Data disasters will happen. Accepting that reality is the first step in preparing a comprehensive disaster plan. Time is always against an IT team when a disaster strikes, therefore the details of a disaster plan are critical for success.

• In a disaster recovery, never restore data to the server that has lost the data – always restore to a separate server or location.
• In Microsoft Exchange or SQL failures, never try to repair the original Information Store or database files – work on a copy.
• In a deleted data situation, turn off the machine immediately. Do not shut down Windows – this will prevent the risk of overwritten data.
• Use a volume defragmenter regularly.
• If a drive fails on RAID systems, never replace the failed drive with a drive that was part of a previous RAID system – always zero out the replacement drive before using.
• If a drive is making unusual mechanical noises, turn it off immediately and get assistance.
• Have a valid backup before making hardware or software changes.
• Label the drives with their position in a RAID array.
• Do not run volume repair utilities on suspected bad drives.
• Do not run defragmenter utilities on suspected bad drives.
• In a power loss situation with a RAID array, if the file system looks suspicious, or is unmountable, or the data is inaccessible after power is restored, do not run volume repair
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Put simply, data recovery is the process of retrieving computer data that, for any number of reasons, has become inaccessible using normal methods. Ontrack has the right tools and experience to solve your data loss problems.

“No one in the data recovery business comes close to challenging Ontrack’s leadership. It is by far the most technologically advanced company in the field.” – Joe Sullivan, Securities Analyst, Dougherty Summit Securities

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