Toshiba is a leader in computer technology, particularly in portable computers such as netbooks, notebooks and more recently, tablet PCs. Despite their general reliability and durability, sometimes even Toshiba computers can fail due to wear and tear, physical damage or software problems. If you've ever experienced the sinking feeling of watching your computer hard drive fail, taking all your files and important information with it, you know the importance of data recovery. By seeking a professional data recovery company to assist you, you can get your data back in a relatively short period of time, sometimes within 12 to 24 hours!

There are data recovery software programs available, but these can be risky and don't solve all of the problems that could potentially cause data loss. If you do experience a loss of important files and information, I recommend you trust your data to a reputable data recovery company.

Hard drives can fail for a number of reasons, but the most common are physical damage and computer viruses. Even the most reliable computers eventually break down due to simple wear and tear.

Symptoms of computer failure

Here are some of the symptoms of computer failure that will need to be fixed by a data recovery specialist:

1. An unusual "clicking" sound coming from your computer.

This is one of the most common signs of a problem with your drive. A clicking sound indicates a mechanical problem with the internal components of your drive. If this happens, you should shut down your computer as soon as possible and seek out a professional data recovery and computer repair company. Don't try to fix a hard disk on your own, it requires specialized training and tools and a dust free clean room environment to repair your equipment properly and avoid doing further damage.



2. BIOS doesn't recognize your hard drive.

This is another sign of a mechanical drive failure. If BIOS doesn't read that you have a hard disk connection, it may have completely failed. On the other hand, if BIOS detects that you have a hard drive but doesn't list the correct label of your hard drive, that it usually caused by a logical error such as a computer virus.

3. You mysteriously lose files.

If you suddenly start to lose files without any apparent reason, your hard drive may be in the early stages of failure. If this happens, you should back up your files as soon as possible (the most important files first) and see a data recovery specialist.

4. Your computer locks up during booting.

Most computers freeze up from time to time, but if this happens frequently it's a sign that your hard drive may be failing. Again, back up your files as soon as you can and take your computer to a repair specialist.

5. There is no sound from your drive when you power up. <p/>

You should hear some gentle whirring (but no clicking!) from your hard drive when you power on your computer. Complete silence indicates that your hard disk is not functioning and needs repair.

As in all cases, the best defence to losing data due to a hard drive failure or computer virus is to regularly back up your important files and information. Having your data properly backed up can save you a lot of headaches if should you experience a sudden computer failure. You may still need the services of a data recovery firm to recover your most recent file updates (since your last backup), or to repair your computer (replace the hard drive), or, in the case of RAID data loss [http://www.sydneydatarecovery.com.au/raid-recovery.html], repair the RAID array.

There are a number of online computer back up services that will back up and store your data for a monthly fee and you can also back up your data yourself to an external hard drive, such as a flash drive or even to CDs or DVDs.

Whichever option you choose, backing up your data can save you a lot of time and money in the event of a computer crash.