Data Recovery Statistics

Data Recovery Outcomes

This chart displays the number of successful (green) and failed (red) recovery attempts for the top 5 manufacturers with the highest total recovery attempts:

This chart displays the number of successful (green) and failed (red) recovery attempts for the remaining manufacturers:

Top 3 Insights:

1. Significant Variations in Recovery Attempts:
   The chart reveals substantial variations in the number of recovery attempts across different manufacturers. Manufacturers like Seagate, WD, and SanDisk have a significantly higher number of recovery attempts compared to others. This indicates a higher volume of devices from these manufacturers requiring data recovery services, likely due to their larger market share or higher failure rates.
2. High Success Rates for Most Manufacturers:
   For many manufacturers, the green segments representing successful recovery attempts dominate the bars, indicating high success rates. This is particularly evident for manufacturers like WD, SanDisk, and others. This suggests that data recovery efforts for these brands are generally successful, highlighting the reliability of their devices in terms of recoverable data.
3. High Failure Rates in SSDs and Flash Storage:
   The chart for remaining manufacturers shows that many of the failed devices are SSDs or flash storage. Brands like Intel, Apple, and others indicate a significant number of failed recovery attempts. This suggests that SSDs and flash storage devices might be more prone to issues that complicate data recovery, possibly due to the nature of their technology, such as bit errors, firmware corruption, or physical damage to the flash chips, or lack of proper support by data recovery tools.

Average Amount Of Data Recovered By Manufacturer

This chart displays the average percentage of data (files or sectors; depending on the recovery) recovered for each manufacturer during the month of January 2024. Each bar represents a different manufacturer, and the length of the bar indicates the average percentage of data recovered from the devices sent in for recovery.

The chart provides a clear visual comparison of data recovery performance across different manufacturers, highlighting which manufacturers’ devices typically result in higher recovery rates. This information is useful for customers to understand the relative success of data recovery efforts for different brands.

Top 3 Insights:

1. High Recovery Percentages Across Many Manufacturers:
   The chart reveals that many manufacturers, including Dell, HP/Hitachi, Hynix, Inland, Intel, and others, have average recovery percentages close to 100%. This indicates that for these manufacturers, the data recovery processes are highly effective, often recovering nearly all of the data from their devices. Dell and HP drives are often found in RAIDs, which helps explain why they have a high percentage of recovered data (if the RAID is redundant, one or two drives may be bad, but all the data may still be recoverable).
2. Variation in Recovery Percentages:
   While most manufacturers have high recovery percentages, some brands like Sony, Kingston, and HP have lower average recovery percentages, indicating that data recovery attempts from these devices are less likely to retrieve a high proportion of data. This variation highlights differences in the difficulty of recovering data from devices made by different manufacturers.
3. Insight into Reliability and Data Recoverability:
   The chart provides valuable insights into the reliability and recoverability of devices from various manufacturers. Customers can use this information to gauge which manufacturers’ devices are more likely to result in successful data recovery, guiding their purchasing and data management decisions.

Top 20 Models Received For Data Recovery

1. ST2000LM007 (Seagate) – 21 occurrences

2. ST2000DM001 (Seagate) – 13 occurrences

3. WD40NMZW-11GX6S1 (Western Digital) – 6 occurrences

4. ST8000DM004 (Seagate) – 5 occurrences

5. ST1000LM024 (Seagate) – 5 occurrences

6. ST1000LM035 (Seagate) – 5 occurrences

7. WD20SDRW-11VUUS0 (Western Digital) – 5 occurrences

8. ST4000DM000 (Seagate) – 4 occurrences

9. ST5000LM000 (Seagate) – 4 occurrences

10. WD10JMVW-11AJGS4 (Western Digital) – 4 occurrences

11. ST3000DM001 (Seagate) – 4 occurrences

12. WD50NDZW-11MR8S1 (Western Digital) – 4 occurrences

13. WD40NDZW-11A8JS1 (Western Digital) – 3 occurrences

14. WD40NDZW-11MR8S1 (Western Digital) – 3 occurrences

15. WD50NDZW-11BCSS0 (Western Digital) – 3 occurrences

16. ST500DM002 (Seagate) – 3 occurrences

17. MZ-77E1T0 (Samsung) – 3 occurrences

18. WD50NDZW-11BHVS1 (Western Digital) – 3 occurrences

19. HDS721010CLA332 (Hitachi) – 3 occurrences

20. ST1000DM003 (Seagate) – 3 occurrences

Top 3 Insights:

1. Dominance of the ST2000LM007 Model:
   The ST2000LM007 model (“Rosewood” family) stands out significantly, accounting for 26.5% of the total devices received for data recovery. This high percentage suggests that this model has a relatively higher incidence of failures or data recovery needs compared to other models. It could be an area of concern for users and manufacturers to investigate further.
2. Concentration Among a Few Models:
   The top three models, ST2000LM007, ST2000DM001, and ST1000LM024, together account for over 50% of the devices received for recovery. This indicates that data recovery cases are heavily concentrated among a few specific models. 5 out of the top 6 models are Seagate. Users of these models might want to be more vigilant about data backup and maintenance.
3. Variety of Models in Need of Recovery:
   The chart shows a diverse range of models requiring data recovery services, from different manufacturers and model types. This variety indicates that while some models are more prone to issues, data recovery needs are spread across various models, suggesting that no model is completely immune to data issues.

