Data Recovery Tips for Hurricane Victims

When computer equipment and other data storage devices are damaged by the winds and rains of a tropical storm, recovering lost files may seem like a lost cause. Don’t make this assumption! No matter how extreme the damage may seem it is often possible to recover data from water-damaged hard drives, servers, digital cameras and other electronic devices.

Through its Ontrack Data Recovery services, Kroll Ontrack has responded to many of the most extreme disasters; successfully recovering data following Hurricane Katrina, the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster and the earthquakes in China. A team of more than 150 data recovery engineers makes Kroll Ontrack uniquely equipped to handle the high volume of data recovery requests that follow a major storm.

Handling Storm-Damaged Computer Equipment

• Proper handling of storm-damaged computer equipment will greatly increase the odds of successful data recovery.
• For mission critical situations, contact a data recovery provider before any attempts are made to reconfigure, reinstall or reformat
• Do not attempt to power up or operate visibly damaged computers or hard drives.
• Do not shake, disassemble or attempt to clean any hard drive or server that has been damaged - improper handling can make recovery operations more difficult which can lead to valuable information being lost.
• Never attempt to dry water-damaged media by opening it or exposing it to heat - such as that from a hairdryer. In fact, keeping a water-damaged drive damp can improve your chances for recovery.
• Do not use data recovery software to attempt recovery on a physically damaged hard drive. Data recovery software is only designed for use on a drive that is fully functioning mechanically.

Resources for Storm Victims

Kroll Ontrack will offer businesses and consumers a free, comprehensive evaluation of their damaged storage media, plus discounted data recovery services. For immediate assistance, contact Ontrack Data Recovery at 800 872 2599 or submit an online help request.The resources below may be useful as you consider your next steps.

Ontrack Data Recovery locations/shipping addresses

Our data recovery process

Submit an online data recovery help request

Data recovery service options

Shipping Water-Damaged Media

Proper packaging of water-damaged hard drives, computers and other media will prevent further damage to these devices during shipping and increase the chances of a successful data recovery.

• Drying out water-damaged hard drives and other devices can actually do more harm than good. For best results, wrap the damaged media in a wet towel and ship it in a plastic storage container.
• When shipping your hard drives, tapes or other removable media to a recovery provider, package them in a box that has enough room for both the media and some type of packing material that allows for NO movement. The box should also have sufficient barrier room around the inside edges to absorb impact during shipping.
• If you have multiple drives, tapes or other removable media that need recovery, ship them in separate boxes or make sure they are separated enough with packing material so there will be no contact.

If you have any questions about how to properly package water-damaged hard drives and other data storage devices, our data recovery specialists are available 24/7 to assist – call 800 872 2599.