Seagate have confirmed there is a firmware problem in the new 7200.11 series of hard drives and have already issued a firmware update. The problem stems from a memory bug where the cache size is not reported correctly.

If you are fortunate enough to have found this out before your disk drive has failed, then get onto the Seagate website and download firmware update (if it is appropriate), or search for ‘Seagate 7200.11 firmware update’ on Google.

According to Seagate, the problem affects the following drives..
500 GB : ST3500320AS
750 GB : ST3750330AS
1000 GB : ST31000340AS

Reports on the Seagate forum indicate that there may be a similar problem with the 1.5 TB version of the drive.

If your hard disk has failed, then you will need a data recovery company, such as MjM Data Recovery Ltd in the UK who, at the time of writing, are one of only a handful of companies in the world that are able to repair the drives in order to recover the data. A link to MjM is provided above.

Other problems that have been reported with 7200.11 drives are..

1. The drive hangs during start up or;
2. The drive reports as 0 MB.

MjM Data Recovery can also recover data from all other manufacturers of hard disk and other storage equipment and are usually the first company able to recover when new problems arise.

They were also first when there were problems with the translator in Seagate SCSI drives and (according to their website) repair these drives for customers all over the world.

So how do you combat the risks of having your identity stolen? This is not just people copying your clothes and hairstyle, they want a quick and easy way to profit from your financial and business data, your NHS number, your Passport details, your bank account and savings information, even your pension plan.

Are you aware for example how easily somebody could obtain a copy of your birth certificate or even a copy of you bank account details? Unfortunately the answer is far too easy.

Applying a little common sense can go a long way with a little change in your thought processes. For example the next time you receive one of those annoying “you’ve been pre approved” credit card offers, before you throw it straight in the bin ask yourself why you are happy to give the chance to a complete stranger to obtain your (all but your signature) completed form. That’s surely asking for trouble.

You don’t care about that, you bank online, BIG DEAL you’re just as much at risk as someone who throws all the junk mail post in the bin if you are not protective of your online presence. For example do you use the same password for all your banking? Well yes, how many of us can remember all the passwords needed without breaking the terms and conditions of paragraph 8 subsection 5 which states “do not write down your password”.

Digital data theft is another easy way for somebody to steal your identity. Many computer users fail to install anti virus measures so leave themselves vulnerable to information theft by key logging software that can record your every keystroke. Equally when you buy a new computer how do you get rid of your previous one?

You need to take sensible precaution when disposing of old or unused computers and laptops (or hard drives). Selling them on one of the many auction sites may earn yourself a little extra pocket money, but are you aware that even if you have formatted the drive you have just given away all your personal data. Hard drive recovery experts are only limited to professional companies, the criminal element have access to this capability as well.

If you are concerned with digital theft or the possibility of identity theft then you can arranged to have your drive shredded by a certified contractor or securely wiped which is much more environmentally friendly as it allows for the re-use of the none data holding components. Secure destruction or wiping ensures you get a certificate showing when, where and by whom the drive was rendered beyond recovery and have peace of mind.

To find out more about secure data wiping and hard drive disposal call or speak to your local data recovery services company. For visit here for more great computer and Pc help help.

Unfortunately recently there has been a massive increase in the failure rate of these previously ultra reliable USB devices, so much so that the data recovery sector is now placing a lot of emphasis and time on USB memory stick recovery. The question has to be asked however what is the problem all of a sudden?

USB memory sticks are dropping in price all the time as with any technology as it ages and gains mass market adoption, and year on year growth in shipment of these devices has a run rate of around 100% meaning by the end of this year unit sales are expected to be in the region of a staggering 300 million.

With such large numbers of devices actually being shipped and purchased by the consumers and increase in the number of failures is in reality inevitable, however the actual level of failure is a cause of concern and is reported to be running far higher than is acceptable.

