Lost, Deleted, Corrupt, Encrypted, and Other Inaccessible Data Recovery

Many data recovery cases fall into a broad category where the data becomes inaccessible due to factors like deletion, corruption, or encryption - not as a result of physical device failure, but rather due to human error or software issues. These cases require a different approach than the ones used for physically damaged storage media.
For simplicity, we refer to this category as Lost/Deleted Data Recovery. Although not exhaustive, the following list includes the most common data loss scenarios in this category.
Common Cases of Lost/Deleted Data:

• Deleted Data: Accidentally deleted or overwritten files, or re-formatted/re-partitioned disk volumes.
• Corrupted Files: Data integrity issues caused by overwriting, file system corruption, or faulty software that modifies file contents.
• Data Loss Without Warning: Files disappear without an apparent reason - often caused by automatic sector remapping initiated by the device’s firmware, which is designed to operate as a hidden process without notifying the user.
• Encrypted Data Inaccessibility: Files that cannot be decrypted - even with the correct password - due to corruption in the encryption system.
• Zero-Size or Empty Files: Often the result of failed DIY recovery attempts or inadequate service from non-specialized computer repair shops.
• Malicious Data Loss: Data lost or damaged due to viruses, sabotage, or deliberate tampering.

What You Need to Know About Lost/Deleted Data Recovery

Contrary to popular belief, recovering lost data from a device without any physical damage can be more challenging than retrieving data from a non-functional or physically broken drive. When a drive is physically damaged but hasn't been subjected to aggressive or poorly executed recovery attempts - especially those involving questionable methods or software - the data often remains intact, preserved like a "frozen relic," and has a significantly better chance of being successfully recovered. In such cases, recovery is often more straightforward compared to pure digital data loss (Lost/Deleted Data), which may involve overwritten files, corrupted file systems, or erratic fragmentation.
In fact, data loss on a fully functioning computer or storage device can often be much more severe. When a drive remains operational and continues to respond to read/write memory commands, the risk of further damage from human error or faulty software increases significantly - especially while the device is in use or even left powered on and unattended for extended periods.
In such cases, prior recovery attempts or unintended software behavior can cause more harm than a simple mechanical or electrical failure that renders the device inoperable. Ironically, a non-functional drive may better preserve data, as it prevents further damage from occurring. As a result, recovering data from digitally corrupted devices is often more time-consuming, technically complex, and carries a much higher degree of uncertainty.

Contrary to popular belief, recovering lost data from a device without any physical damage can be more challenging than retrieving data from a non-functional or physically broken drive. When a drive is physically damaged but hasn’t been subjected to aggressive or poorly executed recovery attempts - especially those involving questionable software or methods - the data often remains intact, preserved like a "frozen relic," and has a significantly better chance of successful recovery. In such cases, the recovery process is often more straightforward compared to purely digital data loss (Lost/Deleted Data), which may involve overwritten files, corrupted file systems, or erratic fragmentation.

In fact, data loss on a fully functioning computer or storage device can often be more severe. When a drive remains operational and continues to respond to read/write memory commands, the risk of further damage from human error or faulty software increases significantly - particularly when the device is actively in use or even just left powered on and unattended for extended periods.
In these situations, prior recovery attempts or unintended software behavior can do more harm than a mechanical or electrical failure that simply renders the device inoperable. Ironically, a non-functional drive may offer better data preservation by preventing further damage. As a result, recovering data from digitally corrupted devices is often more time-consuming, technically complex, and comes with a higher degree of uncertainty.

To maximize your chances of successful recovery from a computer, hard drive, SSD, or any other data storage device affected by Lost/Deleted Data symptoms:

• Avoid using the affected computer or drive. Any new data written to the device could overwrite files that are still physically present but currently inaccessible.
• Do not install or run any new software on the affected system - for the same reason as above.
• Power down the system immediately and contact a professional data recovery lab.
• Provide detailed information when submitting a recovery request, including the types of lost files and their extensions (e.g., .docx, .jpg, .mov, .mp4), the estimated data size, the suspected cause (if known), and any prior recovery attempts.

