"Who is General Failure... And why is he reading my drive?"

DO NOT's:

If your drive has been exposed to natural or man-made disaster do not apply power! Make sure it is packaged in some form of waterproof or sealed container until it can be examined in a professional and controlled environment. Powering the unit can cause permanent damage to the media and nearly eliminates the possibility of recovery. The faster the unit is shipped for recovery - the better the chances are... water and mud included!

NEVER continue to execute commands in accessing your drive if you believe head-to-surface contact (a "Head-Crash") has occurred. This includes sounds like clicking, clacking, whirring, not spinning… Anything which sounds even vaguely dissimilar to ‘normal’ operation. Heads can break the storage properties of the platter surface and diminishes if not destroys the possibility of a successful recovery.

Never run utilities if you are not familiar with the programs!    They can overwrite existing data files. If you happen to run any utility, make sure you can UNDO any alterations if they prove unsuccessful. Some companies offer a 'Remote Data Recovery' tool - If a head failure has occurred and   these utilities are run, PERMANENT DAMAGE may result.

NEVER open the drive (crack the seal) if you are not familiar with hard drives and are not in a controlled environment! This disturbs the hardware settings and allows contaminants to settle internally on the media surface -- including oils from finger tips! This can be fatal if heads are allowed to make contact with the platter surface.

Never expose drives or media to magnetic fields that can erase data... simple things like telephones and monitors can cause irreparable damage. Remember that some forms of tape are more susceptible to influence than others (things as small as metal rails on a desk drawer can become magnetized).

Never read backup tapes without write protecting first. Many users overwrite or format tapes when they accidentally type in the wrong command.

Don't forget to verify a backup once the backup process is complete.

NEVER re-format your drive as a recovery solution! Even a low level format can cause problems if you are not sure what is initially wrong with your device.
 

DO's:

CALL 1-800-577-8360

Be sure to include any information about how the data loss occurred when submitting your media for recovery. This usually helps us to expedite the service and get data back to you quickly by eliminating additional testing and guesswork out of the recovery scenario.

Try to fill out the Authorization to Evaluate form completely. The more details, the better. Enclose a copy of the form with your shipment. This helps us to quickly identify the media and contact the appropriate personnel regarding the status of the data recovery in house.

DATA RECOVERY LABS, INC.
800-577-8360