Why Does CHKDSK Take So Long to Run?

If you’ve found this page, you’re probably running CHKDSK, Microsoft’s built-in utility for hard disk drives — and you’re wondering why it’s taking forever to complete.  First, a quick reminder: CHKDSK isn’t a data recovery utility. It can scan your...
July 24, 2024

The CPU Race: Who’s Ahead — and Why?

On your marks, get set, go! There was no Olympics this year. No Usain Bolt. But there’s another race going on, and the competitors are gunning for gold. Over the last few decades, tech companies have raced to create the...
June 24, 2024

Data Recovery After Selecting Wrong Drive in Windows Media Creation Tool

The Windows Media Creation Tool is used to create backup installation media for Microsoft Windows systems. It’s intended for use with flash drives and DVDs with at least five gigabytes (5 GB) of available space. Occasionally, Windows users will accidentally...
December 7, 2023

Are Solid-State Drives Worse for the Environment Than Hard Drives? 

Solid-state drives (SSDs) have a number of advantages over hard disk drives (HDDs): They’re faster, they consume less electricity, and they’re a more practical option in a wide range of operating conditions. Recently, Microsoft reportedly pressured manufacturers to avoid using...
August 11, 2022

Crypto Bridge Nomad Loses $200 Million in Alleged Hack

Nomad, a startup that allows users to trade cryptocurrency tokens between different blockchains, has acknowledged losses of nearly $200 million in crypto due to an apparent security vulnerability.  Crypto hacks certainly aren’t new, and blockchain bridges are frequent targets. In...
August 4, 2022

A Brief History of Broadcast Video Formats

Today, the vast majority of broadcast footage is shot with digital equipment — but that’s a relatively recent development.  For decades, analog formats like Betacam and U-Matic were standard, and even after the introduction of Digital Betacam (DigiBeta), many broadcasters...
August 1, 2022

Historic Rainfall Hits St. Louis: How to Protect Data from Flood Damage

St. Louis, Missouri experienced historic rainfall this morning, with some areas receiving more rain than on any other day in over a century. From July 25th to July 26th, some St. Louis suburbs were pelted with more than nine inches...
July 26, 2022

Do “File Shredder” Programs Really Work?

You’ve got sensitive data that you want to destroy, and you want to be extremely thorough. You want to make sure that no one — not even Datarecovery.com’s engineering team — can restore the target files. What do you do?...
July 19, 2022

How to Protect Your Phone from Ransomware

Most ransomware attacks target desktop computers, servers, and high-value storage networks — but in recent years, a growing number of attacks have targeted smartphones and other mobile devices. Below, we’ll look at a few examples of how mobile ransomware works....
April 8, 2022

The 2TB Flash Drive Scam: Why “High-Capacity” Flash Drives Are Fakes

You’re browsing Amazon or eBay, and you see a great deal: A 2-terabyte (TB) USB thumb drive for about $40. Is it a great bargain — or a dangerous scam? If you’ve read the headline of this article, you know...
March 29, 2022