When a previously very reliable product starts to have increased failure rate, just as in any industry the repairers (in this case the data recovery companies) start to ask why and often collaborate on their findings. Investigations have started to reveal that the actual memory chips in the drives have not failed at all and are working just as expected.

Consumer demand for cheaper goods and services invariably leads to driving manufacturing abroad and in this case to the far east where a lot of the premature failed devices seem to originate. The biggest culprits seem to be the generic unbranded memory sticks found cheap on auction sites. Notably though there is also a huge increase in the number of fake devices finding there way to the market as reported by a leading UK data recovery company in this article:

Nand Flash Identity fraud

Such devices often misidentify the actual size of the Memory Storage that they provide, they use poor quality components including cheap crystals and microcontrollers. Whilst they work fine for a short period, when they fail or the available storage room is filled, problems almost always occur, these problems often feature data loss or corruption.

Often These portable devices will hold a lot of your valuable data that if lost and not backed up could be lost forever. You get what you pay for as the saying goes so is it really worth the increased risk of data loss to save what is in reality a tiny sum compared to the cost of a branded device?

You can find more great advice on data recovery here or for general computing advice visit the Computer repair website.

Just like any other software virtual machines still require (unless you have a very specialist setup) to be run from the hard drive, which is still and probably will remain so for many years to come, the slowest part of your system. Drives can be broken in sub parts know as partitions which can then be utilized as a different drive so to speak but hard disk fragmentation is still an issue.

Fragmentation is where a file is split into multiple components by the operating system to allow it to fit in available space of the hard disk drive. When you are already running one operating system, and fragmentation becomes an issue, running another highly fragmented system on top of this causes a tremendous slow down in performance.

Fragmentation is the scourge of modern computers as most people fail to conduct even the most basic maintenance on their computers. The situation just get worse over time and some people have even been known to purchase a new system even though there is nothing wrong with the old. On servers and raid arrays fragmentation is far more serious as it slows down business applications and reduces productivity. In very bad instances data recovery is the only method of saving the data.

Operating systems handle fragmentation in different ways. Microsoft Windows, for example, pays little or no attention to the degree of fragmentation on a storage device, whereas Mac OS X goes some way to helping by automatically defragmenting files under 20 MB in size. Other Operating Systems handle file fragmentation in various ways, with varying levels of success.

Windows does ship with its own on board defragmentation tool but many would consider it a mere tick in the box as running the utility will mean that the hope of having a usable system in the meantime is improbable, and defragmentation could last for many hours or even overnight in some cases, so what are the other options.

Fortunately we are not left to the operating systems alone as there are a number of third party defragmentation applications that are far superior to the inbuilt OS tools. These can be scheduled to run when system usage is very low for example whilst the system is idle or the screen saver is running. As you go defragmentation is my personal choice.
Use dedicated hardware for the Virtual Machines: Whilst it may appear to be a contradiction in terms, running the virtual machine from a dedicated hard disk or RAID Array is probably the most efficient method of running the machine at all. It leads to the minimum of wear on the individual hard disk devices and means that running even simultaneous defragmentation is possible.

Ensuring your systems are working in tip top condition is vital to maintaining a productive IT infrastructure. For more great computing tips visit the IT support Bury , or click here for hard drive recovery information and raid data recovery advice.

So what can you do. There are many software options for backup data recovery, but nearly all of these only work on backup files, so how do you recover data from a tape?

Data Recovery Engineering Software Limited write software mainly for data recovery companies, and one of their titles is a very affordable tape copying tool.

The software reads the tape and creates a file dump to hard disk. Now you are able access the data on the tape and recover it with your backup recovery software.

Another use for the software is when someone has made a backup that you need the data from, but it is password protected (not encrypted) and the user cant remember the password or no longer works for the company. Or a forensics engineer needs to examine the data stored on the tape but does not have access to the software used to make the tape.

Copying Tapes

Knowing how to deal with the potential for data loss is what separates those who have been there from those who are yet to experience it. So what kind of scenarios are we talking about here and what are we looking for?

