Hard disk data recovery

Databack recovers your data from hard disk

The hard disk or HDD: principles and applications

The hard disk or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is a magnetic data storage medium. It is a “mass memory”, meaning that it can store large volumes of non-volatile data. Since its invention in 1956 by IBM, the hard disk drive has evolved considerably in capacity and performance, while seeing its use predominantly in the field of information storage.

Mass storage technologies are constantly evolving. And alongside “classic” hard disks, other technologies are developing: SSDSSHD or hybrid hard disk, helium hard disk

Hard disk drive operating principles

Hard disks contain aluminum, glass or ceramic platters, coated with a magnetic layer. These are the famous “hard disks” that give their name to the storage medium and are its main component.

Data is written to these platters by a read/write head: during write operations, this modifies the magnetic layer to write information in binary code, in the form of “1s” and “0s”. During read operations, this same read/write head enables data recorded on the hard disk to be consulted.

A mechanical part

The HDA or Hard Disk Assembly, a box containing the platters, the read/write heads and a motor to rotate the platter and an actuator to move the head;

An electronic section

An electronic board or PCB (Printed circuit board (Printed Circuit Board), which ensures HDA operation and communication with the motherboard, operating system and hard disk host.

Databack recovers data from your hard disk

Hard disk drive uses and applications

The hard disk or HDD is the historical information storage medium par excellence. It is still the most widely used of all mass storage technologies (magnetic tape, optical disk, flash memory, SSD, etc.).

It has traditionally provided secondary memory for personal computers as they have developed, for desktops as well as laptops, PC compatibles as well as Macs… It stores non-volatile data, retained even in the absence of a power supply, as opposed to RAM data, which is only retained when the computer is switched on. An obvious choice today.

Although hard disks are still integrated into devices other than computers (video game consoles, TV recorders, etc.), their use in this type of environment is becoming increasingly rare. Its use as an information storage unit nevertheless remains widespread, notably as a :

external hard disks which, as soon as the USB standard became widespread, found themselves embedded in boxes enabling data to be stored, consulted and processed from any computer workstation;
basic storage unit for RAID systems, combinations of several hard disks designed for data redundancy, fault tolerance and/or improved read/write speeds;
basic storage unit for NAS servers, networked storage enclosures and SANs with storage devices.

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Data recovery from hard disks or HDDs is determined by the medium and its environment (laptop, RAID, external hard disk, etc.), as well as by the first steps taken, depending on the nature of the failure or incident.

Hard disk / HDD failures and data loss

Hard disks are made up of complex mechanical and electronic components that are sensitive to drops, vibrations, temperature variations, etc. The development of new practices around laptops (digital nomadism, telecommuting, etc.) increases these risks.

mechanical breakdowns

Mechanical failures, which mainly affect the HDA, are considered the most critical since they require the hard disk to be opened: any intervention must be carried out in a clean room so as not to pollute the magnetic surfaces of the platters;

electronic faults

Electronic failures, essentially linked to the hard disk’s electronic board (PCB), often have an electrical origin (power surges, lightning strikes, power cuts, etc.) which can also affect mechanical parts such as the read/write heads or the motor;

Logic failures

Logical failures, characterized in particular by loss of access to data, have many causes: corrupt file system, faulty partition table, data corruption, boot error, human error (accidental deletion or formatting), cyber-malware and ransomware, etc.

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Hard disk / HDD data recovery procedures

Recovering data from a hard disk / HDD requires procedures adapted to the nature and origin of the failure, as well as to the nature and configuration of the hard disk (type of personal computer, NAS or SAN configuration, RAID system…).

Most interventions require the expertise and infrastructure (clean room, etc.) of a data recovery laboratory. It is crucial to adopt the right measures as soon as the breakdown or disaster occurs, or as soon as the abnormal absence of data is noted:

cease all use and switch off the HDD or supporting device immediately to avoid further damage or data rewriting, and thus ensure successful data recovery;
do not perform any software operations on the hard disk (CHKDSK or Scandisk, formatting, etc.) and avoid using data recovery software, which could render data loss irreversible;
do not attempt any material or mechanical intervention on the hard disk or its components, particularly if this involves opening the disk, disassembling the HDD, manually cleaning its parts…

Databack offers high-performance solutions for recovering data from hard disks. Our recovery methods are adapted to the HDD manufacturer’s models (Seagate, Western Digital and Toshiba), format, disk configuration and operating system.

DATA RECOVERY hard disk

The hard disk or HDD: principles and applications

Hard disk drive operating principles

A mechanical part

An electronic section

Hard disk drive uses and applications