The read/write heads of a hard drive in a resting position.

If you’re of a certain age, you learned that defragmenting your hard drive was important computer hygiene. That’s no longer the case — or, at least, you don’t need to manually defragment your HDD. 

Modern operating systems, especially Windows (versions 7, 10, and 11) and macOS, automatically handle this process for you in the background. And given that modern operating systems are pushing users towards solid-state drives (SSDs), even that type of defragmentation is becoming unnecessary. 

While you don’t need to do anything, the process itself is still important for older mechanical drives. Below, we’ll explain what defragmentation is, why your computer still does it, and why you must never defragment a solid-state drive (SSD).

What Is Disk Fragmentation, Anyway?

Hard drives can store data sequentially, but data doesn’t always stay sequential. When a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) is new, your operating system writes files in continuous blocks. 

But as you use the computer, you create, edit, and delete files. When you delete a file, it leaves an empty space on the drive. As you save new files, the OS will try to fill that empty space. If the new file is larger than the space, the OS will fill that first gap and then write the rest of the file in the next available empty space, which could be on a completely different part of the drive’s spinning platters.

Over time, a single large file (like a video game or a large document) can end up stored in dozens or even hundreds of different physical locations. That’s called fragmentation, and it’s an efficiency issue.

An HDD uses a physical arm, called a read/write head, to access data from the spinning platters. When a file is fragmented, this head has to physically jump all over the drive to collect every single piece of the file. This movement (or seek time) takes time and is what causes a fragmented drive to feel slow.

Defragmentation (or “defragging”) reorganizes all of those scattered pieces. The utility reads the fragmented files and rewrites them into a single, contiguous block, which allows the read/write head to access the entire file with minimal movement. Less movement means faster read times (and better performance).

On Modern Computers, Defragmentation Is Handled Automatically

In the days of Windows 98 and XP, manually defragmenting your drive was a common maintenance task. If you were around in those times, you probably remember waiting for hours for the utility to run — fortunately, that’s no longer necessary (although there is a website set up to recreate that “experience,” if you miss it for some reason). 

Modern operating systems include a built-in drive maintenance tool (in Windows, it’s called Optimize Drives). This tool runs automatically on a schedule, usually once a week, often in the middle of the night when the computer is idle).

Optimize Drives identifies what type of drive it’s looking at and performs the correct action.

• For HDDs: It performs a traditional defragmentation to keep performance snappy.
• For SSDs: It performs a completely different, but equally necessary maintenance task, which is slightly outside of the scope of this article (though we’ll provide a bit more detail in a moment). 

As long as your OS is set up for automatic drive optimization, there is no performance benefit to running a manual defrag. It’ll just slow your whole system down.

Don’t Defragment Solid-State Drives (SSDs)

You should never run a traditional defragmentation on a solid-state drive (SSD). 

An SSD is not a mechanical drive, and it has no moving parts. It uses NAND flash memory, which is essentially a grid of millions of memory cells. An SSD can access any piece of data at the exact same near-instantaneous speed, no matter where it’s physically located.

In other words: Fragmentation doesn’t matter. It has zero impact on an SSD’s performance, and defragging an SSD is actively harmful:

1. Limited Lifespan: Flash memory cells have a finite number of write cycles before they wear out.
2. Intensive Writing: Defragmentation is an extremely write-heavy process. It works by reading data and rewriting it to a new location, over and over again.

Running a defrag on an SSD wastes write cycles, so it’s a pointless exercise.

Fortunately, the “Optimize Drives” tool in Windows knows this. When it detects an SSD, it does not defragment it. Instead, it runs a command called TRIM, which allows the SSD’s internal controller to properly manage its space and maintain high speeds.

As we’ve previously discussed, defragmenting a solid-state drive is a bad idea that wears out the components. Your operating system’s built-in optimizer will handle the correct maintenance (TRIM) for you.

Note: If your computer is running extremely slow or you suspect a drive is failing (you hear clicking, grinding, or buzzing from an HDD), do not run any disk utilities, especially defragmentation. The intense activity of a defrag can be the final push that causes a failing drive to crash completely, resulting in total data loss. Power the drive off immediately and seek professional advice.

Don’t Worry About HDD Defragmentation

You don’t need to defragment your hard drive; your computer already does it for you. Your operating system’s built-in tools are smart enough to defragment your HDDs for performance and run TRIM on your SSDs for health.

