• NO Processing Fee, No Diagnosis Fee, NO Data No Charge
17 Jul

Data Recovery Kenya – East Africa Data Handlers – Data Recovery Nairobi

Data Recovery Kenya-East Africa Data Handlers-Data Recovery Nairobi

Data Recovery | Digital Forensics | Cyber Security | Kenya & East Africa. Call +0711 051 000

Do you know Data Loss is only temporary and we prove it every day with the highest Data Recovery Success rate in Kenya and East Africa. At East Africa  Data Handlers this what we do.

We retrieve data from Hard Drives, Laptops, Desktops, Raid Systems, Network-Attached Storage (NAS), Storage Area Network (SAN), Tapes, Servers, SAS and SCSI Hard Drives, Memory Cards, Mobile Phones, Flash Drives, Solid State Drives & Ransomware Encryption.

data recovery kenya  | data recovery Nairobi

Hard Drive Data Recovery

Through our Data Recovery services , We offer world-leading solutions and multiple data recovery service options for virtually all types of hard drives (IDE, EIDE), Serial ATA (SATA), SCSI, SAS, SSD and Fibre Channel in Nairobi, Kenya
data recovery kenya  | data recovery Nairobi

Server Data Recovery

When your server fails or is missing data, we understand the urgency to recover your data and get you back up and running.Our team of engineers are experts in server data recovery. We work with our clients and the equipment manufacturer to recover the maximum amount of data as quickly as possible. We offer 24/7 Emergency and Onsite data recovery for Servers because they are the heart beat of any organization. Oracle servers, retrieve lost SQL data, recover files from Dell servers, HP servers and RAID configured devices across Nairobi Kenya
data recovery

Mobile Phone Data Recovery

We know how to recover data from mobile internal storage? The mobile phone has stored many important data, like, photos, videos, messages, and other files. What if your cellphone got damaged and inaccessible. All the important files that stored in your cell phone have been lost, or you accidentally deleted important files. Based on trust, customers rely on East African Data Handlers  for recovery services for their mobile phones. Recovery is possible on most Android and Apple Phones. Ie Iphones, Ipads, HTC, LG, Samsung, Infinix, Techno and more accross Kenya
data recovery service

data recovery

NAS & SAN Data Recovery

SAN environments can incorporate a number of different types of computer hardware, including Network-Attached Storage (NAS) devices and RAID systems where devices communicate using the block-based SCSI protocol over dedicated Fibre Channel or Internet Protocol (IP) network. Because of its many elements, SAN architectures can be quite complex and the more complex the system, the more likely a failure can occur in one component, affecting the entire storage environment.

East African Data Handlers routinely recovers data from:

  • Single or Multiple Disk Failure
  • Failed Software or Operating System Upgrades
  • Mechanical Failure (Clicking, Buzzing)
  • Virus Attack
  • System Crash
  • Accidental Deletion of Data or Reformat of NAS Volume
  • Physical Damage (Fire, Water, Smoke, Etc.)
  • Power Surge Causing Physical or Logical Corruption
  • Data Could Not Be Viewed Due To Security System Failure

The #1 cause of unrecoverable data is due to individuals or technicians attempting data recovery on their own.

NAS is an alternative to a specialized storage area network (SAN). NAS devices are often connected to a shared general purpose local area network, reducing cost overhead, while also reducing access speed. The protocol used with NAS is a file based protocol such as Network File System (NFS) or Microsoft’s Common Internet File System (CIFS).

Most network storage systems contain more than one hard disk drive, often in a RAID configuration and are a computer by itself with its own operating system. Having a hard drive fail or even one the computer components could make it impossible for your IT department to recover the data due to the nonstandard operating system.

Unexpected failure may cause data inaccessibility or even data loss. Often this occurs between data backups or on data that has no backup at all. Utilizing proprietary data recovery technology, our data recovery specialists will recover the data you need in a timely, secure and cost effective manner. We have established a level of expertise in RAID, SAN, and NAS recovery that is unparalleled by even the manufacturers of the systems that we recover data from.

