Data File Recovery Best Practices

We advise that you take specific action steps after any data loss event to insure no further damage occurs.  These are considered “best practices” whenever you attempt data file recovery.

Stellar Phoenix data file recovery products are created with file-size impact in mind; therefore, if you download the software directly to an affected hard drive, overwriting may occur, but at least it will be minimal.  While the chance remains that none of the files you wish to recover will be overwritten, still this cannot be guaranteed.  By following the steps below, overwriting of files is avoided completely.

Please note: steps 2–6 are not required for data file recovery on external devices such as cameras, ipods or flash drives, etc.

Data File Recovery Action Steps

1. Immediately stop using the device where data loss has occurred.  This will prevent accidental overwriting of documents and files.
2. Make sure your computer tower is unplugged from its power source and remove the outside cover.
3. Before touching any interior components, ground yourself by touching the metal frame of the tower. Doing this will prevent any static electric shock that can damage components.
4. Locate your hard drive, unscrew mounting screws if necessary, then unplug and remove the hard drive.
5. Install hard drive into a healthy computer as a “SLAVE” drive.  The existing hard drive should be set as the “MASTER” drive,  not “CS or CABLE SELECT”.  This is determined by the location of the jumper.
6. Once both the MASTER and SLAVE drives are installed correctly and properly secured, reinstall the tower cover. Your system can now be powered on.
7. After booting up your computer, get the FREE Download of the Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery suite for Mac or Windows. Now just follow the onscreen instructions and proceed with the data file recovery process.

If removal of the affected hard drive is not an option for you, steps 2–6 can be skipped, but to insure best results this is not recommended if it can be avoided.

If you are looking for a reliable data file recovery solution, see our article entitled, “The Best Data Recovery Software.”

FREE Download! for Mac or PC — Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery Software