If a drive has already failed — whether it’s an SSD that won’t boot or an HDD that’s making clicking sounds — no software utility can fix it. At Datarecovery.com, our engineers work in ISO-certified cleanrooms with purpose-built systems to safely recover data from all types of failed drives. We offer risk-free evaluations and support all cases with our industry-leading “no data, no charge” guarantee.

If you’re facing data loss from any storage device, we’re here to help. Contact Datarecovery.com at 1-800-237-4200 for a free evaluation, or submit a case online.

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A drawer full of Hitachi, Maxtor, and Seagate 3.5 inch hard drives.

In an earlier article, we discussed a novel scam utilizing Seagate hard drives: Sellers were marketing used Exos hard drives as brand-new units, in some cases modifying the S.M.A.R.T. parameters to display lower runtime hours.

The scam has spread, according to German publication Heise.de. Reporters received more than 200 complaints from users who purchased Samsung Ironwolf Pro drives that show the same symptoms as the fraudulent Exos drives:

• S.M.A.R.T. values showing runtimes have been erased.
• Manufacturing/production dates have been updated.
• In some cases, the drives have false serial numbers.

Those alterations prevent most consumers from learning the truth: The drives have been used for tens of thousands of hours. But Seagate drives have hidden parameters called F.A.R.M. (Field Accessible Reliability Metrics), which aren’t as easy to alter — and rising awareness of the scam has prompted many buyers to review F.A.R.M. data.

That’s possible thanks to the free HDD Farm Check Tool, created by Github user gamestailer94. The tool is specific to Seagate drives, and we cannot confirm at this point whether the scam has targeted other manufacturers.

Seagate says that they’re investigating the used drive scam.

“While we cannot share specific details of this ongoing investigation, we suspect these drives were new products that Seagate sold to customers who later sold them on the used market,” a spokesperson wrote to Forbes.

“In this instance, we believe that somewhere in the used market supply chain, the drives were remarketed and resold as new. We recommend that resellers purchase drives from Seagate authorized distribution partners, as purchasing from Seagate-authorized distributors is the best way [that] resellers, and consequently, their end customers can be sure of the authenticity of Seagate products.”

For Seagate, the targeting of the Ironwolf Pro series is undoubtedly frustrating. The company markets its own “refreshed’ hard drives, but those devices undergo reengineering before they’re sold to customers — and they’re clearly identified as “renewed.”

Consumers can avoid the used hard drive scam by evaluating purchases carefully.

At Datarecovery.com, we’ve investigated a number of online scams, including the “1TB” flash drive scams that have been rampant on sites like Amazon and eBay. As leaders in the data recovery space, we’re deeply concerned about sales tactics that mislead consumers — particularly when those tactics are likely to cause data loss.

To avoid getting scammed, we recommend taking the following actions when purchasing a hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD):

• Never buy used storage media. All storage devices eventually fail, but used drives present a more substantial risk — we would even advise that consumers avoid manufacturer-refurbished drives, unless those drives are intended for non-critical use cases.
• Purchase media in person wherever possible. Choose a reputable provider (your local computer shop is an excellent first choice). Prior to purchasing, inspect the packaging for signs that it was opened or altered.
• Buy direct. When purchasing online, buy directly from manufacturers wherever possible.
• Avoid sites that do not moderate resellers. That includes Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, all of which sold fake flash drives in our 2023 analysis. 
• Remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. We love a good deal — but if a hard drive or SSD is marketed for more than 20% under its list price, look for a reason for the discount before you purchase.

If you’ve lost data due to an SSD or hard drive failure, we’re here to help. Datarecovery.com provides free media evaluations, and thanks to our no data, no charge guarantee, you don’t pay if we’re unable to recover your data.

Call us at 1-800-237-4200 to connect with an expert or click here to submit a case online.

The post Used Hard Drive Scam Spreads: What Consumers Should Know appeared first on Datarecovery.com.

The platters and actuator heads of a hard drive.

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 hard drive for file system errors and repair those errors, which can improve hard drive performance and, in some cases, address minor data corruption. 

However, it cannot fix a “broken” hard drive. If your HDD has physical issues, you should not run CHKDSK or any other software, as doing so can lead to permanent data loss.

With that in mind, let’s look at a few reasons why CHKDSK may take an extremely long time to run. 

