The road to data recovery often begins with a crash. When your computer, phone, tablet, external drive, or another storage device unexpectedly fails you and you can’t access the files you need, it can be a frightening experience.
This is why it’s crucial to understand what NOT to do when in this situation. Just like with any other kind of disaster, the way you react in the first few minutes will have a big impact on how soon you get your data back and how much time and money that process costs you.
In this article, we will discuss some common mistakes people make when their data is at risk.
Don’t Assume Your Data is Lost Forever
First and foremost, don’t panic. While it’s always a good idea to backup your important data and to be prepared for a data loss scenario, there are plenty of ways to get your data back even if you’ve done everything wrong in the situation. Most computer crashes are caused by hardware issues and can be fixed by replacing the faulty part.
When a hard drive fails, there’s a possibility that its data can be recovered by professional data recovery software. Most websites and email providers offer free data recovery tools that can be downloaded and used at home.
Don’t Assume It’s a Software Problem
When your computer crashes, it’s easy to assume it’s a software problem and look for a solution online. You might find a lot of articles that tell you to uninstall and reinstall your software or to run a repair utility. However, software issues are rarely the cause of crashing computers. Hardware issues are much more likely culprits.
If your computer is crashing, the first thing you should do is to check the computer’s hardware. Make sure everything is properly plugged in. Check your RAM and make sure it’s not overheating. Most computer crashes are caused by faulty hardware, so the solution is usually as simple as replacing the part.
Don’t Turn Off Your Computer
Some people might advise you to turn off your computer if it starts acting up. If you’ve been following our advice so far, you already know that you shouldn’t do that. Most computer crashes are caused by hardware issues, so turning off the computer will not fix anything. In fact, it will make things worse by putting more pressure on the faulty part and making it more likely to break.
If you are experiencing a computer crash, the best thing to do is to unplug the computer and let the part cool down. If you can’t unplug your computer, try to move it to a cooler location. A computer crash can be scary, but if you don’t panic and follow the right steps for iTop Data Recovery, you can usually get through it without having to spend a lot of money on repairs.
Don’t Install Software from Unknown Sources
If your computer is infected with malware, it’s tempting to look for a solution online. Unfortunately, many of the articles you’ll find will tell you to download and install software from unknown sources. This is a bad idea, as this software could be the cause of your issues or could make them worse. Again, computer crashes are usually caused by hardware issues, so installing software won’t fix your problems.
Bottom line
Whatever the reason for your data loss, the best thing you can do is to stay calm and don’t do anything rash. Instead, follow these tips to avoid common mistakes that make data loss situations worse. Data loss can be scary, but you can recover your data if you approach the situation rationally and follow the right steps with iTop.