Our combination of custom software and extensive experience means we do not need your hardware or your controller to perform data recovery on your RAID, SAN or NAS storage system. We only need the drives from the sub-system. You can keep the trays, rails, cables and miscellaneous hardware. This allows you to replace the drives and start the rebuild process while we recover the data from the originals. You no longer have to wait to get your equipment back.

East African Data Handlers  offers multiple data recovery service options across Kenya for recovering lost or inaccessible data from NAS & SAN Storage devices. ie Apple, Buffalo, Dell, NetGear, Lacie, Iomega, G-Drive, HP and more.
data recovery

SSD Data Recovery

Solid state drives (SSDs) offer a bevy of benefits over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). The primary advantage of SSDs is that they use nonvolatile memory chips that improve performance and loading speed. They use less energy and are more compact, making them perfect for laptops and mobile devices that require more lightweight storage options. What’s more, SSDs differ from HDDs in that they do not have an actuator arm that writes data onto a spinning disk. This absence of moving mechanical parts decreases the likelihood of damaging the drive or disrupting data reading and writing when using storage devices in transit.

That being said, many SSD users assume their SSDs are more reliable than HDDs because their lack of moving parts should theoretically mean less opportunity on the whole for something to go wrong. Unfortunately, this is incorrect.

While SSDs have rightly earned their reputation for high-speed performance, they are not infallible. In fact, generally speaking, the longevity of an SSD seems to be pretty on par with that of an HDD. In other words, despite their many advantages, SSDs are still susceptible to memory deterioration and physical faults. Flash memory wears out over time, while capacitors, power supply, and controller chips all make SSDs prone to electrical failures.

For this reason, it’s crucial for MSPs to understand that SSDs can fail and prepare themselves with adequate precautionary measures to help customers avoid data loss. The bottom line is that SSD death can be unpredictable and unavoidable in some cases, which is why it’s best to learn about preemptive measures and SSD data recovery well in advance of a potential failure.

Through our Recovery products and services, East African Data Handlers can help clients understand and manage the challenges associated with Solid State Drive Data Recovery. ie Kingston, Samsung, WD Black & Black SSD etc.
data recovery service

Raid Data Recovery

Having problems with your RAID 0-6 array?

Does the battery or power issue lead to RAID failure? Damaged RAID’s controller? RAID logical volume was formatted? RAID Volume inaccessible? RAID disk not recognized? Need to repair software or hardware RAID? Is one of the RAID’s disk dead?

Very likely that your precious files are at high risk. Are you afraid of the complete loss of your data?

At East African Data Handlers we use advanced data recovery tools and techniques to repair, recover and rebuild inaccessible data from all types of RAID systems ie Raid 1, Raid 0, Raid 5, Raid 6, Raid 10 etc
data recovery kenya

Ransomware Attack Data Recovery

You’re working on your computer and you notice that it seems slower. Or perhaps you can’t access document or media files that were previously available.

You might be getting error messages from Windows telling you that a file is of an “Unknown file type” or “Windows can’t open this file.”

If you’re on a Mac, you might see the message “No associated application,” or “There is no application set to open the document.”

Another possibility is that you’re completely locked out of your system. If you’re in an office, you might be looking around and seeing that other people are experiencing the same problem. Some are already locked out, and others are just now wondering what’s going on, just as you are.

Then you see a message confirming your fears.

You’ve been infected with ransomware.

Attacked by Ransomware and can’t access your files? Don’t worry, We perform ransomware virus recovery service on any Ransomware family: WannaCry, Jigsaw, CryptoLocker etc  we are the best solution provider in ransomware virus recovery from any Server, PC.
data recovery kenya

Cyber Security

What is Cyber Security?

Cyber security is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks. It’s also known as information technology security or electronic information security. The term applies in a variety of contexts, from business to mobile computing, and can be divided into a few common categories.