Your hard drive’s size and speed might affect the time needed for CHKDSK operations

CHKDSK works by scanning the file system, a logical structure that your operating system uses to organize files on the HDD (or SSD, but you don’t need to run CHKDSK on solid-state media). 

As part of this process, CHKDSK will typically try to locate bad sectors — physical areas on the hard drive that cannot be used for data storage. 

That means that a full scan with CHKDSK will take more time if:

• Your hard drive is extremely large.
• Your hard drive has a slow rotational speed (anything under 7,200 RPM is considered slow by current standards). 
• Your hard drive is operating slowly for another reason. 

Of these issues, the third is the only one that’s a real problem. If you’re running CHKDSK because your hard drive has already shown performance issues, a slow scan might indicate an impending read/write head failure, a spindle issue, or another serious concern.

You don’t need to worry about a long CHKDSK operation if you’ve got a 10-terabyte hard drive, or if you’re running the utility on an old drive with a 4,800 RPM speed. 

Related: Don’t Use CHKDSK On a Failing Hard Drive

If CHKDSK is taking “forever,” your HDD may be seriously damaged.

When a drive is failing, any intensive file utility can exacerbate the damage. This is one of the reasons that we recommend against running CHKDSK; the utility can make data recovery much more difficult. Occasionally, it can cause permanent data loss by overwriting important components of the file system with bad data. 

You can avoid this by running CHKDSK with the /F parameter, which checks for disk errors without checking for bad sectors. This also drastically cuts down on the time needed for the scan to complete.

If CHKDSK is taking too long, can I just shut my computer down?

We don’t recommend it. Interrupting CHKDSK could cause data corruption, which may render your drive unusable (until a qualified data recovery company addresses the underlying issue). 

So, what should you do? Unfortunately, there are too many potential factors at play for a quick, simple answer. We recommend contacting a professional data recovery provider; be prepared to explain any symptoms that preceded the issue and basic information about your hard drive (brand, model, and size). 

Our experts can help you find a solution that avoids accidental data loss. Datarecovery.com provides risk-free media evaluations — and we’re happy to discuss your case over the phone to determine whether you can interrupt CHKDSK without damaging your drive. 

If you need data recovery, we support all of our hard drive services with a no data, no charge guarantee: If we’re unable to recover the files you need, there’s no charge for the attempt.

To get started, call 1-800-237-4200 or submit a case online.

The post Why Does CHKDSK Take So Long to Run? appeared first on Datarecovery.com.

The main competitors:

• Intel
• AMD

The last-minute addition:

• Apple

But before we crown the winner, we need to go back to the starting line.

Intel: The Favorite to Win the Race

Intel created the first commercial microprocessor (the 4004) back in ’71 and introduced an 8-bit microprocessor (the 8008) a year later [1]. By the mid-’70s, most printers, cash registers, and terminals used Intel microprocessors like the 8080, which became the blueprint for subsequent designs. The company has pretty much dominated the CPU market ever since.

Intel had little competition in the ’70s. Panafacom — a company formed by Fujitsu, Panasonic, and Fuji Electric — introduced a commercial 16-bit microprocessor called the MN1610 in ’75 [2]. But there was little else that broke into the mainstream.

Intel continued its reign into the ’80s and ’90s. Sure, other companies joined the CPU race — Motorola in ’85 with the 32-bit 68020+68851; ARM in ’85; and Hitachi in ’92 — but Intel became synonymous with processors. It introduced the 80286 in ’82; the 32-bit 80386 in ’85; and the original Pentium microprocessor in ’93. (This was the first processor with the now-famous x86 “superscalar” micro-architecture.)

Intel had few competitors. But this was about to change.

AMD(American Micro Devices) Joins the CPU Race

AMD introduced x86-64 extension to the popular x86 micro-architecture in 2000. Just a year later, AMD released the Athlon (with 1 GHz!) Two years after this, AMD introduced the Athlon 64 — the world’s first 64-bit consumer CPU [3].

AMD was coming for Intel’s throne. AMD technologies proved popular and established the company as a genuine rival to Intel, which hit back with the Pentium 4, one of its most iconic models.

Intel released subsequent models under the Pentium brand name — the Pentium M in 2000 and the Pentium D in 2006 — then vPro in 2007 and the Core i-Series and Atom in 2008. The company moved to the new Platform Controller Hub (PCH) design in 2010, eliminating its famous Northbridge chip.