Data Recovery Attempts, Successes, Failures For Top 20 Models

This chart visualizes the data recovery outcomes for the top 20 models in terms of the number of recovery attempts, successes, and failures.

The chart provides a visual comparison of the success and failure rates for each model, helping customers understand which models have higher chances of successful data recovery. This information is crucial for customers looking to assess the reliability and recoverability of specific device models.

Models that had a 100% success rate:

1. ST1000LM024 – 5 successful attempts out of 5 total attempts

2. WD10JMVW-11AJGS4 – 4 successful attempts out of 4 total attempts

3. WD50NDZW-11MR8S1 – 4 successful attempts out of 4 total attempts

4. WD40NDZW-11A8JS1 – 3 successful attempts out of 3 total attempts

5. WD50NDZW-11BCSS0 – 3 successful attempts out of 3 total attempts

6. ST500DM002 – 3 successful attempts out of 3 total attempts

7. MZ-77E1T0 – 3 successful attempts out of 3 total attempts

8. HDS721010CLA332 – 3 successful attempts out of 3 total attempts

9. ST1000DM003 – 3 successful attempts out of 3 total attempts

Top 3 Insights:

1. High Success Rates for Most Models:
   Many of the top 20 models exhibit high success rates for data recovery, with several models achieving a 100% success rate. This indicates that for these models, the data recovery process is highly effective, suggesting good design or recoverability.
2. Notable Failures in Specific Models:
   Some models, such as HDS721010CLA332 and WD50NDZW-11MR8S1, have a significant proportion of failed recovery attempts. This highlights potential vulnerabilities or more severe issues with these specific models, which may require more attention or better recovery techniques.
3. Varied Performance Among Models:
   The success rates vary widely among the top 20 models, ranging from 60% to 100%. This variation underscores the importance of model-specific considerations in data recovery efforts. Users of models with lower success rates should be particularly diligent in backing up their data and may need to seek professional recovery services sooner in case of failures.

All Device Problems Identified By Frequency

This chart displays all the problems we encountered in January 2024 for all storage devices.

Top 3 Insights:

1. Platter Damage is the Most Frequent Issue:
   Platter damage is by far the most common problem, with 117 occurrences. This indicates that physical damage to the platters is a prevalent issue in storage devices, often requiring complex recovery procedures. The high frequency suggests a need for better handling and protection of hard disk drives to mitigate such damage (or better manufacturing practices).
2. Head Swap and Sector Issues are Significant:
   Head swap issues, with 65 occurrences, and sector issues, with 56 occurrences, are also highly prevalent. Head swap problems often involve delicate and precise work to replace malfunctioning read/write heads. Sector issues, which include weak or bad sectors, highlight the importance of keeping backups to prevent data loss and corruption.
3. Firmware and PCB Problems are Common but Manageable:
   Firmware corruption and PCB-related issues, with 39 and 19 occurrences respectively, are notable problems. Firmware corruption can render devices inoperable, while PCB issues involve electrical or component failures. These problems, while less frequent than physical damage, still represent significant challenges in data recovery, emphasizing the need for robust firmware repair capabilities and donor PCB components.

Breakdown and description of each problem type:

1. Platter Damage (117 occurrences)

Description: Involves physical damage to the platters in a hard disk drive, which are the disks where data is stored. Platter damage can result in significant data loss and can make data recovery challenging. Causes can include mechanical shock, contamination, or wear and tear over time.

2. Head Swap (65 occurrences)

Description: Refers to the process of replacing the read/write heads in a hard disk drive. This is often necessary when the original heads are damaged or malfunctioning. Head swaps are delicate procedures that require precise handling to avoid further damage to the drive.

3. Sectors (56 occurrences)

Description: Issues within specific sectors of the storage device where data is stored. This can involve weak or bad sectors that may require multiple re-reads to retrieve the data, when possible. Weak or bad sectors can lead to data loss or corruption.

4. Firmware Corruption (39 occurrences)

Description: Damage or corruption in the firmware, which is the software programmed into the device that controls its operations. Firmware corruption can lead to the device malfunctioning or becoming inoperable.

5. PCB (19 occurrences)

Description: Issues related to the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) of the storage device. Problems with the PCB can include electrical faults, component failures, or physical damage, affecting the device’s ability to function properly.

