These badly scored hard drive platters were damaged by a failing head assembly.
Happy 2026! At Datarecovery.com, we’ve set a few new goals for the New Year — and one of our resolutions is to help our customers avoid permanent data loss by following a few industry-standard best practices.
Here’s what we want to get across: Every storage device has a finite lifespan and will eventually fail. That’s not just true for hard drives — solid-state drives (SSDs), USB flash drives, RAID arrays, and even enterprise data storage tapes are all susceptible to data loss.
If your data exists in one place, you’re taking a big risk. Here’s how to reduce that risk — and leave data loss where it belongs (back in 2025 with Coldplaygate and the 6-7 jokes).
Use The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy
The most effective way to prevent permanent data loss is to follow the 3-2-1 Rule. It’s not a perfect strategy, but it’s pretty close (and certainly close enough for 99% of computer users).
Here’s the basics:
- Maintain three copies of data: Keep your original files plus two distinct backups. Note that “distinct” matters; each copy should be separate (so don’t just copy files to another folder on the same hard drive or SSD).
- Use two different media types: Store your backups on at least two different types of hardware. For example, you might have two hard drives and a cloud storage copy.
- Keep one copy offsite: Store at least one backup in a different physical location to protect against local disasters like fire or theft.
The goal here is to make sure that no single event will impact every copy of the data — a virus might wipe out your local copy and its cloud backup, but it won’t touch the secondary copy that you keep on an external hard drive.
We also recommend one more tip: Make your backups automatic. People are imperfect, and your backup strategy should remove as many potential points of failure as possible. Unfortunately, your memory is one of those potential points of failure, so at least one of your backups should be fully automated.
Verify Your Backups
A backup system only provides security if the data remains viable. Automated processes can fail due to software updates, expired credentials, or hardware degradation. Our engineering team has analyzed many drives where the user believed a backup was occurring, but the software had stopped syncing months earlier.
Every month, you should attempt to open and read several random files from your backup media. Proactive testing ensures that your recovery plan actually works when a crisis occurs. If your backup drive begins making clicking sounds or your cloud software reports recurring errors, address those issues immediately — treat it as a serious data loss event.
Expert Recovery Services for Storage Failure
If a hard drive, RAID array, SSD, or any other storage device fails without a backup, it’s important to get the system to a qualified data recovery provider as soon as possible. Generally, you only get one chance to recover your data; if the files are essential, you should work with a provider that has a strong record and transparent pricing policies.
Datarecovery.com utilizes purpose-built systems and ISO-certified cleanrooms to maintain the industry’s highest success rates. We offer risk-free evaluations and a no data, no charge guarantee, providing a transparent and secure way to restore important files in an emergency.
Set up a risk-free evaluation online or call us at 1-800-237-4200 to discuss your recovery options with a specialist.