Intel vs. AMD 

Over the last decade, Intel and AMD have raced neck and neck. The biggest developments? Intel released its Core i3, i5, and i7 processors in 2010, while AMD released the first 8-core CPU for desktops and Ryzen processors based on Zen architecture in 2011 and 2017, respectively.

For the last 10 years or so, Intel chips tend to rank better when it comes to performance per core [4], but AMD offers more “cores” for money and advanced onboard graphics. Value-for-money is around the same. We think both companies make great laptop processors. However, AMD scores better on desktop CPUs. Our honest opinion: Intel’s products have lost their edge over the last few years, while AMD continues to innovate.

Could Apple Win the CPU Race?

Earlier this year, Apple shocked the tech sector by entering the CPU race [5]. It will create its own processors for MacBooks (based on ARM architecture). Welcome to Apple Silicon. Of course, Apple has used Intel products for years, so this development came as a shock to many of us in the industry.

We welcome this news. Apple has created strong CPUs for iPhones and iPads for a while now, and market diversity is always good.

The Winner

Intel has long been the CPU market leader, but things are changing. AMD continues to create strong products, and Apple has joined the race. But which product should you choose? It depends on various factors like device (desktop or laptop?), function (gaming or business?), and price.

There’s a lot of choices out there nowadays and, as Apple proves, there’s much more to CPUs than just Intel!

_Sources:

_{[1] http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/busicom_141-pf_and_intel_4004.html}

_{[2] http://www.cpu-museum.com/161x_e.htm}

_{[3] http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/TYPE-Athlon%2064.html}

_{[4] https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/amd-vs-intel/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20both%20companies%20produce%20processors,price%20and%20better%20onboard%20graphics.}

_{[5] https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/four-reasons-why-apple-is-right-to-snub-intel-and-amd-4038431}

The post The CPU Race: Who’s Ahead — and Why? appeared first on Datarecovery.com.

Occasionally, Windows users will accidentally select the wrong storage device when using the Media Creation Tool — and if you’ve made that mistake, take a deep breath. While the Media Creation Tool overwrites some data, the chances of a successful data recovery are fairly high. 

Before taking any additional steps, disconnect the affected device from your system. Leave it powered off. Operating the flash drive (or other storage device) will raise the risk of permanent data loss. 

In particular, you should not reformat the drive, delete files, edit the partition table, or create new partitions. In other words: Don’t panic. 

What happens when I reformat a drive with the Windows Media Creation Tool? 

The creation tool reformats your device, then writes the files needed to install Windows. If you interrupt the process before it completes (by canceling or simply ejecting the storage media), or if your storage device has a large capacity, it’s highly likely that your files are at least partially recoverable — but the next steps are crucial. 

Professional data recovery providers will proceed by cloning your device (making an exact copy), then running appropriate data recovery processes. This involves specialized software that can identify the original file system despite the presence of the new partition created by the Windows Media Creation Tool. 

If the recovered files are badly corrupted, they may attempt additional repairs. After verifying the success of the recovery, they can transfer the files back to you on the return media of your choice (or through a secure internet download). 

Generally, data recovery for reformatted devices is less expensive than other types of data recovery services — for example, hard drives with failed actuator heads. The services are fairly straightforward as long as you stop using the device right away. The more you use the device, the lower the chances of a successful case result (and the higher the potential cost). 

If the data isn’t important enough to justify professional data recovery, you may be able to restore your files by cloning your media and using appropriate software tools. Here’s an overview of that process.

Only use data recovery software if you’re comfortable with the risks.

One more warning: If you decide to use data recovery software, make sure you understand the risks. You generally have one chance to recover the data, and if you make a mistake, you may overwrite your files permanently. We strongly recommend working from a clone of your original media (learn how to create a clone with ddrescue here). 

Research data recovery software carefully. While we do not recommend specific software (for good reasons), you can search through the /r/datarecoverysoftware subreddit to find reviews of different applications. 

Keep these tips in mind:

• Clone your device before using (or even installing) software. 
• When using software, make sure you’re restoring the files to another storage device — not the target device that contains the lost data. 
• Research carefully, particularly if you’re paying for software. If a program shows a “preview” with the names of recoverable files, don’t assume that the files will be fully recoverable or usable — if the files have been partially overwritten, corruption will occur.

Remember, if the data is important, the best practice is to trust a reputable data recovery provider. Look for a company that operates real laboratories at each location and ask about their credentials.

