When to call a data recovery professional

Almost every computer owner has been there. You fill your hard drive with vacation photos, music, important financial documents, and files you need for work, but you never seem to get around to backing them up. That’s when it happens. Something goes terribly wrong. Maybe you get a virus or an electrical problem damages your system. Suddenly, those photos, songs, and files are gone forever.

Or are they?

Not necessarily. At Dave’s Computers, we have engineers who specialize in data recovery and can help you retrieve those files, but the sooner you recognize that you have a problem the better off you – and your files – will be.

Here are some warning signs that you may be about to experience a major loss of data:

 

1. Slow or Unresponsive Software

There are dozens of reasons why your computer may slow down, but if you notice a sudden change from one session to the next, you will definitely want to have it checked out.

2. Grinding Sounds

If your computer starts making an unusual noise when you boot it up, it is highly likely that your hard drive is on the brink of death. It usually makes a sound as if something is grinding together. There is a slight chance that something is simply obstructing your fan, but most of the time it is a faulty hard drive. Either way, a professional can diagnose and fix the problem.

3. Blue Screen of Death

If your computer has ever crashed while you were in the midst of working on something and a blue screen appeared, you know what the “Blue Screen of Death” is. There are a number of reasons why the screen might appear, and most of them are as bad as the name suggests. Like with the grinding sound, the best thing you can do is let a professional take over and figure out why you saw the screen and what the best solution is to prevent it from appearing again.

4. Boot-Up Problems

If you power on your computer and your operating system fails to boot, you may have a hard drive problem on your hands. Other signs include slow or lagged booting, unreliable booting, or booting to a blank or distorted screen. If this happens, power off the computer immediately and have an expert take a look at it.

by David Molnar

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