I Recently faced one of my worst computer nightmares. I accidentally deleted a folder stuffed with really important files and then I immediately cleaned the contents of my recycle bin. Minutes later I discovered the bitter truth. My precious files where lost. This sad and frustrating incident got me involved in the data recovery world.

Many people may not even know the existence of the data recovery industry. Did you know that it is actually a multi-million dollar industry? Businesses all over the globe worry so much about data loss and data recovery that they spend millions on research, prevention and data restoration methods.

Anyway, back to my story. I wanted to know if my files could be restored somehow. So I first learned that all my data can be recovered even though they seemed lost. I learned that although I have the impression that a file no longer exists, my hard drive always keeps a record of all the data that's been stored/written inside it. Even if you format and reformat the hard drive, there's still a chance to recover lost or deleted files.

Then I wanted to find a way to restore lost data/files on demand. I discovered hundreds of data recovery software offers. So I decided to research the web and learn everything about data recovery before I buy any software.

- 50% of all data loss is caused by human error. People are accidentally deleting files all the time. Then they shred the contents of their recycle bin. These "lost" files are actually -hiding- inside the hard disk and they are 100% recoverable. They can be restored.

- 30% of all data loss is caused by hard drive failure (physical damage). People do not follow proper shut down procedures or the hard drives may suffer from all kinds of mechanical/hardware issues.

- 20% of all data loss is caused by viruses, worms and other types of malicious threats. People forget to frequently update their anti-virus database (some of them do not even have anti-virus software). These days not too much people know what Internet security is.

- 10% of all data loss is caused by several other reasons.

It's time you start worrying about data loss and data recovery too, especially if you have critical files stored on your hard disks. Before you even think of buying data recovery software to restore your lost data, it would be a good idea to implement a data loss prevention routine:

1. Always store your important/critical files in a separate folder. Always back up your data. Either on CD-ROMs or external drives, it doesn't matter.

2. Always follow proper shut down methods. Do not just power off your PC by unplugging the power cable. Your system needs to do a little write/delete maintenance to your files before it shuts down. Also, never kick or punch your computer.

3. Protect yourself and your privacy online. Use anti-virus/anti-spyware software and keep updating it often since new malicious threats arise all the time.

4. Be optimistic. Never think that you might lose an important file. This actually helps a lot. The idea is to create a mindset of invincibility for your data.

5. Be prepared to act if something goes wrong (e.g. you lose an excell files with your clients list). In most cases lost data is recoverable.