Related: Before Using Data Recovery Software, Read This

Data Recovery Services from Datarecovery.com

With full support for every type of storage device, file system, and operating system, Datarecovery.com provides comprehensive solutions for data loss disasters. 

We provide risk-free evaluations for reformatted hard drives, solid-state drives, flash drives, and other devices. All cases are supported by our no data, no charge guarantee: If your target files aren’t recoverable, you don’t pay for the attempt. 

To learn more, call 1-800-237-4200 to speak with an expert or schedule a risk-free evaluation online.

The post Data Recovery After Selecting Wrong Drive in Windows Media Creation Tool appeared first on Datarecovery.com.

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 HDDs as boot media, citing the advantages (and potential performance improvements) of SSD. 

With that said, SSDs aren’t perfect — like any storage medium, they’re susceptible to data loss.

They may also have a much higher impact on the environment than traditional magnetic storage media. A recent study (PDF) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of British Columbia questions the long-standing assumption that SSDs have a lower carbon footprint than HDDs.

SSDs consume less energy, but require more greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing.

According to the study, SSDs have the highest emissions of any component in home and server computer systems — twice that of HDDs. 

Why? For starters, SSDs have an operating lifespan that roughly aligns with that of a standard HDD (5-8 years, on average). They also generally have a lower capacity, and as a result, many computer owners operate multiple SSDs. 

But the high environmental cost of SSDs is primarily due to the manufacturing process. Solid-state media uses NAND and DRAM flash memory, which require state-of-the-art silicon manufacturing techniques. Those techniques require a lot of energy, most of which comes from coal and other less-than-sustainable fuels.

Over time, SSDs may become a more sustainable option.

If you’re clutching your SSD and hoping for good news, we’ve got some: The study notes that as SSDs scale in capacity and attain higher operating lifespans, their carbon footprint will drop. Unlike HDDs, SSDs are fairly well-suited for recycling, as NAND chips can be re-manufactured from previously used components without serious security and privacy concerns.

Additionally, the study was limited in its approach. The authors focused on high workload applications, and it made assumptions about the energy sources (such as coal) used in semiconductor manufacturing. We don’t have much data on whether that’s truly the case — in many countries, manufacturers don’t publicize this information.

Given that SSDs consume much, much less electricity while operating, they may currently have a lower carbon footprint than HDDs in typical home computing applications. 

Don’t panic — using an SSD in your home computer won’t ruin the environment.

Eco-minded consumers shouldn’t read too much into the results of a single study. As sustainability becomes a more crucial concern among storage media manufacturers — and given the increasing number of international laws reinforcing sustainable practices, that’s likely to be the case — SSDs are well-positioned to improve their carbon footprint.

In the meantime, you can reduce your personal footprint with one simple practice: Turn your computer off when you aren’t using it.

If you’ve lost data from an SSD or HDD, we’re here to help. Datarecovery.com offers free media evaluations, and every case features a no data, no charge guarantee. Submit a case online to get started or call us at 1-800-237-4200.

The post Are Solid-State Drives Worse for the Environment Than Hard Drives?  appeared first on Datarecovery.com.

Crypto hacks certainly aren’t new, and blockchain bridges are frequent targets. In June, Harmony’s Horizon bridge lost approximately $100 million in various cryptocurrencies. 

However, the Nomad hack is notable because of — ironically — its decentralization. Hundreds of people may have participated in the attack, which wasn’t coordinated or planned; new hackers simply copied the exploit of the first hacker (who made off with $2.3 million, per a report from CoinTelegraph).

Gizmodo reports that a routine upgrade allowed hackers to skip verification messages included in the bridge’s initialization process. Anyone with knowledge of the exploit was able to remove crypto from the Nomad system — and some bad actors immediately drained millions from the accounts of other users. 

We are aware of the incident involving the Nomad token bridge. We are currently investigating and will provide updates when we have them.

— Nomad (⤭) (@nomadxyz_) August 1, 2022

Within about four hours, Nomad’s resources were nearly depleted. One analyst referred to the attack as “the first decentralized crowd-looting of a 9-figure bridge in history.”

https://twitter.com/0xfoobar/status/1554269052348289024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1554269057238573057%7Ctwgr%5Ee56e2233b74b20d9a548b07b486be3fffb647b4c%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fembed%2Finset%2Fiframe%3Fid%3Dtwitter-1554269057238573057autosize%3D1

Nomad joins a growing list of major crypto hacks.

