"Data loss!" – How to deal with this emergency.

What you should know about the loss of data:

Stay calm. Your data is not necessarily lost – Attingo can help rescue your data in more than 90% of all emergencies.

Do not undertake any further steps towards retrieving your data without reliable information about effects and background knowledge.

Even simply rebooting your computer will in many cases render your data irretrievable as the startup routine may check the file system (eg Checkdisk or Scandisk) which may overwrite important areas.

If your data medium is faulty, do not turn the PC or server on again. Faults can show themselves by scratching or clicking noises or high-pitched sounds. Any further start of the disk can result in a head crash which can remove the magnetic layer from the disc. First warning signs can be system crashes, bluescreens or error messages like "Error when writing data".

Do not open the hard disk drive! This should only be done in a cleanroom lab. Also, do not try to exchange electronic parts as this might result in the loss of firmware information on the data medium.

Do not take up advice given in the Internet, eg to put he hard disk drive in the deep-freezer. This may result in loss of calibration and short-circuits.

If your data medium got wet (eg because of floods,..) do not try drying it as this will speed up corrosion. Wrap the medium in watertight wrapping and send it immediately to Attingo.

In many cases we receive hard disks which underwent a series of emergency measures by well-meaning computer experts and thus suffered extensive damage. Your data is precious and possibly irretrievable. Trust in our specialists!

Should you suspect that data was destroyed intentionally eg by sabotage or for covering traces address Attingo immediately. Often we find sufficient evidence to identify the perpetrator and secure evidence.

Check if backups – even older ones – exist. These could help in restoring your data.