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Common Symptoms & Issues

Often common data loss issues will exhibit specific symptoms. By carefully looking at the symptoms you can often determine the cause of data loss with a reasonable degree of success. Once a probable cause is found you can determine a course of action to recover your data.

Data loss can be categorized into two main categories: non-physical issues and physical issues.

Non-physical issues are problems that cause data loss that are unrelated to the operation of the hard drive. For example, although a hard drive is working perfectly, the data on the drive can be corrupted by outside influences such as viruses, file system corruption and accidental deletion.

Physical issues are problems with the hard drive itself that lead to data loss. These problems can include issues with the hard drive's internal components or electronics.

Common Non-Physical Issues

• File system corruption.
• File or folder deletion - empty trash or command line.
• Overwriting with a new file.
• Formatting or erasing.
• Installing a new operating system.

Common Physical Issues

• Hard drive enclosures.
• Electronics.
• Firmware.
• Motor.
• Bearings.
• Heads.
• Platters.