Data Loss Prevention Information

Today, most of us rely on our personal PCs or laptops and expect our network servers to operate problem-free and be available when and where we want them. Here at 3A-NS it is our goal to meet this expectation by creating computer environments that can sustain nearly 100% uptime. Through our experience, we know that certain preventative procedures work well to accomplish our goals: to create a computer environment always available, free of problems and to prevent data loss. These procedures are sometimes complicated and costly therfore it may not be feasible for everyone to implement them. In each case the individual should evaluate his own situation and decide whether or not the value of his data is worth the expence.
For those who believe in the importance of their data and want to preserve it we have some suggestions that are well respected in the computer world. For all those who want to depend on luck and those that are already hit by data disaster we offer 3 services: Data Recovery, File Recovery and Password Recovery.
 
Recipe to minimize data loss and increase a system’s uptime.
Use a line Voltage conditioner like a UPS unit (Uninterrupted Power Supply) to lessen malfunction caused by power surges. This will also prevent any sudden power interruptions and give you time to shut down the computer safely.
If your system begins to "stick" or "hang up" on a regular basis, back up the data immediately.
Install virus protection software and some system tools to regular check your computer for errors. Any system utilities or Virus scanners are effective only if you keep them up to date.
Use a hardware or software firewall. Make sure you have the latest firmware or software updates.
Use a scanner utility that can find Worms, Ad-ware and Trojan Horses. This will remove programs with hidden functionality that could effect the operation of your system.
Frequently check for updates to software used on your system. Service Packs (SPs) are software code revision or updates that most vendors like Microsoft write in order to fix existing problems with their software.
First ask yourself the question, can I proceed with a day's data loss? a week's? a month's? Then create the appropriate backup procedure to satisfy your needs and occasionally test your backups. There's nothing worse than attempting to restore data from a blank media. Check with your system administrator to see what type of backup your company is implementing, if any.
Be wary of any email containing an attachment. If you don't know where it came from or what it is, then don't open it. DELETE it.
Take extra care when using any software that may manipulate your drive's data storage, such as: partition managers, format changers, defragmenter utilities or even disk checkers.
Before upgrading to a new Operating System, back up your most important files or directories in case there is a problem during installation. Keep in mind that if you have a slave hard drive it may become formatted as well.
Never shut the system down while programs are running. The open files will more than likely become corrupt and non functional.
Do not stack drives on top of each other, allow space for ventilation. An over heated drive is likely to fail. Be sure to keep the computer away from heat sources and make sure it is well ventilated.
Very Important! If your system ever fails DO NOT PANIC. Evaluate the situation and act accordingly. If your system doesn't’t boot and you hear your hard drive making loud strange noises you should call us ASAP for help. If you hear the hard drive making noises while the computer is running, try to copy your data to another drive or computer.
What to do if you have a data loss situation.

First of all, DO NOT PANIC !!!. Data loss may be common, but does not need to be permanent. We at 3A-NS have a 98% success rate recovering data from most all storage media. Only in the most severe cases of platter damage, magnetic degradation or a file over-write will the data be classified as unrecoverable.<<--Read More 
Here are a few tips that may help you minimize further damage to your storage media and to increase your chances for a successful data recovery:

Desktop PC's and Servers:
If your system has "crashed" and you can no longer access the operating system or see the drive in the BIOS, then shut the system down immediately and DO NOT attempt to reboot. This is considered a physical problem with the drive and you should call us at1-866-422-2638
If you have deleted a file or files or accidentally formatted your drive, then the most important thing to remember is to NOT write in any way to your drive. Deleting files simply removes the locating tag of the file, but the file is still intact on the drive. DO NOT even use a utility that may be able to bring your system back to an earlier date before the data loss occurred. These utilities will override files on your system! Ignoring these warnings will guarantee the permanent loss of your data.

If your partition has become corrupted, the most important thing to remember is to NOT attempt a re-install of your operating system or add new data to the drive. Sometimes with Dell, HP, IBM and other manufacturers your system may be under warranty. If you were to call them for help, they would be more than happy to help you get your system up and running again. Most often these companies use procedure that even though can bring your system back to a working condition they will DESTROY any previously existing data on your drive. You data will be GONE FOREVER!. So if you have an interest in recovering any important files from your system let as evaluate your drive first. The evaluation service is free.<<--Read More 

If the system is under manufacturer's warranty our technicians can use specialized software and techniques to repair the partition and/or extract your data without voiding your warranty**.
If you believe your system to be infected with a virus, shut the system down and contact a 3A-NS Data Recovery specialist.
Laptops and Notebooks:

Laptop and notebook hard drives are more delicate and much smaller in size that those found in desktop computers and servers. Despite their size the above data recovery tip; also apply here. However:

when removing a hard drive that was not designed to be easily removed out of the laptop casing, make sure that you do not use excessive force. Since excessive force could damage the drive we suggest that you send us the whole laptop. Be sure that you pack your drive or laptop well for shipping so that no further damage occurs to your drive before it reaches us.
 
 

The engineers at 3A-NS understand the importance of your data. We can guarantee the secrecy of our engineers and the security of your data. After a successful recovery we can return the data recovered, depending on size to your preferred medium (CD, DVD or Hard Drive).

We also offer a repair service for files that have become inaccessible due to corruption. Please visit our File Repairer page. DO NOT PANIC !!!

We also offer a service for lost passwords . So if you have forgotten or lost the password that gives you access to a system or a file please visit the Password Recovery page. Along with popular program files we can also successfully recover Administrator access in Windows XP/2000/NT.
If we fail to recover your passwords, there will be nothing to pay .

** This is only true when there is no need to open the drive for repair.

 

  
For assistance please call us at 1-866-4-AAA-NET (1-866-422-2638)
Progress status updates are provided with any work that we do for you.
 
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