Top 10 Data Loss Situations Where You Cannot Recover Data by Using DIY Software

Data loss from storage devices may happen due to several reasons. You can use DIY data recovery software to recover your data efficiently in situations like accidental data deletion or formatting of the drive. However, there are some data loss situations where you cannot recover data by using data recovery software.

In such situations, you need the expertise of a data recovery services provider who can analyze the issue and offer a proper resolution. Let’s see some situations where you cannot recover data with DIY data recovery software.

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1. Firmware Corruption in SSDs

Firmware is software that controls the performance and writing capabilities of the SSD. You can think of it as the operating system of the SSD. However, it can get corrupted due to viruses, physical damage, or incompatibility issues. Consequently, the SSD fails to initialize and can’t be accessed by the user.

In this case, data cannot be recovered by using data recovery software. You need to consult a data recovery services provider to resolve the issue.

You may also like to read: Data Recovery from Failed SSD with Firmware Corruption – Case Study

2. Broken Storage Device

The head in an HDD is responsible for reading/writing data on the moving platter. Head assembly consists of the head, actuator arm, and actuator axis. The head and platter have a small space (about 5 nm) between them. Any dust particle or a sudden shock can cause damage to the head and platter.

In such cases, the damaged part needs to be replaced or repaired depending on the condition. Hence, the data cannot be recovered by using DIY data recovery software. The HDD must be opened and repaired in a Class 100 Clean Lab that contains no dust particles.

3. Foreign Configuration

It is a situation that is predominantly related to RAID. Sometimes, when an admin tries to replace some hard drives in a RAID array, the RAID controller shows the RAID configuration as Foreign Configuration, when it detects that the configuration is not synchronized or inconsistent. As a result, the entire RAID array becomes inaccessible. In such a case, the data cannot be recovered by a DIY data recovery tool.

4. Undetectable Hard drive

A hard drive becomes undetectable due to corruption, physical damage, or malware attack. Since the system does not detect the hard drive, a DIY data recovery tool cannot recover data from it. The problem needs to be inspected by a data recovery services provider.

5. Crashed Computer

When a computer or laptop crashes, the hard drive becomes inaccessible and the computer fails to boot. Hence, you cannot install data recovery software on the system. In this case, you need to take the hard drive safely out of the computer and send it to a data recovery services provider to recover the data.

6. Data Loss from Encrypted Device

Sometimes, you enable encryption on storage devices or computers to protect your confidential data from cyber threats. However, this can be a challenge when it comes to data recovery. For instance, if your data is encrypted using FileVault in Mac, it does not give permission for third-party software to recover the data.

7. Corrupt or Inconsistent File System

The storage devices follow a file system, such as NTFS, FAT, and FAT 32, to store and read/write data. However, if the file system gets corrupted, all the files stored in the storage devices become inaccessible. Moreover, this problem can also persist if the operating system uses a different file system than the storage device.

8. Bad Sectors

A hard drive is divided into various sectors where the data is stored. If some sectors of the hard drive are damaged, the head cannot read the data stored. It can happen due to friction between head and platter, malware intrusion, abrupt system shutdown, or moisture. This leads to the logical failure of the hard drive. In this case, you can’t recover data by using DIY data recovery software.

9. Fire or Water Damaged Hard Drive

Have you ever spilled water on your computer or hard drive? A storage device can be damaged if you spill water on it. Moreover, the device can also be damaged by fire. In this case, there is nothing much a DIY data recovery software can do. It needs to be repaired with proper tools by experts.

10. Data Erased by Data Wiping Software

Often, you use data wiping software to remove specific files permanently. However, if you wipe an important file mistakenly, it can then never be recovered. A data wiping software overwrites the file with random data. Hence, it is removed forever.

Final Note

If you’ve lost data due to any of the data loss situations mentioned above, you cannot recover the data by using conventional DIY data recovery software. In such situations, it is better to opt for data recovery services of a competent service provider.

Stellar offers efficient data recovery in even the most complex data loss situations. With over 25 years of experience, the company has gained expertise in recovering data from all types of storage devices, be it hard disk drives, solid-state drives, USBs, or optical drives.