While crypto markets have fallen in value over the past several months, they still store enormous assets — and when an exchange or bridge has a security vulnerability, bad actors will take advantage. 

At time of publication, Nomad hasn’t announced specific plans to reimburse victims. However, the company has said that they’re working behind the scenes to “coordinate the return of funds.”

“We are working around the clock to address the situation and have notified law enforcement and retained leading firms for blockchain intelligence and forensics,” the startup wrote on Twitter. “Our goal is to identify the accounts involved and to trace and recover the funds.”

“Thank you to our many white hat friends who acted proactively and are safeguarding funds. Please continue to hold them until we provide further instructions on this thread.”

Generally, when crypto assets are lost to hackers, they’re gone for good. We offer cryptocurrency recovery services for every type of asset, but our service is limited to situations in which a hard copy of the user’s wallet exists — or the user knows some of the words from their seed phrase.

We urge crypto investors to exercise caution when storing assets on bridges and online cryptocurrency platforms. To learn more about our cryptocurrency recovery services, contact us at 1-800-237-4200 or submit a case online.

The post Crypto Bridge Nomad Loses $200 Million in Alleged Hack appeared first on Datarecovery.com.

For decades, analog formats like Betacam and U-Matic were standard, and even after the introduction of Digital Betacam (DigiBeta), many broadcasters maintained their video archives in legacy analog formats.

Broadcast Video Formats: A Brief Timeline

Professional broadcasters have archived content on videotapes for more than 70 years. Here’s a quick overview of major innovations.

1951-1956: Bing Crosby Introduces the First Videotape Recordings

Yes, that Bing Crosby. The singer was one of the first to recognize the potential of audio recordings, which he used to pre-record his radio shows for later broadcast.

In 1951, his company, Bing Crosby Enterprises (BCE), introduced a video recording device based on a modified quarter-inch Ampex tape recorder. This early technology did not record at a suitable quality for television broadcasts, but it spurred innovation in the industry.

Four years later, Ampex introduced a 2″ black-and-white quadruplex video deck at the 1956 National Association of Broadcasters. The Quadruplex (or Quad) was the first commercial videotape format, utilizing four recording and playback heads at relatively slow speeds. Quadruplex remained a standard until the 1980s, but helical-scan formats eventually made it obsolete.

1954-1970: The Growth of Helical Scan Recording

The Ampex Quadruplex used four heads, which combined the segments of the signal into a single video image (hence the name, Quadruplex). This was an excellent innovation for black-and-white video recording, but as color video became standard, the limitations of the technology became evident. Color distortion was common, and “joints” appeared between the signals recorded by different heads.

In 1954, Dr. Kenichi Sawazaki developed helical scan recording, which uses a single head to write on a diagonal track on a 2-inch tape. Toshiba introduced the first helical scan prototype in 1959, which had a significantly lower manufacturing cost than the Quadruplex. However, the Quadruplex remained a standard for years until helical scan tapes became a less expensive, higher quality recording solution. 

1971: The Sony U-Matic VCR

While Sony’s U-matic was intended for consumer markets, the ¾-inch format introduced a number of practical features that immediately appealed to broadcasters. Most importantly: Compared with other broadcast-quality formats, it was relatively cheap. 

U-matic was also one of the first formats to use a cassette rather than a reel-to-reel design, which made it ideal for field recordings. In the 1980s, Sony introduced Broadcast Video U-Matic (BCU), which allowed for high-band recording. 

U-Matic was popular for digital and audio archival work, but another Sony format provided superior editing capabilities at a lower price point. 

Related: Can You Transfer U-Matic to Digital Video Formats?

1982: Betacam Becomes a Standard

Sony’s Betacam was an analog component video format that utilized ferric-oxide tape, similar to the consumer Betamax format. 

However, Betacam was intended for professionals and provided a much higher quality output than consumer Betamax. One of the major draws: Sony’s Betacam decks, which provided professionals with much more control during the editing process.

Betacam wasn’t a high-quality videocassette format compared to other options at the time, but it was inexpensive (and if you’re reading this timeline closely, you’ll understand that cost is a major factor for broadcasters).

In 1986, Sony introduced Betacam Superior Quality (Betacam SP), which had an improved horizontal resolution of 340 lines. Today, many video archives still use Betacam SP (although as we’ve noted in other articles, analog formats don’t last forever — and if your organization maintains a large quantity of Betacam or Betacam SP tapes, it’s time to upgrade to digital). 

