Today, we live in a world whose every aspect is increasingly getting digital and computerised. Information technology touches almost every part of our lives – there is no escape from it. Be it leisure or work, one cannot avoid using computers and digital devices in some way.

Massive computers form the backbone of big and small organisations. Digital storage devices store huge amounts of data while processors crunch numbers at an astonishing speed. Network cables hold the entire information technology infrastructure together and bring the entire world right on our desktops through the Internet.

Even our homes these days have dozens of tiny digital devices like computer hard disks, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, memory sticks and so on whose size is getting smaller while their capacity is getting larger with every technical breakthrough.

Together these devices hold precious data, anything from bank account statements, t ext files, irreplaceable photos collected over years, database of hundreds of phone numbers, email messages, corporate presentations, spreadsheets, manuscripts of books or articles written over months, personal diaries and notes as well as music albums and movies.

Most of the data that we store is vital and needed by us for some purpose (that is why we are storing it in the first place!). Just imagine for a moment that suddenly all this data is snatched from us, never to be returned. Such a thought is enough to send shivers down our spine! What will happen? How will we manage? That data simply cannot be replaced! It is too valuable!

Now listen to this – though losing “all” of your data in one stroke, regardless of which device it is stored in, may seem absurd and unthinkable, that is very much an eventuality that can hit anyone anytime.

Most of us relate data loss to a single device, like a hard disk crashing or a PDA’s memory getting wiped out while cha nging the batteries. Rarely would we worry about losing all the data from every single device we own at the same time.

That is because we do not take natural calamities and disasters into account. Fires breaking out are quite common. Sometimes entire buildings go up in flames. There are earthquakes that lead to collapse of whole blocks. Floods may come unannounced one night, with three-foot deep water swirling around in your house. Or there may even be a theft where the intruders mop up everything of value.

The risk of fire, though, is the most common where all your data devices may be damaged by smoke and heat. If such a scenario happens, do not panic! The natural reaction of most people is to just wring one’s hands and curse their rotten luck for the disaster. They assume that all data is lost forever and they have to somehow grin and bear it and throw every charred data device into the trash basket.

But there is a ray of hope in such cases. There are professional data recovery companies that exist for just such an even tuality. They are manned by qualified and experienced computer engineers who use highly advanced and specially designed data-recovery tools and software to recover data from damaged hard disks and any kind of digital device like mobile phones, PDAs, CDs and memory sticks.

Regardless of how hopeless the situation may seem, it is a good idea to get in touch with a professional data-recovery company like www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk and get your hard disk or digital storage device evaluated by experts. There is a high probability that they may succeed in salvaging the entire data or at least a large chunk of it. Most of these companies offer a no-recovery-no-charge policy and you have nothing to lose.

How do these companies recover your data? They have an enclosed space called a Clean Room that has air filtered many times over, with the result that the environment inside has negligible dust particles floating around. Your digital data storage device like hard d isk platters can safely be opened in this atmosphere.
Once th ese devices are exposed, tailor-made software and special machines are used to scan every millimetre of the storage device to read whatever data is undamaged. The system even tries to create the missing chunks of data through intelligent guesswork!

The amount of information that can be recovered from devices which seem crumpled or charred beyond recognition is truly remarkable. Many people cannot believe their eyes when the recovered data is presented to them in days, neatly copied on a fresh storage device.

If ever a natural calamity like a fire strikes your home or office and your digital storage devices are damaged heavily due to smoke, flames or even water sprayed in by the fire fighters, there is no need to think that all is lost and you have to live without your irreplaceable data.

There is no harm in calling a professional and experienced data-recovery company and asking for a second opinion!

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy edito r. For more information on Data Recovery see http://www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk