Areal density describes the amount of data that can be stored within a given amount of physical space on a hard drive’s platters.  Generally speaking, a higher areal density is a good thing. Hard drives with a higher areal density...

In order to recover data from a physically damaged hard drive, engineers need to return the drive to a working condition. That’s easier said than done — hard drive components are extremely drive-specific. In some cases, drives with identical model...

What is an advanced format hard drive? Here’s an explanation, along with guides for determining whether your hard drive uses an AF format.

A hard drive crash occurs when the actuator heads come in contact with the platters. Here’s what that means for your data (and what to do next).

Most reputable data recovery providers evaluate storage media before providing a quote. In another article, we explained why evaluations are necessary — if you missed it, you can read more here.  But what happens during a data recovery media evaluation?...

Bad sectors occur when a hard drive cannot read certain data. Here’s how bad sectors occur and several tips for avoiding data loss.

Imagine taking your car to a mechanic that charges a flat rate for every service. Whether you’re getting a routine tune-up or a new transmission, you’ll pay a few hundred dollars. Most consumers wouldn’t trust the mechanic — especially with...

A hard drive’s Serial ATA (or SATA) connector allows storage media to interface with the computer. It’s essential to hard drive operation — and unfortunately, it’s an extremely fragile component. With a small amount of pressure, computer users can easily...

When your hard drive fails — or you suddenly lose access to important files, and you realize that you don’t have a functional backup — you’ll need to either recreate your work or find a way to recover the data....