Water damaged hard drive data recovery: What to do

We all are aware of the fact that water is dangerous for digital devices. Hence, we also take precautions by keeping our gadgets like mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras away from water. But mishaps can occur, and you can spill water on your device, or it may accidentally fall into a bucket full of water.

Especially when it comes to water damage by a rain flood, then you cannot save your hard drive or other digital devices from getting wet. However, don’t panic! Your data can still be recovered. To know what are the tips through which data can be recovered from the hard drive, read the article.

Don’t panic

The first thing that you should do in case of water damage is to stop panicking. Have a sigh of relief because data recovery from the device is still possible. It is suggested to take some safeguards so that maximum data can be recovered.

Cut the power

Make sure that devices like laptops, hard disks, and PCs are unplugged. It will prevent short circuits and additional damage to the device.

Don’t plug in or turn on your system

It is strongly advised not to turn on your laptop, PC, storage box, external hard disk, or server in case of water damage. In the case of the laptop, remove its battery. Also, don’t commit the mistake of connecting the water-damaged storage media (be it because of a flood or water spilling) to your PC or laptop.

Don’t open the device

If the idea of opening the device comes to your mind, shun it immediately. You can expose it to airborne contaminants, and it will make data recovery almost impossible. To avoid unwanted headaches in the future, stay away from your device and let only experienced professionals handle it.

Don’t dry the hard drive

There are many who try to dry their hard drives by keeping them under the sun or using a blow dryer. But it can worsen the situation and chances of data recovery reduce to a great extent. Drying the drive can lead to the deposition of contaminated residue on the platters. Your data may be residing on those platters and will get damaged.
So, it is suggested not to dry the hard drive. Leave it as it is! Yes, let it stay wet; it will prevent the corrosion of the hard drive. Furthermore, data recovery experts know the technique of carefully cleaning and drying the platters. They have enough experience to retrieve the data by not damaging the surface of the platters.

Don’t waste time

Don’t make delays in taking your hard disk to the data recovery experts. Remember, in the case of water damage; delays can lead to corrosion and platters will be damaged.

Stay away from unqualified professionals

Just because you are stressed, don’t try any solution that an unqualified professional suggests. You may end up losing your data permanently. Also, don’t try to fix things by yourself until and unless you are an expert.

Trust experienced data Recovery company

Make sure that you are giving your hard drive in the hands of data recovery services experts If your device is having important information stored in it, then don’t go for an amateur data recovery expert at any cost. Otherwise, your data may get damaged permanently.

Robert Clark
About author:

IT professional who strongly believes that technology should serve people, not the other way around. He shares his knowledge by writing articles that simplify technology and makes it understandable to everyone.

David Green
About reviewer:

Engineer with a passion for solving complex problems and keeping up with the latest technology trends. With years of experience in the industry, he has become an expert in data recovery, using state-of-the-art tools and techniques to recover data from damaged or corrupted devices.