How to recover your lost data
17 May 2008, 0946 hrs IST,IANS
WASHINGTON: Bad things can happen to
good data. Hard drives can crash, memory cards can be formatted accidentally,
CDs or DVDs on which important files are stored can become scratched and
unreadable. But there are steps you can take to try to retrieve damaged
data.
The course you take will depend upon the type of media on which
the data is stored as well as how severe the damage is.
If the
scratches aren't deep, it's likely that you can at least improve the playability
of the disks simply by cleaning them. Just mix up a solution of water and window
cleaner or other gentle detergent, such as baby shampoo. Then use the solution
to dampen a soft, lint-free cloth.
Use the dampened cloth to wipe the
data side of the CD. Sometimes what appear to be scratches are actually just
smudges, and these can often be removed in this fashion.
For more
stubborn smudges and superficial scratches, another homemade remedy can work
wonders. First, locate the scratches on the disk by looking at the data side at
an angle under a bright light. Then place a small bit of toothpaste, which
contains a gentle abrasive, on a cotton swab. Use the cotton swab to gently
scrub the disk in the area where it's scratched.
After a few seconds
of scrubbing, rinse the disk off with water and then dry it with a soft cloth.
You might want to perform this entire operation in the bathroom, where you'll
usually have all the supplies - and light - that you need.
At a
computer store, you'll find plenty of CD and DVD cleaning kits. Some of these
can be quite effective for stubborn scratches. Generally these kits consist of
one or more cleaning solutions along with a micro-fibre cloth. Some even
automate the cleaning process for you. Don't expect miracles, however: it's
possible to scratch a disk beyond any means of repair.
Sometimes you
can't. Hard drives occasionally just go bad, refusing to start up one day,
either emitting a clicking sound or no sound at all.
Other times,
though, there are warning signs. If your hard drive starts making noticeable
clicking noises or you begin to experience random data loss or have very slow
drive performance, a drive failure may be imminent. It's best to begin copying
all-important data off of the drive immediately.
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