Computer starts up but never reaches the login window: When this happens there are a number of potential problems that can be to blame, these range from hardware issues relating to the hard disk drive, down to driver incompatibility or the loss of important system files. Sometimes the problem can be resolved by booting up in Safe Mode, however, not always.

Computer starts to become slow: When we first get our new computer there is very little on it when it comes to programs and games for example, and over time the operating system due to the way it is designed becomes cluttered. Registry repair utilities can help operating system problems but data loss is always a risk. In extreme circumstances a total ODS re-install is the best option.

Pc virus, malware and spyware: Pc virus and other, malevolent applications can cause untold data loss and problems if not handled in the correct manner from the outset. Boot sector viruses and others will first start to be noticeable when you Pc starts behaving strangely so be on your guard.

So what are the options here once the problem has arrived, and how can we avoid any form of data loss when in a lot of circumstances the only answer is to wipe our system and start from fresh?

The Key, wherever possible, and where there is no hard disk drive fault requiring professional data recovery services is simple: Backup! Sounds simple enough if the drive is working fine, but not enough people do it.

External hard drives can be purchased in most computer shops now days and a quick search online for online backup will also give you a number of remote back up options

So what options do you have to get your important or vital data back? If things seem really bad and saving the data is crucial, don’t take any risks and contact a data recovery specialist. They will have a whole host of solutions available to save your data and whilst it cannot be guaranteed, they do stand the best chance of success.

You can find more great advice on data recovery and in particular for businesses raid data recovery here.

If the damage that has been done to the computer cannot be repaired and therefore the data cannot be recovered, then most often the information will have to be reproduced. Before this happens, backup services can be implemented that will store the information for you, in case of an emergency.

recovery data center
The time to look for an offsite recovery data center is before valuable data is lost. There are many recovery services available that will offer various storage systems to help you recover data. Asking simple questions can help you discern which one will work best for your company’s needs.

Find out exactly how much help they offer during an emergency. Does the service send someone to your company to restore the data or is it all done online? Find out if the restoration process can be handled by someone in your business by following simple procedures or if they will need to contact the backup service by computer or telephone for help. Find out, how often the system should be backed up.

Does their system store the information automatically or do files need to be uploaded during the day. The more ease of use and self-sufficiency of the product can go a long way when you are looking to quickly restore lost data.

hard drive data recovery
Take the time to find out every aspect of the hard drive data recovery center process that you are thinking of using. You will want to find out exactly how they plan on storing and helping you recover any lost data. No matter what type of data you are storing, the loss of it can most likely put your company out of commission for a while, or at least slow it down.

Research different facilities until you find one that offers what works best for your company. In the end, however, the important thing is that you have a hard drive recovery system in place to protect your data.

Introduction
A hard drive 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 drive and a single component failure will stop the drive from functioning correctly. Recovering data from drives with electronics failures will require highly skilled electronics engineers who are able to make temporary repairs in order to recover the data.
There are also electronic parts inside the hard drive that are critical for the correct operation of the hard drive and consists of the head pre-amplifier circuit.

Mechanical
The critical mechanical parts of a hard drive 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 malfunctions 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 probably the most serious 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 zone or System Area (SA) is a section on the hard drive where the manufacturer’s proprietary information such as

• Primary Defect Maps
• Translator Tables
• Operational code
• ATA Password Information
• ROM overlays.
• Self test logs
• SMART Logs
• Head maps

and many others

For a hard drive to work properly it is vital that the Firmware Zone is error free. Working on the Firmware on a hard drive is a highly skilled job and requires specialist equipment. Making a mistake when modifying 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 drive and it is fully functional. Logical problems are where data has become inaccessible for some reason, 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 file format for different file types so that quality of files can be determined on a bulk and individual basis.

