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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

How to Recover Lost Data From a Flash Drive?

Flash drives can come in very handy when looking to quickly and easily store large amounts of data in a small space. They're also very convenient if you're looking to easily move data from one computer to another. Flash drives are typically small, lightweight devices, and are therefore more susceptible to damage, which can lead to losing your data. Here are a 3 simple tips on how to recover data from a flash drive:

Backing Up

The first solution to recovering lost data is to back it up in the first place. Any data you put on a flash drive should be backed up to one or more computers or even an external hard drive. This is more of a solution to prevent you from losing flash drive data in the future and not to recover it; but it's extremely important to remember.

Flash Drive Data Recovery Software

For those of you who didn't back up (as is often the case), your first choice should be looking into software to recover your lost data. One of the best products on the market for recovering flash drive data is a program called Klix. Klix is made by a company called ProSoft Engineering, and can assist in recovering files you thought may have been lost forever. Try the trial version first to see if it's the right fit for you - chances are if you've physically damaged the drive, software won't be of much help to you.

Flash Drive Data Recovery Services

The next option, and more costly, is to hire a data recovery service. If you have a damaged or corrupt drive, hiring a professional service is really your only option to getting your data back safely. Like I said, data recovery services aren't cheap; on the low end you will be looking at probably $100 just to mail in your device and have them take a look at it. On the high end, you could be paying over $1,000 just to get your data back. It all comes down to how much your lost data is worth to you!