  • Network security is the practice of securing a computer network from intruders, whether targeted attackers or opportunistic malware.
  • Application security focuses on keeping software and devices free of threats. A compromised application could provide access to the data its designed to protect. Successful security begins in the design stage, well before a program or device is deployed.
  • Information security protects the integrity and privacy of data, both in storage and in transit.
  • Operational security includes the processes and decisions for handling and protecting data assets. The permissions users have when accessing a network and the procedures that determine how and where data may be stored or shared all fall under this umbrella.
  • Disaster recovery and business continuity define how an organization responds to a cyber-security incident or any other event that causes the loss of operations or data. Disaster recovery policies dictate how the organization restores its operations and information to return to the same operating capacity as before the event. Business continuity is the plan the organization falls back on while trying to operate without certain resources.
  • End-user education addresses the most unpredictable cyber-security factor: people. Anyone can accidentally introduce a virus to an otherwise secure system by failing to follow good security practices. Teaching users to delete suspicious email attachments, not plug in unidentified USB drives, and various other important lessons is vital for the security of any organization.

Cyber attacks have become common, that’s why we provide managed security services that help companies detect & respond to threats and breaches. Talk to our cyber security experts today to defend your systems & data from attacks.
data recovery Nairobi

Digital Forensics

What is Digital Forensics?

Digital Forensics is defined as the process of preservation, identification, extraction, and documentation of computer evidence which can be used by the court of law. It is a science of finding evidence from digital media like a computer, mobile phone, server, or network. It provides the forensic team with the best techniques and tools to solve complicated digital-related cases.

Digital Forensics helps the forensic team to analyzes, inspect, identifies, and preserve the digital evidence residing on various types of electronic devices.

We offer the forensic analysis of Laptops, Desktops, smartphones, tablets and other devices In Kenya. recover deleted data, text messages, call logs, docs, browser history.
data recovery east africa

Cloud and Data Backup

What is cloud backup and how does it work?

Cloud backup, also known as online backup or remote backup, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure or catastrophe. The secondary server and storage systems are usually hosted by a third-party service provider, who charges the backup customer a fee based on storage space or capacity used, data transmission bandwidth, number of users, number of servers or number of times data is accessed.

Implementing cloud data backup can help bolster an organization’s data protection strategy without increasing the workload of information technology (IT) staff. The labor-saving benefit may be significant and enough of a consideration to offset some of the additional costs associated with cloud backup, such as data transmission charges.

We provide a cloud based backup and recovery solution in Kenya that provides SMEs, Private Companies, Government Institution and even Individuals with offsite backup solution.

FAQ

1.Where are we located  for data recovery in kenya nairobi city. ( data recovery nairobi kenya) ( east africa data recovery  kenya)

  • We are located at Chiromo Court 3rd floor

2. What are data recovery prices in nairobi

  • We operate on no data recovered no charge policy. ( data recovery kenya price )

3. What are the data recovery techniques we use?

  • Different devices have different form of data recovery.

4. Do we sell any data recovery software?

  • No we don’t but we have custom types by the manufacturers of the devices.

5. Are the any recovery options kenya?

  • Yes there are but, we are the best due to our vast experience.

Contact us now:

Call now 0711 051 000. We are the Data recovery Experts in Kenya and Africa.
Do not Suffer in Silence we can help.  We are located at Chiromo Court 3rd floor Nairobi Kenya.

 

 

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20 Jun

Top 5 Causes of Android Data loss –

Top 5 Causes of Android Data Loss – Android Data Recovery

Android smart phone is one of the most marvelous handheld devices on the planet. It takes pictures, surfs the net and keeps you in touch with all your friends and acquaintances. But, what happens if your marvelous wonder machine loses all your data? Phone numbers that no one bothers to remember anymore or the pictures you just tool of your child’s first steps. It can all be gone in an instant and today we will talk about top 5 causes of Android data loss how you can lost everything.

Cause 1: Upgrade

Many people today are upgrading their Android device

es to the latest Android OS version. Unfortunately, in a number of instances all the personal information is erased after the OS update. This means you have to re-enter everything by hand all over again. This can take many hours and often you will not be able to put it all back as most don’t keep their contacts and phone lists up to date in hard copy.

Cause 2: Theft

You can lose your Android device through a number of mishaps such as dropping it into a lake, river or pond. It could be stolen or it just may fall out of your pocket at the train station, bus stop and checkout counter at your local supermarket.

Cause 3: Human error

Sorry to say most data is lost by accident when someone deletes it by mistake. You mean to delete one item and you chose the wrong one in error. Now you are missing a vital phone number or a special picture that is very precious to you and your memories. This is probably the most common occurrence that cases Android data loss.

Cause 4: Jailbreak

Some attempt to get more out of their Android and they go to see their local Android teachs. These individuals can unlock features that you might never have been aware of before you visit them. However, one of the side effects is that all your data can vanish as a result.

Cause 5: Replacing the battery

Believe it or not, a simple thing such as replacing your battery can cause your Android phone to lose all of your personal information and you have to start all over again as in some instances it resets the Android back to its original factory settings.
Then, what if you lose important data from your Android phone? East African Data Handlers are capable of recovering your lost data no matter how you lost it. Our  available technology is able to solve the Android data recovery problem as easy as pie. We will assist you to recover not only photos and videos, but also text messages and contacts from Android phone or tablet. We use our Android data recovery technology directly to recover lost files from Android device, or even can also restore formatted or deleted data from the SD card on your Android mobile.

No matter how your Android data was lost or deleted, our technology can scan and recover them for you without any hassle.

Contact us now

If you’ve lost valuable, irreplaceable mobile data   or need Data Recovery Plan for your Oraganisation or business— We can save it! Call us now at +254 711 051 000 or visit our offices Chiromo Court 3rd Floor Westlands, Kenya. Best of it, we have distributed offices all over East Africa and can easily get your device brought to us from anywhere in East Africa.

Also  we have other services in data recovery for various  devices; Hard Drives, Laptops, Desktops, Raid SystemsRAID / NAS / SAN , Servers, Memory Cards, Flash Drives, Databases, SSD Drives etc

East African Data Handlers ltd  no data – no charge policy means you owe us nothing if we are unable to recover your critical files.

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24 Feb

Data Recovery Services – Choose wisely

Reliable data recovery services

When looking for reliable data recovery services there are some things you should look for. Not all data recovery experts are genuine. There are others who will mess up your hard drive and will then tell you that the data is unrecoverable. To avoid such situations you can check the data recovery services company for the following:
Get to know the methods and technology being used to perform the recovery services. Making a visit to the premises where the recovery is done would be good so that you can see some of the tools, technology and software being used. You can be able to judge whether the technology is up-to-date or outdated. Some things you may ask are: Is the equipment being used a reflection current technology? What is the general environmental condition of the data recovery area? It would also be good to inquire on the methods to be used to recover data and some small explanation. This will help in making proper judgments about the company.

It would be good to get some general procedures and background information on data recovery. Have one of the experts give a general explanation of the process. Most companies should give that description but there are some corporate secrets that they may never tell. Ask as many questions as possible to gauge the competency of the recovery experts. Having some insight on what takes place during the data recovery process may help one judge the competencies of a certain data recovery company.

Also, check for qualifications. These qualifications include license certificates, certificates of operation and also tax compliant certificates. This helps in getting to know the genuineness of the company e.g. it would be good to know the minimum standards a company should have attained before having be fully declared as a data recovery company.

Contact us now

If you’ve lost valuable, irreplaceable data  — We can save it! Call us now at +254 711 051 000 or visit our offices Chiromo Court 3rd Floor Westlands, Kenya. Best of it, we have distributed offices all over East Africa and can easily get your device brought to us from anywhere in East Africa.

Also  we have other services in data recovery for various  devices; Hard Drives, Laptops, Desktops, Raid SystemsRAID / NAS / SAN , Servers, Memory Cards, Flash Drives, Databases, SSD Drives etc

East African Data Handlers ltd  no data – no charge policy means you owe us nothing if we are unable to recover your critical files.

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19 Jan

Wonder Why Hard Drives and Memory Cards Have Less Space Than Advertised?

Wonder Why Hard Drives and Memory Cards Have Less Space Than Advertised?

Today we are going to learn something that not everyone has taken keen about but somehow have always wanted to know why this is happening. ” Less Space in Memory Cards and Hard Drives

Have you ever wondered why computers always indicate that your hard drive or memory card has a smaller storage capacity than what’s advertised on the box (and the card itself)? No, it’s not because you got a defective card, it’s not because your

15 Jan

Raid Recovery in Nairobi

Best Raid Recovery in Nairobi ( by East African Data Handlers Ltd )

RAID Data Recovery Proccess

What is Raid? by defination its “A redundant array of independent drives” (“RAID“) . The process of data recovery for the Raid drives is much more difficult than a single hard drive recovery and should only be attempted by a qualified specialist, like the Raid Recovery in Nairobi by our experts at East African Data Handlers. RAID manufacturers set up the internal controls of their arrays in very different configurations. One thing that is certain is that the RAID configuration is most likely proprietary, hence is never disclosed to or shared with other data recovery companies. That’s why RAID data recovery engineers must have years of experience and be able to write recovery programs for each separate RAID data recovery operation.

Types of Raids

On most situations you will be using one of the following four levels of RAIDs.

Other Raid include: RAID 2, RAID 3, RAID 4, RAID 6

What is the First step in Raid Data Recovery Process

The first step in the data recovery process is to get the RAID drives’ data copied on to a server or other hard drive so that the data set can be re-assembled.

Key Notes about Raid Data Recovery process

Each recovery procedure is unique to a particular RAID array. For example, a level 0 RAID (also known as a RAID 0 ) is the most challenging type of recovery because there is no fault tolerance and thus, no margin for error. A RAID 0 is made up of two drives, with the data striped in small sets across one or both of them. Since there is no parity in a RAID 0, the information that was saved on a failed drive is not replicated elsewhere, meaning that it will be difficult or impossible to recover.

How about the Rest of Raids?

On the other hand, a RAID 5 is made up of three or more drives and does offer parity data, so when one drive fails, a replacement drive can be used for recovery and the array can be rebuilt. However, if two drives of a RAID 5 fail, the recovery process becomes more difficult. If enough data can be saved from the malfunctioning drives, an experienced RAID data recovery engineer ( Like our Raid recovery in nairobi engineers ) can usually succeed, because the RAID parity is still available.

Other key Points about Raid

Each RAID data recovery is unique, because manufacturers set up their internal arrays differently. A RAID recovery engineer must be able to determine the arrangement of data and the parity cycle to recover the data and rebuild the RAID . The data is accessed on a file system level instead of on a controller level. Normally, an NTFS file system is used in this type of recovery , because the logical drives will be providing the basis for working on a RAID image. This allows the RAID recovery engineer to assemble bits and bytes after a successful recovery using propriety high skillful software operated by engineers.

Why Raid data recovery is not for amateurs but for pro engineers?

RAID data recovery is certainly not recommended for amateurs, nor for the weak of heart. East African Data Handlers Data Recovery Services has invested heavily on high end professional on Raid Data recovery and has successfully recovered data from RAIDs as well as all popular types of storage media since 2006.

Contact us now

If you’ve lost valuable, irreplaceable data  — We can save it! Call us now at +254 711 051 000 or visit our offices Chiromo Court 3rd Floor Westlands, Kenya but have distributed offices all over East Africa.

Also  we have other services in data recovery for various  devices; Hard Drives, Laptops, Desktops, Raid SystemsRAID / NAS / SAN , Servers, Memory Cards, Flash Drives, Databases, SSD Drives etc

East African Data Handlers ltd no data – no charge policy means you owe us nothing if we are unable to recover your critical files.

 

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11 Jan

Seven Reason For Data Loss- Data Loss Prevention

Seven Reason For Data Loss- Data Loss Prevention

Companies are suffering mounting financial losses owing to loss of poorly stored data, experts have said. East African Data Handlers, a leading IT firm in data recovery and storage, says Kenyan organisations are losing 45 terabytes of data annually owing to human error and hardware breakdowns.

More than often we are not quite aware the real risks and how to avoid them. Most common reasons for data loss are connected to our everyday lives – the way we save, store and handle our data.

Reasons for Data Loss:

The below video show why people loose data and it will give you an idea of what to avoid to prevent data loss.

Contact us now

If you’ve lost valuable, irreplaceable data  — We can save it! Call us now at +254 711 051 000 or visit our offices Chiromo Court 3rd Floor Westlands, Kenya but have distributed offices all over East Africa.

Also  we have other services in data recovery for various  devices; Hard Drives, Laptops, Desktops, Raid SystemsRAID / NAS / SAN , Servers, Memory Cards, Flash Drives, Databases, SSD Drives etc

East African Data Handlers ltd no data – no charge policy means you owe us nothing if we are unable to recover your critical files.

Watch this video to learn the seven steps to prevent data loss.

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11 Jan

Data Recovery Kenya for major Towns

Data Recovery Kenya for major Towns

Our Stretch of data disaster recovery is now in  East Africa where we are doing: Data Recovery in Kenya major towns that is : Data Recovery in Nairobi, Data Recovery in Mombasa, data recovery in Nakuru, data recovery in Nyeri, data recovery in Kisumu, data recovery in Eldoret, data recovery in Garissa. We are proud to provide you with full Data Recovery Service coverage to any part of East Africa.

East Africa Data Handlers Ltd understand that different people have different needs in East Africa. We have the Professional data recovery tools and the expertise to help you with any digital file recovery that you may need anytime.

We offer non-destructive data recovery services using our own proprietary methods and will return the drive to you in the same condition it was received.

Raid 5 3

Our team is on call and available to come to you and your lost data’s rescue whenever and wherever Data loss Disaster Strikes.

Our stretch

Following Devices; Hard Drives, Laptops, Desktops, Raid SystemsRAID / NAS / SAN , Servers, Memory Cards, Flash Drives, Databases, SSD Drives etc

East African Data Handlers ltd no data – no charge policy means you owe us nothing if we are unable to recover your critical files.

Contact us now

If you’ve lost valuable, irreplaceable data  in Kenya — We can save it! Call us now at +254 711 051 000 or visit our offices Chiromo Court 3rd Floor Westlands, Kenya but have distributed offices all over East Africa.

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11 Jan

Leader in Data Recovery & Customer Service

The Industry-Leader in Data Recovery & Customer  Service

We understand the value of your data, the importance of a fast turnaround time and keeping your data secure while it is at our facility.

At East African Data Handlers where we do Data Recovery, we know data loss is only temporary and we prove it every day with the highest hard drive recovery success rate in the industry. That’s why major manufacturers have trusted East African Data Handlers Ltd since 2006 to perform intricate data recovery operations without voiding your original warranty.

Our mission is to successfully recover your data and we do it using a certified ISO Class 5 Cleanroom environment. We protect data privacy with a secure data recovery process that undergoes an annual SOC 2 Type II audit. Plus, we offer the ultimate customer service experience with 24/7 support. No job is too big or too small for East African Data Handlers Data recovery Company– we recover data from all consumer devices and perform specialized business data recovery services for Fortune 100 companies.

Our Services

We are proud to provide you with full Data Recovery Service coverage to any part of Kenya; Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret. Data Loss is only temporary and we prove it every day with the highest Hard Drive Recovery Success rate in Kenya. We Recover Data in Kenya from the Following Devices; Hard Drives, Laptops, Desktops, Raid SystemsRAID / NAS / SAN , Servers, Memory Cards, Flash Drives, Databases, SSD Drives etc

East African Data Handlers ltd no data – no charge policy means you owe us nothing if we are unable to recover your critical files.

Contact us now

If you’ve lost valuable, irreplaceable data — We can save it! Call us now at 0711 051 000 or visit our offices Chiromo Court 3rd Floor Westlands

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07 Jan

Three Tips to Avoid Data Loss in Kenya

Three Tips to Avoid Data Loss

Learn how to prevent data loss  if you have  a Laptop , server, Hard Disk, Flash Drive, Raid (RAID level 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10) , Tape, Desktop or operating a database 

Computers have become a natural way of life for many of us. With this convenience comes the possibility that your machine might crash, causing you to lose every piece of critical information you ever saved on it. The top three reasons computers crash are hard drive failures, registry damage and malware infections. With the prevalence of the internet, all three of these factors make you vulnerable to the loss of data. In order to save yourself the time, money and effort it takes to recover from a disaster, you must how these situations may occur and what can be done to prevent them.

