[December 11, 2014]

Kroll Ontrack Offers Data Recovery Relief for Those Affected by Storms in San Francisco

Kroll Ontrack is offering free data recovery evaluations for all desktops, laptops and USBs affected by the major power outage in San Francisco. Data recoveries from these devices are available for a discounted, flat fee of $850.

Valuable information is stored on business and personal computers and laptops - critical financial information, irreplaceable and sentimental photos, videos, music, tax forms, contact lists, and passwords. In fact, experts predict that 99 percent of all information is now stored electronically and much of this information is not backed-up. This fact is reinforced by the increase in the number of jobs Kroll Ontrack receives following a natural disasters.

"The widespread rain and subsequent power outage is a major threat to business and personal property and can cause devastating data loss scenarios," said Todd Johnson (News - Alert), vice president of operations, Kroll Ontrack. "While many possessions can be replaced and are usually covered by insurance, the same cannot be said for digital data."

The extent of damage to digital files and information stored on hard drives will remain unknown until power is restored. Fortunately, the majority of digital data can be recovered from water-damaged or power-affected drives with the help of data recovery software and or services.

For more information on this offer, consumers can contact Kroll Ontrack locally in San Francisco, CA (News - Alert) at 415-874-3337 or visit www.krollontrack.com.

Kroll Ontrack also recommends that victims fearing loss of their vital information consider the following before assuming that the damage is permanent:

• Never assume that data is unrecoverable, no mtter what it has been through.
• Do not shake, disassemble or attempt to clean any hard drive or server that has been damaged - improper handling can make recovery operations more difficult which can lead to valuable information being lost;
• Never attempt to dry water-damaged media by opening it or exposing it to heat - such as that from a hairdryer;
• Do not attempt to operate visibly damaged devices;
• Do not attempt to freeze-dry media;
• Do not use common software utility programs on broken or water-damaged devices.
• If you are dealing with large servers, make sure they have adequate air conditioning. Increases in computer processor speed have resulted in more power requirements, which in turn require better cooling -especially important during the summer months;
• Invest in some form of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), which uses batteries to keep computers running during power outages. UPS systems also help manage an orderly shutdown of the computer - unexpected shutdowns from power surge problems can cause data loss;
• Check protection devices regularly: At least once a year you should inspect your power protection devices to make sure that they are functioning properly. Most good ones will have a signaling \ light to tell you when they are protecting your equipment properly;
• For mission critical situations, contact a data recovery professional before any attempts are made to reconfigure, reinstall or reformat.

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