Their surface is coated with magnetic paint and is the place where the data actually gets recorded. A read / write head that rests in its parking slot next to the platters moves over them as soon as the disk is switched on. The head has an electro-magnet that can modify, create and delete data on the instructions of the operating system.

This entire mechanism is a very delicate one because there is only a sub-micron level space between the head and the platters. Due to a variety of reasons such as impact trauma or mechanical malfunction, the head may ?crash,? that is, hit the platters physically or even get stuck on them, destroying the data recording surface. This results in a very serious case of data loss. Data can be lost from other storage devices too such as optical disks, USB drives, floppy disks, tape drives and so on.

Data loss is a situation that is very inconvenient at best and an absolute disaster at worst. For individuals, it sure can be very disconcerting to abruptly lose precious family or travel photos or a long presentation prepared over many days. For companies, losing their critical data is a matter of life and death. Indeed, many of them fold down every year because of some data disaster hitting their business and wiping their hard drives clean.

Once the individuals or companies have lost data, their only concern is to get it back as soon as possible. There are two ways of going about it. For small cases of data loss related to software errors, you can pay online and download a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) software. For complex cases as well as those related to hardware errors, you have no option but to go to a professional recovery company. These companies have the required infrastructure such as a clean room as well as trained staff to process your damaged media in their lab and extract the files you desperately need.

There are many professional recovery companies in the market and the competition is fierce. Choosing the right one is essential if you have to maximise your chances of recovering your data quickly and at a reasonable cost. There are many companies out there which are high on advertising but low on quality and rely on outsourcing your job to cheaper alternatives behind your back. The following tips will help you choose a recovery company that is just right for you.

Infrastructure: This is the most important thing while zeroing in on a data recovery company. No service provider can excel without having the required assets to do the job. The most important such infrastructure for a data recovery company is, of course, the clean room, without which it is impossible to disassemble and repair crashed hard disks. If a company doesn't have the clean room, it would be outsourcing the job to others and sending your disk outside its premises for repairs. Also, ensure that the company has a well-equipped lab with the required equipment and software.

Technical Expertise: A company is not made of physical infrastructure alone. The data is extracted by engineers and technical staff. As a rule, the more the number of years a company has been in business, the more experienced would its people be, and the more their chances of extracting the data.

Offers and Policy: Always check what kind of offers the company is dishing out and what its customer policy is. What is most important is that it should have a ?no recovery, no charge? policy, that is, you do not pay any money if the company is unable to recover the files you want. Also, it should do a free evaluation of the media and tell you clearly beforehand what data can be recovered and in what time frame. If you are not satisfied, you should be paying only shipping charges, nothing more.

Warranty Integrity: Another thing that you should ensure is that the company is authorised by hard drive manufacturers to disassemble the disks without voiding the original warranty. This way, you can still benefit from the warranty if the disk again crashes in the future.

Check if the company has a list of reputed clients. If it has some well-known customers on its rolls, that means it has a good reputation and credibility in the market. You can also go through the customer feedback and testimonials given on the company website to get an idea of user experiences.