#1- Store Data in Different Locations

Most data is loss when the operating system or the hard disk on it fails. This is why you should create at least two partitions if you only have one hard disk on your system. It would be a good idea to store Windows in the first partition and all of your data in the second partition. This reduces the chances of losing your data if the Windows system happens to fail. Another option is to implement an additional hard disk on your system and store files on the new disk. This will protect your data if Windows or the original hard disk fails.

There are also other methods of prevention that can be performed to keep your data secure. Make sure to regularly use the Disk Cleanup utility in Windows to sweep up unwanted files and fragments from your system. You can also run the Disk Defragmenter tool every now and then to consolidate your files and increase the data access time on your hard disk.

# 2 – Stay Clear of Malware

One of the biggest threats to your data is malicious software, more commonly known as malware. Viruses, Trojans and worms are all on the prowl and can be secretly installed on your system in a number of ways. These destructive programs create a large number of unwanted and harmful entries in your registry, often causing system crashes and compromising multiple machines. This is why you need to protect your computer with reliable security software. A quality anti-malware program is a must these days, along with firewall components. Additionally, you can use a registry cleaning tool to sweep out all of the file remnants left behind from uncomplete installations and malicious entries.

There are number of quality products readily available on the internet to keep your data safe. Security vendors such as McAfee and Symantec offer some of the best programs to protect you against the common threat of malware. There are also many cleaning utilities specifically designed for your Windows registry.

# 3 – Backup Your Data

The most effective way to avoid the loss of data is to create frequent backups of your files. If this information is of any importance, your backup system must be reliable and used on a regular schedule. The many available storage options allow you to store data on mediums like CDs, DVDs, pen drives, external disk drives, tapes and online storage providers. If this data is really sensitive, it is important to store at least two copies of it and keep at least one copy in secured offsite location.

Contact us  :

But incase of Data Loss reach us East African Data handlers on 0711 051 000 or visit our website www.datarecovery.co.ke

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06 Jan

How to spot a hard drive crash before it happens

Sighs that your hard disk will crash.

A hard drive crash can mean losing all your data and applications, but there are ways to spot problems early and minimize the risk of hard disk failure.

hardrivecrushing

Software crashes all the time. While it can be annoying to lose unsaved work, it’s seldom the end of the world and restarting the application, or Windows itself, usually puts things right.

When hardware crashes, on the other hand, it’s much more serious – particularly when that hardware is your computer’s hard drive.

 

 

hardrivecrushingEastAfricanDatahandlers

How hard drives operate.

Hard drives haven’t really changed much since they were invented 60 years ago. They’re physically much, much smaller and have much higher capacities (the first models were the size of a fridge and held just 3.75 megabytes of data), but they still store information on one or more fast-spinning magnetic ‘platters’, with a read/write head that skims over the surface like the arm on a record player.

 

 

 

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Those platters can spin at anything up to 10,000 rpm and the read/write head dances across them barely a hair’s width away. This makes hard drives very fragile when they’re in use and even the slightest knock can send the read/write head ploughing into the platter surface – with disastrous consequences for your data.

This was a particular problem for early laptops, but 2.5-inch laptop hard drives now feature anti-shock technology that detects sudden movement and ‘parks’ the read/write heads safely out of the way for the duration. That’s not to say modern hard drives are indestructible – those platters are still spinning very quickly – and that means handling a laptop roughly is rarely a good idea.

Why do the hard drives fail?

Despite their complex mechanical nature, hard drives are still very reliable, but they don’t last forever. While it’s difficult to know how long any computer component will last, hard drive manufacturers use a measure called the Mean time between failures, or MTBF.

