Physical Damage or Very Valuable Information

Don't panic. Stay calm and get help. More data could be lost through panic measures than anything else You should never assume your lost data is unrecoverable. In most cases, your data is fully recoverable.

Do not attempt to solve the problem yourself when your hard drive is making any unusual noise. Running any commercial utilities will make the situation worst.

Do not do anything further if the system report CRC read IO error as this is indication of media failure and data could only be recovered if the disk is sent to a professional data recovery company.

Do not attempt to shake or hit on the drive when you encounter any problems, as this will only cause further damage to the drive.

Do not run scandisk as this will stress your disk further if it is already malfunctioning. Scandisk could only solve trivial logical problems.

Do not attempt to format your drive or changing the partitions when you are unable to access your data.

Do not re-install any software or restart the machine just turn of the power and call for help.

Do not use file recovery software if you suspect an electrical or mechanical failure. Using file recovery software on a faulty hard drive may destroy what was otherwise recoverable data.

Do not clean or operate equipment damaged by a natural disaster. Whether it's a flash flood or a twisting tornado, if you've fallen victim to a natural disaster, there is only one option. Call to a company offering professional data recovery services immediately. Your chances for a successful recovery are greatly reduced if you make any attempts yourself to clean or dry your damaged computer.