Data Recovery from Hard Drives
MjM Data Recovery Ltd

Data recovery software can be used to recover data that has been lost or files that have been deleted from your computer’s hard disk or a CD or DVD. Since there are several data recovery programs available in the market, you need to select the one that suits you most. This will ofcourse depending on your computer system, whether it is just a personal computer or a large network systems. There are different data recovery softwares in the market that caters to your exact needs. It makes sense to make the right choice as you maybe buying something that you don’t really need.

You find the most suitable data recovery software by using the following guidelines:

One, you should look for a data recovery program that is easy to install. Most users have limited knowledge of computers and may not be able to use a program that requires a complex installation procedure.

Two, the software should be compatible with a range of platforms such as Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 98 and Windows NT. This will allow you to use the program across a number of operating systems.

Three, the data recovery program should come with clear instructions and should be easy to use. Some programs have options that are not easy to find and users waste a lot of time looking for them.

Four, you should ideally look for a program that allows you to recover data across storage media, like hard disks, CDs, DVDs, or thumb drives. The data recovery program should be capable of recovering all of the data or a part of it and you should be able to use it to recover one file or many files, with ease.

Five, the software should support multiple file systems like FAT, FAT32, and NTFS, because different file systems are used by different operating systems.

Six, some data recovery programs are capable of working as background agents that backup critical data selected by users for protection.

Seven, look for data recovery software that offers a high level of support by means of helpdesk, e-mail or phone. Vendors should provide all relevant information about the software on their website.

Eight, there may be a large number of files that can be recovered and it may take a lot of time to search for a particular file manually. A good data recovery program will have search capabilities and will help you to find files you want to recover easily.

Finally, you may find that some data recovery software are able to locate the files that you are looking for, but are not able to restore them to their original file directory. Look for software that will help you do this.

P.S. Those who are trying to make money with their sites, read about free adsense templates.

Rebuilding a RAID 5 Array After Failure
The difficult part for data recovery technician is working out the original drive order, block size and parity rotation algorithm.

There are many permutations and these are compounded by the number of drives in the array. For example if you have a RAID array with 5 drives there are 120 permutations of drive order alone. Then there is the block size to take into account. These are not as complex to calculate, but can be any size from 2048 bytes upwards. However, the most common sizes are 32kb 64kb, 128kb and 256kb.

Once drive order is determined the next thing is to calculate the parity rotation. What this means is, that for each complete stripe, the parity block moves to the next drive in the sequence. As an Example, if you take 3 drives and number them 0,1 and 2 below is a diagram indicating where the data blocks are (shown as numerics) and the Parity block (P).

Drive 0: 1 3 P 7
Drive 1: 2 P 5 8
Drive 2: P 4 6 P

You can see that the first parity block is on drive 2. The next one is on drive 1 and final one is on drive 0. Then the sequence repeats itself until the end of the array.

Initially this looks fairly straightforward, and in fact the above is the simplest RAID 5 there is.

here is another type of parity (Backward with continuous data)

Drive 0: 1 4 P 7 10
Drive 1: 2 P 5 8 P
Drive 2: P 3 6 P 9

Did you notice the difference? Blocks 3 and 4 (and 9 and 10)are inverted. This is because once the first stripe is complete. The first data block of each stripe must go immediately after the parity block so the drive reads the data as 0,1,2,0,1,2… So in this case block 3 is placed after the parity block on the second stripe. This balances out reads so that the same hard disk is not read twice successively. A mistake in determining the block[spin/] rotation will result with corrupt data.

Data Recovery Services
When fully understand the technologies employed in RAID of any level. Comprehensive understanding of how data is stored on disk is essential if the data is to be recovered correctly. MjM Data Recovery Ltd have developed proprietary software that they use for RAID data recovery and have engineers that are able to recover from the most difficult of jobs. If another data recovery company has already announced that the data is unrecoverable, it is always worth sending it to another company for a second opinion. Most will not charge for a diagnosis or it will be a relatively small charge if the value of the data warrants the cost.