MTBF is a statistical estimate of how reliable a hard drive is, in terms of the number of hours it’s predicted to work between failures in normal use. This doesn’t mean a hard drive with an MTBF of 300,000 hours will be fault-free for 34 years – these figures are an average for all drives in a particular range and they’re calculated by extrapolating figures from intensive short-term tests.

In reality, tests have shown that up to 25% of a particular model of hard drive can fail within four or five years of use – although most are much more reliable than that. Failures often occur when a hard drive is new, usually as a result of manufacturing defects that only arise after a few weeks’ use, but other factors can also contribute.

Aforementioned shocks aside, extreme temperatures and prolonged constant use can also cause problems. ‘Consumer’ hard drives aren’t designed for 24/7 use, for example, so if you’re looking for one to use in a PC that runs round the clock, you’ll need to buy accordingly.

What really happens when a hard drive starts to fail?

Imminent hard drive failure is often preceded by random errors in Windows – files becoming corrupt or refusing to open, sudden operating system crashes and so on. If your PC is still working when this happens, you can scan your hard drive for errors using the Windows drive error-checking tool.

Do this by right-clicking the problem drive icon in Computer and selecting Properties. When the dialog box opens, click the Tools tab and then the Check now button under Error-checking. Tick the boxes for Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recover of bad sectors, then click the Start button. This process will take some time and is best left running overnight.

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A ‘bad sector’ is a physical defect on a drive and while Windows can often circumnavigate the odd few with no ill effects, an abundance of them is usually a sign of impending hard drive failure.

More serious hard drive failures – the mechanical kind – are usually signalled by strange noises. Some high-performance hard drives do ‘chatter’, but any drive that makes grinding, clicking or pinging noises is usually on the way out. Try searching YouTube for hard drive failure sounds for some examples of what you should be listening for.

How to spot a failing hard drive

Increasing numbers of bad sectors and worrying noises are dead giveaways for hard drive failure, but there won’t always be such warning signs. Fortunately, all hard drives also feature their own built-in diagnostic tool to catch potential problems before they become serious.

It’s called SMART – short for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology – and you can access it with a free utility like HD Tune. Download and install the utility from www.hdtune.com/download.html (scroll down to find HD Tune, just above the Drive Power Manager section).

Run HD Tune and click the Health tab on its window. Look at the Status column – each entry should be OK (don’t worry about what these entries mean). If not, something is wrong.

 

 

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What to do when a hard drive fails?

If you have an up-to-date backup, hard drive failure is a minor problem – just replace it and restore your data. If you don’t, then you’re in trouble.

The best advice in this case is to stop using the drive in question immediately, since the longer it’s left running, the more likely it is to fail catastrophically. Ideally, you should replace the hard drive and get your PC up and running again, then connect your old drive and copy any important data to the new one.

How successful this is depends on the type of failure, so you may have to turn to a data recovery company like us East African Data Handlers  if your data is important and the problem is a serious one.

Replacing a hard drive under warranty

The good news is that most hard drives that are just a few years old should still be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. So if yours fails, you may be eligible for a free replacement.

Search for ‘your hard drive manufacturer’s name’ rma (short for ‘return merchandise authorisation’) online and you should find the appropriate web page for checking if your drive is still covered and how to return it for a replacement. Just remember that this process won’t recover any of your data, so you’ll need to do that yourself beforehand.

This also means it’s worth paying close attention to warranties when you buy a new hard drive. Manufacturers that offer warranties of three years are more are clearly confident about their hard drives, for example, whereas those that only offer one may not be.

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What about solid state drives?

While we’ve been talking about hard drives so far, some of the above problems also apply to solid-state drives.

Since SSDs have no moving parts, they’re much more resistant to impact damage than a hard drive and they won’t ever make strange noises. They can still suffer from bad sectors and manufacturing defects, though, and they also support SMART monitoring. So by all means switch to an SSD for the speed benefits, but don’t do it just for the sake of reliability

What happens when it is about to crush and need to recover  my data?

Do not attempt to do the recovery. Just bring it to the best and professional data recovery company if in East Africa called East African Data Handlers.

 

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