1993: Digital Betacam and Betacam SX

Digital video has enormous advantages over analog, but until the early 1990s, it wasn’t a practical option for broadcasters, educators, and other professional applications.

That changed with Digital Betacam. With a recording time of up to 124 minutes, DigiBeta recorded with 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 sampling, which provided excellent color reproduction. 

Three years later, Betacam SX, a less expensive version of DigiBeta, hit the market — but the original DigiBeta had become the go-to standard. 

2001: Betacam SP is Discontinued

By the early 2000s, the market for BetaSP had effectively vanished. While many broadcasters maintained (and continue to maintain) archives of BetaSP, original Betacam, and earlier formats, few were using them for day-to-day recording.

Sony discontinued the BetaSP format in 2001, then announced the depletion of their stock of legacy equipment in 2005. 

Related: The History of Sony Betacam SP

Digitize Your Broadcast Videos with Datarecovery.com

If your organization needs to digitize an archive of Betacam, U-Matic, Betacam SP, DigiBeta, or other formats, Datarecovery.com can help. With an expansive library of tape decks, video repair laboratories with certified cleanrooms, and industry-leading technology, we provide flexible resources for at-scale video digitization. 

For every case, we create a proprietary content management system, enabling professionals to find films based on media type, audio content (through automated transcription), video origin, or other criteria. Learn more about our Digital Content Management System or call us at 1-800-237-4200 for a free quote.

The post A Brief History of Broadcast Video Formats appeared first on Datarecovery.com.

Two people were rescued from this parking lot in Brentwood #StLouis
Check out how high the water is on that stop sign pic.twitter.com/1RbyjL9bPY

— Julia Avery (@JuliaAveryTV) July 26, 2022

Other facts about the floods:

• At least one person died in their car during the flooding, which submerged some vehicles in low-lying areas. 
• The Frontier Park pedestrian bridge in St. Charles, Missouri collapsed from erosion related to the flooding.
• In Brentwood, reports indicate that families were forced to swim from their homes to escape floodwater.
• About 100 people were reportedly trapped in an apartment complex in Hazelwood, Missouri. As of time of publication, rescue efforts are underway.
• While the rainfall has subsided as of 4:00 CDT Tuesday, additional storms are expected over the coming days. 

On Tuesday, St. Louis County executive Sam Page declared a state of emergency, which will allow Missouri to request federal funding for relief efforts. However, the metropolitan area will be dealing with the effects of the rainfall for weeks — and many homeowners and small business owners are waking up to extensive flood damage.

Historic amounts of rainfall slam #StLouis with flash flooding on Tuesday. Stay tuned for the latest by @stlpublicradio's @kgrumke, @petit_smudge and the team: https://t.co/XxabhCTtzO #stlwx pic.twitter.com/637I4m4tBp

— Brian Munoz (@brianmmunoz) July 26, 2022

Record Flooding Causes Data Loss for St. Louis Residents and Businesses

Datarecovery.com operates a laboratory in Edwardsville, Illinois, part of the St. Louis metropolitan region. While our office was not impacted by the flooding, we’ve already received an influx of flood-damaged storage media — including hard drives, servers, and personal laptops.

A chart from the Weather Service showing water levels rising to 23.43 feet in St. Peters, Missouri.

To help our neighbors recover from the unprecedented weather, we’re offering a 20% discount on services for all flood-damaged media. We’re also providing free evaluations for these cases to provide flood victims with a risk-free, local option. Get started by submitting a case online or calling our team at 1-800-237-4200.

Data Recovery Tips for Flood-Damaged Hard Drives and SSDs

If you’ve lost data due to a flood, keep the device powered off. If the device is on, disconnect the power as soon as possible. 

Exercise extreme caution when unplugging water-damaged devices. Turn off the electricity at the breaker box before handling electrical cords. If you cannot access the breaker box, or if the breaker box is in an area with standing water, contact your utility company.

To maximize your chances of successful data recovery, follow these tips:

• Do not attempt to dry your computer, smartphone, or other device. While “the rice trick” can work for devices submerged in clean water, floodwater is full of contaminants that can impact electronics after the water evaporates. 
• Place hard drives and other storage media into a plastic bag. Once again, do not attempt to dry the device; do not add more water to the bag.
• Never attempt to open a hard drive or solid-state drive. Hard drives, in particular, require extreme mechanical precision to operate. Opening a hard drive outside of a certified cleanroom can cause permanent data loss.
• Contact a professional data recovery provider as soon as possible. Put simply, floodwater and electronics don’t mix. Engineers will need to clean components before corrosion causes data loss. The longer you wait, the lower the chances of a complete recovery.

