Choosing between FAT or NTFS for preparing a new media is usually a no-brainer. Big disk? Format it with NTFS, as Windows will probably not allow putting a variation of the FAT system there. Memory card? FAT. But what about the less obvious choices, such as choosing the perfect file system for a large USB flash drive, an external disk, NAS or external RAID storage?
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Data Integrity and Recovery in FAT and NTFS File Systems: Part I
Data Loss and Recovery from USB Flash Drives
USB flash drives are used every day to carry information. Pictures and videos, copies of work documents and music files are the most popular types of data placed on a USB drive. However, the increased portability of information comes with the increased risk of data loss.
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Tips for Protecting Information against Data Loss
Protecting information against data loss takes more than building redundant storage or copying documents to another hard drive. Having a concise backup and recovery plan is what’s needed – and lacking in many organizations, let alone private computer users. This article talks about some measures needed for adequately protecting your data against accidental loss.
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How Data Is Recovered
Recovering data from different types of storage media require very different approaches. With a large variety of storage technologies and storage issues unique to certain types of storage media, data recovery from a damaged disk can be a matter of simply pushing a few buttons in a data recovery tool – or an extremely complex endeavor depending on what exactly caused the damage, what type of storage media is concerned, and what the user has done to the disk before resorting to a professional solution.
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Is It Recoverable? Signs of Permanent and Reversible Data Loss
In the previous article, Permanent and Reversible Data Loss, we discussed the various situations that can lead to the loss of data. From practical point of view, it is essential to be able to tell one from another. It is very difficult to damage a modern storage device beyond repair (or, rather, beyond the point at which a data recovery operation is still possible). This article tries to give hints as to how particular situations can be successful handled in the most economical way.
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Permanent and Reversible Data Loss
In today’s world, information is the most valuable asset. Losing information may cause severe damages, sometimes unrecoverable. This is why organizations are trying to protect themselves against data loss as much as possible by building fault-tolerant systems, employing cloud computing for data storage and implementing complex backup systems. However, sometimes the inevitable happens, and information disappears from the most reliable storage. Understanding the costs and implications of data loss as well as realistically estimating the possibility of restoring the lost data is extremely important in corporate environments.
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Data Backups: Also Not a Perfect Panacea
The previous article discussed the principles and limitations of redundant RAID arrays used to build a fault-tolerant system. With RAID arrays not being a guarantee of data integrity, what is? Common belief is that regular backups are a perfect solution. Indeed, a carefully thought of and properly implemented backup policy will get you close to perfection – but not quite the absolute safety touted by backup apologists. This article discusses the benefits and limitations of regular backups in achieving the ultimate safety and accessibility of your data.
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Redundant RAID Arrays: Not a Perfect Panacea
Designing and implementing the optimum storage system is an often underestimated challenge even in large organizations storing and accessing humongous amounts of information. More often than not, companies implement a single RAID array, considering its redundancy a guarantee of data preservation. More often than not, this is not the case.
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Top 10 Data Recovery Mistakes (7-10)
This text finalizes series articles on common mistakes done by the companies when planning the prevention and recovery of data loss.
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Top 10 Data Recovery Mistakes (4-6)
This article continues series of common mistakes done by the companies when planning the prevention and recovery of data loss.
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