You are sitting at your computer working on an important project, unbeknownst to you, your air conditioner has been leaking water inside your ceiling. Bubbles are forming above your head, and splash! Gallons of water pour down, soaking you and your computer. Ok, I know, this scenario is highly unlikely. Instead, maybe you are sipping a cool beverage while working on an important document, and your toddler walks up to show you their favorite toy, tipping your drink over and into your computer. The point I am trying to make is, hard drives and liquids donâ€™t make good company.

The question now remains, is it possible to fix a hard drive that has been damaged by liquids? The sad new is this, it is entirely likely for you to lose all of your valuable files, pictures and documents stored on your hard drive due to water damage. Accidental spills arenâ€™t always the culprit. It can happen from a variety of water soaked situations, for example, floods, tornados, hurricanes and fires. Remember that these are often panic situations, and generally require emergency data recovery services.

The first step that needs to be understood in any of these situations is, time is of the essence. If your hard drive has been damaged by any liquid, you must get professional help as soon as possible in order to recover the important, if not priceless data stored on your hard drive. Once a hard drive has become wet, the damage can increase with time, exponentially. In essence, the longer you leave it wet, the worse it can become. See this article about recovering hard drives from water damage.

The first objective you should do with any electronic device that has been exposed to water is to shut the power off and disconnect it from its power source. Do not move the Continue reading …