6. Platter Swap (20 occurrences)

Description: Refers to issues caused by a bad motor, spindle, or platter alignment. When the motor stops working, the spindle becomes “jammed,” or the platters aren’t spinning evenly, no data on the drive can be accessed. To solve this problem, the platters (and possibly the heads) are moved from your drive into another fully working and tested hard drive shell. Sometimes, platter swaps are performed to a donor drive with known good donor heads because it is faster or safer than a traditional head swap.

7. Bit Errors (15 occurrences)

Description: Refers to errors found on SSDs and flash devices (e.g., USB flash drives, EMMC chips). These errors occur when individual bits in the stored data are corrupted or altered.

8. Partition Corruption (15 occurrences)

Description: Damage to the partition structure of the storage device, making it difficult or impossible to access the data stored within the affected partition. This can lead to data loss and issues with system stability.

9. Controller Failed (11 occurrences)

Description: Indicates a failure in the device’s controller, responsible for managing the reading and writing of data on the storage device. This can result in the inability to access or store data, leading to potential data loss and rendering the device unusable until repaired or replaced, or resulting in chip-off procedures.

10. TVS Diode (8 occurrences)

Description: Involves issues with the TVS (Transient Voltage Suppression) diode, a component designed to protect the device from voltage spikes. A faulty TVS diode can prevent the device from operating correctly.

11. Heads Stuck (8 occurrences)

Description: Refers to the read/write heads of a hard disk drive being physically stuck to the platters or in an incorrect position. This can occur due to power failures, mechanical shocks, or wear and tear. When the heads are stuck, the drive cannot read or write data, rendering it inaccessible until the heads are safely repositioned or replaced. Sometimes a head swap is required when the heads are stuck, but in some cases, they can still work after being “unstuck.”

12. Deleted Files Recovery (7 occurrences)

Description: Involves the recovery of files that have been accidentally or intentionally deleted from the storage device. The recovery process aims to retrieve and restore these files, which may still be present on the device but are marked as deleted and may be overwritten by new data if not recovered in time.

13. Interface (5 occurrences)

Description: Refers to issues related to the connection between the storage device and the computer or other devices. Problems can include faulty or damaged cables, ports, or connectors, as well as compatibility issues with the interface standards (such as SATA, USB, or PCIe). Interface problems can prevent the storage device from being recognized or accessed correctly.

14. Fuse (5 occurrences)

Description: Involves issues with the fuse in the storage device. The fuse is a safety component designed to protect the device from overcurrent. If the fuse is blown or malfunctioning, it can prevent the device from powering on or operating correctly. Additionally, the actual issue may also involve another chip on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) that might be damaged or malfunctioning.

15. Encryption Failure (3 occurrences)

Description: Refers to issues with the encryption system of the storage device. This can involve corrupted encryption keys, software malfunctions, or hardware failures that prevent the proper decryption of data. Such failures can render the data inaccessible unless the encryption problem is resolved or bypassed.

16. Format Recovery (2 occurrences)

Description: Involves recovering data from a storage device that has been formatted. Formatting can erase file structures and metadata, making recovery more complex.

17. Don’t Know (2 occurrences)

Description: This problem category indicates that the specific issue with the storage device is unknown. The exact issue could have been various problems, such as an interface issue (if you had an external drive), firmware corruption, or minor partition corruption. However, since we used special data recovery tools to communicate with the device (like PC-3000 and Deepspar Disk Imager), we didn’t encounter any significant hiccups when recovering your files. Our tools allow us to, most importantly, disable problematic firmware settings that can cause the drive to hang or freeze. Then we created a complete image of your device and scanned the file system/partition using the best available tools.

18. Optane Corruption (1 occurrence)

Description: Refers to issues specific to Intel Optane memory devices. This can involve corruption of the data stored on the Optane memory, firmware issues, or hardware failures. Such corruption can lead to data loss or the inability to access the data stored on the device.

19. Flash Chip Corruption (1 occurrence)

Description: Refers to issues with the flash memory chips in storage devices such as SSDs, USB flash drives, or memory cards. This can involve data corruption, bit errors, or complete failure of the flash memory chips. Such corruption can lead to data loss and difficulties in accessing or recovering the stored data.

20. NVRAM/ROM (1 occurrence)

Description: Issues related to the Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) or Read-Only Memory (ROM) of the storage device. These components, which are saved on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board), store crucial firmware and configuration data. Problems with NVRAM/ROM can lead to the device malfunctioning, failing to boot, or being unable to access stored data properly.

21. Liquid Damage (1 occurrence)

Description: Refers to issues caused by exposure to liquids, such as water or other fluids, which can lead to corrosion, short circuits, and physical damage to the storage device’s components. Liquid damage can result in the device malfunctioning, data loss, and difficulties in accessing or recovering the stored data.

22. Enclosure (1 occurrence)

Description: Problems related to the external casing or housing of the storage device. Issues with the enclosure can affect the physical protection and thermal management of the device, potentially leading to operational problems.