In most cases, flood-damaged media is completely recoverable, provided that devices are treated within 48 hours of submersion. Past that point, recovery may still be likely, depending on the type of media, the extent of corrosion, and various other factors.

Our Edwardsville laboratory is fully outfitted to handle water-damaged storage media. All cases begin with a free media evaluation: Engineers will safely clean your device, assess the damage, and provide a risk-free quote. 

If you need to recover data from a server, hard drive, or from any other flood-damaged device, we’re ready to help. Call 1-800-237-4200 to speak with our team or submit a case online.

The post Historic Rainfall Hits St. Louis: How to Protect Data from Flood Damage appeared first on Datarecovery.com.

Physical media destruction is always an option, but if you’re not willing to disassemble your hard drive and drill holes through the platters, file deletion software (or “file shredders”) are the next-best option. They’re effective, easy to use, and much safer than the aforementioned drilling method (to be clear, we’d put down the drill, since hard drive platters can break into sharp fragments). 

On many operating systems, deleted files are fully recoverable

Of course, every operating system has “file deletion” software; on Windows, for example, you’ve got the Recycle Bin. Unfortunately — or fortunately, depending on your perspective — OS tools don’t always overwrite data. 

Hard drives store data on platters, which are coated with a thin magnetic material. To actually delete a file, you’d need to change all of the magnetic charges associated with that file. 

But in most cases, that’s unnecessary. Writing data (i.e., changing the magnetic charges) consumes energy and takes time. The hard drive’s actuator heads must visit every sector of the file, which causes mechanical stress and limits the computer’s processing power until the operation is complete.

If you’re deleting a 2-gigabyte application, it doesn’t make sense to spend resources overwriting every bit of data — instead, the operating system will simply mark the space that the data occupied as “deleted,” then use that space when it needs to execute another write operation.

To put that another way, deleting a file doesn’t actually delete anything. You’re simply putting a “VACANT” sign on the file’s address. Note that this is only true for magnetic media — solid state drives (SSDs) don’t use magnetic charges to store data, and deleting a file from an SSD will immediately destroy the target file.

How File Deletion Software Works

File deletion software actually goes through the process of changing the magnetic charges on the hard drive’s platters. It’s an intensive process, and it works — provided you’ve selected a decent application for the task. 

Many “file shredder” tools go even further, writing random 1s and 0s to the space occupied by the target file. Some tools follow the Department of Defense’s (DoD) standards, overwriting the target area up to 7 times to completely annihilate the data.

But do they work? Yes — data recovery technicians have theorized that a single overwrite (or one pass deletion) could be recovered, but multiple overwrites eliminate any magnetic artifacts that would allow file recovery. Even with a single pass, data recovery is extremely unlikely, especially for larger files.

Even so, we do not officially recommend any file shredder applications, and we don’t use them frequently in our laboratories. Why? Put simply, software (and users) aren’t perfect. When we need to eliminate sensitive data, we usually degauss the hard drive by using powerful electromagnetic fields. 

If we need to destroy a single file while keeping the media intact, we use proprietary tools built to meet DoD/NIST standards. We don’t use commercial software for secure file deletion.

With that said, several free file shredders are ideal for private use. We’re listing them below, but this isn’t an official endorsement; research data security applications carefully before using them.

• Eraser – This simple application supports 10 data sanitization protocols, and it’s available for most Windows operating systems.
• WipeFile – WipeFile works similarly to Eraser, but it has several features that may appeal to power users, including options for creating log files.
• Secure Eraser – Secure Suite is a data sanitization tool and registry cleaner. It supports several sanitization protocols, including DoD 52220.22-M.
  

Before using any file deletion software, read the instructions. Make sure you have a backup of all important files — even if you’re not targeting them with the file shredder — and understand that “shredding” a file is permanent.

If you’ve lost data due to file deletion, Datarecovery.com can help. 

With no-risk quotes and a no data, no charge guarantee, we provide reliable resources for recovering from any data failure scenario. 

Contact us at 1-800-237-4200 or submit a case online to schedule a free evaluation.

The post Do “File Shredder” Programs Really Work? appeared first on Datarecovery.com.