Computer Repair UK

Overview
Modern computer system hard drives can contain a massive amount of data. So when a hard disk fails, and there are no recent backups available, data recovery is the only option available.

Introduction
A hard disk consists of a number of component parts. Each of which has its own failure modes.

1. Electronics
2. Mechanics
3. Firmware
4. Logical

Electronics
The circuit board on a hard disk is the ‘brain’ of the hard disk and a single component failure will render the drive useless. Data recovery from hard drives with electronics failures will require highly skilled electronics engineers who are able to fix the drive temporarily in order to recover the data.
There are also electronic components inside the hard disk that are necessary for the correct functionality of the hard disk and consists of the head pre-amplifier circuit.

Mechanical
The critical mechanical parts of a hard disk comprise of, the actuator arm, the motor and the platters. (There are other Mechanical parts, vibro-acoustic components, filters, VCM Magnets, etc, but these are less critical).

The majority of mechanical failures involve the Head pre-amplifier. Whilst this is not exactly a mechanical failure, the method that the head pre-amp is fixed to the head stack means that when it fails it involves the replacement of the entire head stack assembly.

The next biggest cause of failure is motor failure. This is a very significant problem and requires specialist equipment so that platter alignment is not lost when removing and replacing the motor. Main problems with motors are burnt out coils and seized bearings.

Firmware
The firmware region or System Area (SA) is a section on the hard disk where the manufacturer’s proprietary information such as

• Zone Tables
• SMART Logs
• Head maps
• ROM Overlays
• Security Data
• ROM overlays.
• Translator Tables
• Grown Defect Maps

and many others

For a hard disk to function properly it is vital that the Firmware Zone is error free. Repairing the Firmware on a hard disk is a highly skilled job and requires specialist equipment. Making a mistake when changing the information in the Firmware of a hard disk can render a drive useless.

Logical
Logical problems are where there is no physical problem with the hard disk and it is fully functional. Logical problems are where you are no longer able to access the data, for example, the user has deleted the files, the computer has come under virus attack. The skill set of the engineer requires an understanding of how the operating system that the files were stored on works. Also, knowledge of the structure of individual file types so that quality of files can be determined on a bulk and individual basis.

Recovering Data from Hard Drives
MjM Data Recovery Ltd

written by DavePF \\ tags: Data Recovery

The diagnostics that are associated with computers can help to identify any problem or failure that computers show when they are having problems. Diagnostics are used to test out the computer system, which includes both the BIOS and memory, software, and even the hardware that is attached to the computer.

The most common types of problems will occur when your computer is down to very low resources, which can either be a low amount of RAM, or a low disk space. These conditions are very common, and generally result in your computer running very slow. This can easily be fixed, all you have to do is defrag your hard drive, and get rid of some programs and files that you no longer use or need.

Almost all types of computer diagnostic software can find and fix just about any problem that you are having. It normally starts off with a BIOS examination, and goes on from there. PC diagnostics software can determine a lot from the BIOS, from the common settings to those that have a major impact on both boot up and performance.

No matter what you do, you should never modify or tamper with the BIOS settings, as it can lead to serious problems. If you do plan to modify or mess with your BIOS, you should always create a backup first, just in case something goes wrong. The BIOS settings can be very tricky, although they are responsible for a lot to do with your computer. If you have never been in the BIOS before, you really shouldn’t be modifying anything inside of it.

Depending on the diagnostics program that you are using, there will be several different features available. Right now, two of the most popular are Norton Systemworks and PC Doctor. Both of these programs offer full diagnostics software, good for fixing just about any software related computer program you can imagine.  

Once you run the program, you’ll be able to select the diagnostic test that you are planning to run. Some offer you a full system scan, which will scan your entire computer and then display any problems that you having. After displaying any problems, the software will normally give you an option to go ahead and fix it. As long as the problem is nothing serious, the diagnostic software can generally fix it.

The more complicated problems, such as hardware failures or hard drive crashes, are a totally different story. They will require a technician who is very experienced, that can rebuild the hardware. Diagnostic software can report hardware problems to you, although most of the time it is unable to fix it.

There are other computer diagnostic software that you run after starting the computer or rebooting, that will check everything from BIOS. These types are great, although the types such as Norton and PC Doctor are by far superior. They offer far more features, including defragment, cache cleaner, and the option to delete your temporary Internet files. These features are great to have, especially if you aren’t the technical type.

For more reasons than one, computer diagnostic software is the ideal way to find and prevent problems with your computer. Norton Systemworks offers you Ghost as well, which is the perfect way to back up your data. You can back up certain files, or just go ahead and back up your entire hard drive. Systemworks and Ghost are very easy to use, even if you are completely new to computers. For everything they offer you - computer diagnostic programs are the ideal way to prevent problems before they happen.

written by Newshound \\ tags: computer diagnostic software, Computer Diagnostics, computers, Data Recovery, laptops, programs, software

If you were to look at past statistics regarding the information that has been lost in regards to laptop computers, you would find yourself amazed. Even though this information can be astounding, many of us still don’t take the time to back up the information on our laptops.

To put it in simple terms, nothing in the computer industry is fool proof. Hard drives can crash, the laptop can get stolen, or it can even be dropped and rendered useless. To ensure that we are never left without our precious data, we should always create a backup of our information.

There is no mistaken the fact that over a million laptops have been stolen over the years in the United States alone. Anytime a laptop is stolen, chances are that it won’t be recovered. If the information wasn’t backed up, then the owner will be left with no laptop - but more importantly - no backed up data either.

Just like you can with desktop computers, you can also create a backup of the data on your laptop as well. You can use online services, back it up remotely, or use several other methods to ensure that you keep all of your data. Preserving your data is something you should really look into, especially if you have business material on your laptop.

The best way to go about backing up your data and files is to burn them to a data CD. Data CDs can hold up to 700 MB (Mega Bytes) of data, which means a lot of files. To back things up this way, all you need is a CD/RW burner in your laptop, which most of the newer ones come with.

The only drawback to laptops is the fact that they don’t offer near as much storage or security measures as a desktop PC. Desktop computers have a lot more power, and they can also do things (including backups) in a fraction of the time.

The laptop computer was designed for on the go use, which is the main reason why people don’t really think about backing up their data. When the thought finally does come to mind, it is normally too late to do anything about it.

As mentioned above, the easiest and quickest way to backup your laptop data is to use an online backup service. Depending on your connection to the Internet, it can take anywhere from several minutes to several hours. Although it may take you a little bit of time, you’ll have the satisfaction in knowing that your data is there if something should happen.

Whether it’s for your business or personal use, you can’t go wrong backing up your data. You should always create a backup of your data at least once a month, even more than that if you have a lot of important information that you add to your laptop on a frequent basis.

written by Newshound \\ tags: backup, data, Data Recovery, internet, laptop, laptop data, online backup service