Data stored in your electronic devices are prone to damage owing to inconsistencies and failures. Whenever you end up losing access to your data because of accidental deletion of files, an unfortunate system crash, or a hardware failure, and you didn’t back up your data either, the only option is to try recovering the data using different data recovery techniques, if living without it is not an option.

 

So, what are the database recovery techniques that can be used to recover the data that you lost? This article is all about discussing data recovery strategies and techniques.

 

What Are Some Advance Data Recovery Techniques

 

Data recovery techniques can be categorized into two major categories. One is a logical data recovery and another is physical data recovery. Both techniques incorporate different scenarios and are used in different cases which have been summarised below.

 

Logical data recovery

 

This technique is more simple than the physical recovery technique. It deals with a hard drive that works perfectly well but the data was lost because of accidental reasons involving the user’s actions like a crash caused by an application or the operating system.

 

Logical data recovery is easy because you do not have to disassemble the hard drive to check if the parts are working because logical data loss occurs due to human error and not due to faulty hard drives.

 

Physical data recovery

 

Physical data recovery is used when the cause of the lost data is a physical failure instead of accidental deletion of files. In physical damage, the hard drive gets damaged resulting in it not operating properly. Physical damage to hard drives can occur due to water damage, burning, or simply because you dropped your device.

 

A physically damaged hard drive must be repaired first in order to recover data from it. Therefore, you may need to disassemble the hard drive and check all the separate parts of the hard drive to ensure that they are working properly. 

 

In case of a faulty part, you have to replace that with a healthy component in order to get the hard drive to work again. This has to be done because you cannot retrieve data from a hard drive until and unless they work properly.

 

Physical Vs Logical data recovery conditions

 

There are distinct differences between physical and logical data recovery which are summarised in the table below.

Logical data recovery	Physical data recovery
Hard drive works well No physical damage Accidental reasons Simpler to recover	Hard drive stops working Physical damage to hard drive Not accidental Not simple

DIY data recovery

 

Nowadays, there is various software available for data recovery purposes. The software is easy to use. However, they are a threat to privacy and can welcome unwanted viruses to your device.

 

Apart from software, DIY techniques also include physical recovery methods like freezing or heating the damaged hard drive. These solutions are internet-famous, however, none of them have been proven to be 100% successful. It has been found that these methods can cause more damage than they do good.

 

Verdict

 

This article has tried to paint a picture of all the data recovery techniques that can be used to recover your lost data. Logical data is comparatively easier to recover than physical data.

 

Usually, people seek professional help to recover physical data because trying the DIY techniques can further endanger your already lost files and can make the chances of them being recovered slimmer.