What Is a “Stuck Head” on a Hard Drive?

Stuck heads occur when a hard drive’s read/write heads are locked into place on (or over) the hard drive’s platters. They’re unable to move back to their original position, and the hard drive’s spindle may be unable to rotate the...
June 21, 2023

Using Data Recovery Software? Start with a Clone

If you absolutely need data from a failed hard drive, solid-state drive, or other device, the safest course of action is to contact a professional data recovery provider. Each attempt to recover the files could exacerbate corruption or permanently erase...
June 20, 2023

How to Fix: External Hard Drive Causes Computer to Freeze

If your external hard drive causes your computer to freeze, operate slowly, or fail to boot, there’s a good chance that you’re dealing with corruption of the filesystem or a physical hard drive issue. Other issues can also cause these...
June 19, 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

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Ransomware Attack Impacts 2.5 Million People

In a recent disclosure, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) revealed that an April 2023 ransomware attack compromised the sensitive data of 2,550,922 people. HPHC is a non-profit health services provider based in Massachusetts. The organization reported that the attack occurred...
June 12, 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

Texas May Become First State to Regulate Cryptocurrency

Texas will likely become the first state to regulate digital asset providers, which could have enormous ramifications for the cryptocurrency community. House Bill (HB) 1666 is awaiting the governor’s signature. Introduced by State Representative Giovanni Capriglione (R), the bill would...
May 30, 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