How Long Can a Hard Drive Last in Storage Without Losing Data?

Hard drives are magnetic storage devices, and they’re capable of holding data for extensive periods of time without losing data.  The data retention rate of a hard drive varies by manufacturer and the precise architecture used by the device. However,...
September 5, 2023

Why Did My SD Card Fail?

SD (Secure Digital) is a popular data storage format developed by the SD Association, a joint partnership between several major flash manufacturers.  The SD format encompasses a number of related technologies:SDHC microSD miniSD SDIO SDXC SDUCAll SD formats...
August 25, 2023

Can Smoke Damage a Hard Drive?

Smoke can damage a hard drive, but only in extreme circumstances.  Hard drives have pouch filters that prevent most contaminants from reaching the platters (discs coated in a thin layer of magnetic material, which store the user’s data).  Nearly all...
August 11, 2023

Does the “Blue Screen of Death” Mean Lost Data?

The infamous “blue screen of death” (or BSOD) occurs when the Microsoft Windows operating system (OS) must shut down or restart unexpectedly.  Contrary to its name, a BSOD doesn’t mean the “death” of your computer (or your data). It simply...
August 7, 2023

2023 Mac Pro May Unexpectedly Disconnect Hard Drives

Apple has acknowledged that certain SATA hard drives may be unexpectedly disconnected from the 2023 Mac Pro. The issue occurs when the system wakes from sleep, and requires users to restart their machines to reconnect the drive. The issue is...
June 15, 2023

Data Recovery for Outlook PST and OST Files: Quick Tips

Microsoft Outlook remains one of the most popular applications for managing emails — and as a result, PST and OST files are frequent targets for data recovery efforts. The process for Outlook data recovery will depend on the data loss...
June 9, 2023

Atomic Wallet Hack: What We Know (And What To Do Next)

Atomic Wallet, a self-custodial, decentralized cryptocurrency wallet, has confirmed the loss of millions of dollars in users’ assets.  Hundreds of users have reported losses on Twitter, Reddit, and other social media platforms, and the company says that they’re investigating the...
June 5, 2023

Paying Ransom Doesn’t Restore Data for 25% of Ransomware Victims

A new study indicates that paying for ransomware isn’t a reliable option for disaster recovery. Veeam’s 2023 Data Protections Trends Report found that a shocking 85% of organizations had faced at least one cyberattack in the last year. Among ransomware...
May 31, 2023

Why You Shouldn’t Use Rice to Dry Hard Drives (or Anything Else)

When we treat water-damaged hard drives, solid-state drives, and other storage devices, we often receive the devices in plastic bags filled with white rice — which tends to complicate the data recovery process. Of course, “put it in a bag...
May 26, 2023

Windows 11 Bug: SATA Drives Recognized as Removable Devices

If your computer stores data on a SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) drive, you may run into an unusual issue: Windows may recognize the drive as a removable device — rather than as an internal drive. This is caused by...
May 22, 2023