ADIF data recovery

[ZL1IW]

Anyone know of a reliable method of recovering QSO data from
a Hard Disk Drive that was reset to factory default by a company
repairing an unrelated computer fault.

Iain ZL1IW

[AA6YQ]

Anyone know of a reliable method of recovering QSO data from
a Hard Disk Drive that was reset to factory default by a company
repairing an unrelated computer fault.

Iain ZL1IW

There are data recovery firms that do this sort of work, but there's no guarantee they will succeed and it's not cheap:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=hard+drive+data+recovery

    73,

        Dave, AA6YQ

[KF7CG]

That is a big problem with certain manufacturers warranty service stations!

One must assume that if you send a computer out for work it will come back with the disk reset to factory. Therefore backup the harddrive(s) before sending the unit for repair, even if this means temporarily mounting the drive to a different computer.

Another caveat, MS Windows gets quite touch about major board changes during repair. Make sure you make a couple of nice hardcopy copies of the certificate of authenticity that is some where on your computer. These certificates are destruct on removal paper tags and degrade quite rapidly. You will need the numbers from them to get a new activation code from Microsoft. This may be needed immediately or within 30 days or the system will not boot.

Backup the disks, backup the paperwork, backup the backups.

KF7CG

[WA7NCL]

if the reinstall over-wrote the data area that contained the original file, you are not likely to get it back without the help of a forensic firm.

if it is in an unused area a linux too like testdisk might recover it.  it can be found on the systemrescue linux iso.  You need to be quite knowlegeable to use it.

good luck

[W5DQ]

Anyone know of a reliable method of recovering QSO data from
a Hard Disk Drive that was reset to factory default by a company
repairing an unrelated computer fault.

Iain ZL1IW

Iain,

I wish the best of luck in getting your data back. It might be a simple task of just using a proper utility and locating the data. However sounds like it might not be so simple.

To everyone else, let Iain's experience be a reminder that most of us have spent many hours entering data into a computer for electronic logging and it is very important that you keep a current backup of the log data files. I am overly paranoid about my banking software (Quicken) data, my photos and personal documents and my ham logbook data. I keep multiple copies in different places to avoid every having a problem of not being able to recover from a problem or disaster. I have a couple of thumbdrives that I alternate between for daily/weekly backups for logging as well as a network NAS in the house seperate from the building my shack is in. I also make periodic (minimum quarterly) backups to DVD of all financial and logging data and mail that to my parents in another state to store for me.

I have lost large amounts of data in the past to different causes and have developed a personal recovery plan that assures that it would be a very rare chain of events that would cause me to lose all my data. Worst case I summize would be to lose less than 1 week's worth of data at any given time.

I highly recommend everyone create their own backup plan and adhere to it strongly.

Again Iain best of luck.

Gene W5DQ

[KB4MB]

Just to make sure in case you didn't think of this, but if you uploaded your log to eqsl or lotw, you can get the data from them and reimport...

[K4JK]

For those of you needing an easy backup solution for logs and other important files, you should look into a something like Dropbox or SpiderOak.

You can create or designate folders that are backup folders, and these folders are backed up to the cloud in real time, whenever changes are made. For example- in HRD, one of the backup locations I have specified is a zip file in a folder automatically backed up by SpiderOak. Whenever changes are made to the backup file SpiderOak senses it, and launches the back up process automatically.

Dropbox can do the same thing.

Dropbox is easier to setup, but lacks the customization of SpiderOak. SpiderOak is more secure, in that the SpiderOak administrators cannot decrypt your files. It is possible for Dropbox administrators to decrypt your files.

Right now you get 2 gigs free for signing up with either. This is plenty of room for log files, LOTW TQSL keys, and the like.

You can also install the client on another computer, and keep the same group of files in sync on it through your account.

If you think you will like SpiderOak better, use my referral link to sign up and we both will get an extra gig of storage free: 

https://spideroak.com/download/referral/adfc3f789282eda0dad0589c09627cd0

[KB4MB]

I just email myself (web based email) with a protected zip file.  This gets it off site, and I also have hd backups, just in case.

Also, I figure with eqsl, lotw, qrz uploads, in the event of complete and utter disaster I am still covered...

[N3QE]

If you uploaded your logs to LOTW, you can at anytime later download the key fields (e.g. especially stuff you'd need for a QSL) from LOTW as a ADIF.

See this web page for how: http://www.arrl.org/adif