How to recover data from a damaged hard drive
You can usually recover data from a failed hard drive. However, recovering files on a damaged hard drive is not as simple as other computer problems that can be corrected with a little research.
It may be the case that a person reports a damaged hard drive, which has stored their most precious files, and does not have any external backup. It is important to understand that often the hard drive shows signs of problems before it is completely damaged. If the hard drive is responsive, meaning its data can be seen when connected to another system, then you can back it up or use data recovery software. Data recovery software is designed to recover accidentally deleted or damaged files.
In the worst case scenario, the disk is not responding and the drive is not recognized when connected to another system or even the BIOS does not detect the drive. If this is the case, you should know that to recover the data you will have to contact an information recovery service company. This can be a bit expensive, you can do an internet search for companies near your home or office that offer data recovery services. A professional can assess the nature and magnitude of the damage and submit the respective quote. Price ranges can vary between $100 and $500 as inexpensive.
Recovering data from a damaged hard drive depends solely on the nature of the drive failure. For example, if the unit’s electronics are broken but the mechanicals are fine, replacing the electronics board can revive the unit. If the read/write head is damaged but the platters are intact and able to spin, a new read/write head is needed to get the data.
