Don't let a minor problem turn into major data loss. If you have NOT experienced any of the extreme situations listed on our Disaster Recovery page, follow our expert advice to safely and quickly get your drive up and running again.

Warning: If your hard drive emits unusual noises (clicking, grinding or metal scraping), turn it off immediately! This symptom typically indicates a head crash that can destroy your data. Hard drives spin with extreme speed - from 7,200 to 15,000 revolutions per minute - therefore extensive damage can occur in a short period of time. Contact DriveSavers immediately, as this situation demands professional recovery in a Cleanroom environment.

Hope for Water-Logged Computers DriveSavers Offers Data Recovery for Hurricane Katrina Victims
NOVATO, CA. (August 31, 2005) – DriveSavers, Inc. the worldwide leader in data recovery services, is offering data recovery service for computers and storage devices that suffered water and physical damage from Hurricane Katrina.

"Over the years, we’ve helped many of our customers retrieve critical information lost to devastation from fires, hurricanes, flooding and physical destruction." said Scott Gaidano, President of DriveSavers. "Even if a computer's been submerged in water, we can still recover its' data. It's devastating enough to lose a home or business, and we're dedicating ourselves to doing all we can to help."

DriveSavers is offering to heavily discount its data recovery service to help victims of Hurricane Katrina who have lost their critical files and backups. The company is reducing its service fees by one third and waiving its typical $200 attempt fee. The discount will remain in affect until November 30th 2005. Find out more on our DriveSavers page.


While most disk utilities provide excellent preventative maintenance by fixing minor problems, they can render data unrecoverable in the event of extreme corruption. Follow these tips to help ensure your drive and data safety.

1. Always Save an "Undo" File
Save an "undo" file, a record of the changes the utility has made to your drive, in the event it does not correct your problem. By sending this file along with your drive to DriveSavers, you help ensure recovery of your data.
Do NOT use a utility program if it does not allow you to save an "undo" file of the repairs it makes.

2. Strange Noises? Avoid Utilities!
If your drive sounds or acts erratically in any way, DO NOT USE UTILITY SOFTWARE.
Damaging sounds include clicking, buzzing or scraping.
Back up your data immediately (if you are already booted up).
Shut down the computer to avoid further damage to the drive and its data.
Send your drive to DriveSavers for professional recovery in a Cleanroom environment.

3. Windows NT/2000, UNIX and NetWare Require Professional Expertise
Because of the broad range of circumstances and potential hazards when using utility software with these complex operating systems, we recommend contacting DriveSavers for professional recovery advice.

NOTE: If you are unfamiliar with some of the terms on this page, see our Hard Drive Glossary.

[Above © DriveSavers Data Recovery. Reproduced by permission.]