Practically all of us have been there before – that time when you are worried about losing all that data that you have stored on your device. In some other instances, the device ends up crashing without any prior notice. Once that happens, the next step is to embark on the recovery of the data lost. The essence of data recovery is to ensure that all the valuable data is recovered so you can continue with your work. In this piece, we are going to look at five things to know about data recovery.

1. Frequent Conditions Needing Data Recovery: There can be several instances where one will need to recover data. Some of the most frequent conditions you will expect to have data recovery done include when there is a damage or failure of the storage devices. Another is when there is a deletion by mistake and another is when there is an operating system failure. In any of these cases, the usual thing to do is to find a way to transfer all the vital files from the malfunctioning media to a new drive.

2. Data Loss: There is no way one can discuss data recovery without mentioning data loss. That you have deleted a file does not mean it is lost forever because that file can be accessed again. Data loss is when you are unable to access the data in question in the files or the problematic device. Physical damage or logical failure in a drive can lead to data loss.

3. Preventive Tips: Data recovery is not always the easiest thing for many people so there are some steps that can be taken to ensure that you never have to worry about data loss. You can make use of backup drive, operating system utility platforms, and even cloud space as a way to prevent losing data in the first place. Having a reliable backup system is also another excellent preventive measure.

4. Recovery on Several Devices: Data recovery can be done on practically on any storage device. Examples of these are USBs, flash drives, hard disk drives, smartphones, and tablets. Others include compact discs (CDs), memory cards, laptop computers, solid-state devices and a lot more.

5. Not the Same with Data Repair: Even though these terms can sound alike, the truth is that both are not the same. As a matter of fact, they even describe totally different things. In a situation where the files of a user are missing, deleted or even lost and cannot be found in the file again, it can be said to be permanently lost. In such a scenario, the only thing that can be done is to embark on data recovery.

Data repair on its own is a different thing entirely and it describes a situation where a file has been seriously damaged or corrupt and cannot be opened by regular programs. When that happens, data repair is often the next step to be taken so that the damaged or corrupted files can be recovered and opened successfully.