Lost / Deleted data recovery process in Data Lab 247

1. Client Interview
   We begin by collecting as much detail as possible about the incident. Some clients provide detailed descriptions, while others may remember only a few key facts. Any information can help our engineers quickly select the right data recovery tools and techniques.
2. Diagnostic
   We assume (for requested Lost/Deleted service) the drive is physically functional. Still, diagnostics may reveal hidden hardware issues. This is why a professional, in-lab diagnosis is essential. Mishandling by non-experts - even with the best intentions - can drastically reduce the chances of successful recovery.
   If the device is intact, we create a bit-to-bit image of the original drive. Most of recovery work will be applied to this image. It also helps to protect the original data device from any unnecessary usage in the recovery process.
3. Data Recovery Techniques
   Once imaging is complete, we apply specialized tools to scan disk volumes, detect file systems and partitions, and analyze structures such as metadata, encryption details, and descriptors. Based on this information, a virtual disk environment is created for the data reconstruction process. Depending on the extent of file system damage and the complexity of the case, we apply one or more of the following recovery methods:
   • Standard Recovery – Uses records retrieved from file tables or other system metadata sources.
   • “Lost and Found” Recovery – Applied when directory structures are partially damaged or incomplete.
   • Raw/Forensic Recovery – Used for severely fragmented or unidentified data when conventional methods are insufficient.
4. Post-Recovery Processing: Verification, Cleaning, Sorting
   At Data Lab 247, we go a step further by using proprietary tools to verify, clean, and organize the recovered data. This helps restore the files to their original structure whenever possible - or, when not feasible, to a logically sorted and user-friendly format.
   Typically, the recovered data is sorted into three main folders:
   1. Normal/Default: Files and folders with original names and structure.
   2. Lost and Found: Files recovered with incomplete or damaged directory paths, where missing folder structures are replaced with temporary placeholder folders.
   3. Raw Recovery: Files without original names or metadata, but with recoverable content.

Post-Recovery Steps exclusively by Data Lab 247:

1. File Integrity Verification
   • Corrupt files are removed.
   • Files with invalid headers or incorrect checksums (for formats like JPEG, DOCX, PDF) are filtered out in separate location (for individual/manual checking if needed).
   • Empty/zero-size files and files with empty content are also excluded from result.
2. Duplicate Elimination
   • Files recovered through both "Normal" and "Raw" methods are systematically compared.
   • Redundant copies with identical content are removed to reduce clutter and improve usability.
3. Raw/Forensically-Recovered File Naming Order
   • Files recovered through digital signature analysis are initially assigned unique names - typically based on sector offsets. However, our advanced recovery software enhances this by extracting available metadata to generate more meaningful and user-friendly filenames.
   • Recovered files are then grouped and renamed using metadata such as creation date, camera model, or software type. For example, a photo might be renamed to Samsung_MegaPixel_2025-03-15.jpg and organized into a structured folder path like /Recovered_Photos/2025/03/.
4. Final Review
   • The lead engineer assigned to the recovery project performs a final inspection of the recovered data, personally verifying the integrity of files considered critical.
   • To ensure the result is focused on what the customer truly needs, unnecessary system and program files are filtered out.
   • A small selection of recovered files - such as documents or photos - is randomly chosen and included in a verification report for the customer’s review and confirmation.

Final Report and Customer Approval

At the completion of the recovery process, you will receive a detailed report featuring search and preview functionality, allowing you to browse all recovered files using our Lab's custom data browser.
If anything appears to be missing or unclear, you are encouraged to request clarification or additional assistance directly from the assigned data recovery engineer.
Please proceed with payment only if you are fully satisfied with the recovery results.
If any files are missing or the outcome does not meet your expectations, notify us before finalizing your service order.