have tried to connect the hard drive to an external system, and the computer tells me to ‘initialise disk’ before it will run. I did not want to do this, so cancelled it. However, I have data on here which has not been backed up.

ACER ASPIRE 7750G

I have an old Acer Aspire 7750G which has had a lot of previous problems. I have had those fixed, but after using the computer for a while to write some documents, I found that I cannot turn the computer back on. The computer runs for a short time, but then reports a disk error and says that it is looking for something, this always passes too quickly for me to note down. The hard drive is running at this point, but shortly afterwards stops going around. I can hear an odd noise when this happens, a kind of whirring as though the drive was spinning around very fast. Once the hard drive has stopped going around, the computer freezes up, and won’t go into the desktop. I can hear it searching the hard drive, so I know that the connection is still working, but I want to be able to save the documents which I have on the computer.

WINDOWS LAPTOP

I need some emergency help with a Windows laptop. I was trying to get some software installed, and accidentally wiped some pictures and folders from my documents file. This was not clear until after I had rebooted, but as soon as I opened the documents folder to look at a file, it was clear that a lot of work was missing. I don’t know how the loss occurred, because I was simply trying to install a driver, but the end result is that documents for the last 6 months have all been lost. When I try to find those documents by name in the Search Computer box, I can actually see the named file, but when I try to click on it, the computer says that it is an invalid destination. I have occasionally seen all of the files in My Documents, but again they are inaccessible, and there is often a cross in the corner of the file. This appearance never lasts very long, and is happening randomly. I need some of this information in order to provide a quote to a client.

Recovering Data from a Laptop

Laptops are a great invention, and pivotal to the lives of many people. In fact, most computer users prefer laptops over desktops. They offer great features, convenience and portability that can’t be found with a desktop. Laptops give users the chance to work or play from anywhere, allowing for the enjoyment of different locations and settings, all while having a computer within arm’s reach.

The biggest advantage of a laptop is of course its portability, but this can also be its biggest weakness. Laptops are susceptible to all of the failings and issues that lead to the loss of data on a desktop, but they’re also subject to their own particular set of vulnerabilities associated with being a portable device. For example, a desktop isn’t likely to be dropped or left in a hot car for an extended period of time, whereas this is the type of abuse a laptop typically endures on a daily basis.

The Frequent Occurrence of Laptop Damage
There are a number of catastrophic events that can lead to laptop damage, but at the same time, there are a many events that may go unnoticed by the computer owner that can lead to similar problems requiring data recovery services. Even without a big, detrimental event, the hard drive of a laptop can fail just due to daily use or overheating from no fault of the computer user. In addition to daily use and catastrophic events, there are other reasons laptop hard drives fail.

One such reason is dust and dirt. Although many people wouldn’t even think about the effect of dirt and dust on a laptop, the accumulation of debris can prevent a laptop from ventilating heat. This is the number one reason many laptops fail.

Another common reason for laptop hard drive failure is because of exposure to humidity and water. Laptops are extremely sensitive to moisture, and even as little as a small splash of water can lead to failure of a laptop’s hard drive.

If a laptop user hears a clicking noise, this can mean the head drive isn’t aligned properly, which is something that occurs through regular use and is not triggered by one specific event in many cases.

If your computer undergoes any type of trauma, or you hear a clicking noise or any unusual performance from your laptop, the best course of action is to immediately turn it off and contact a professional laptop data recovery company like ourselves.

Can Laptop Data Be Recovered?
Many times, local computer shops will tell a laptop owner that when a hard drive fails there is no recourse that can save the data, but this isn’t the case. It’s important that a computer owner not try to fix the problem alone, and instead of seeking the help of a computer shop, the owner should seek the services of a professional data recovery service, such as ourselves. Even when laptops have undergone extremely damaging situations, Easy Recovery has been able to successfully recovery data.