Microchip Computers Online

IT Services
Network cabling
IT Librarian
Data Removal & Recovery

Data Removal

The Data Protection Act demands that data should be carefully guarded so that personal data cannot be accidentally or otherwise incorrctly revealed.

So what do you do with the old disc drives from workstations and servers that you replace?
What do you do with the old data tapes used for backup?

If the discs and tapes are not treated to remove the data, you might be in contravention of the DPA.

How do you dispose of the computer equipment? Skip it? Until June 2006 (or perhaps later) when the new WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directives are implemented, that is still legal. After that, you cannot throw into a skip anything electrical and electronic - this even includes fluorescent tubes!

In any case, the discs from unwanted computers should always be wiped before disposal simply to remove the, perhaps sensitive, data. There are degrees of certainty in rendering the data unreadable.

• Simply deleting in the operating system does not work - that data files are still recoverable.
• Re-partitioning and then formatting (a high level format) from an operating system does not quarantee removing all the data
• Overwriting the disc several times with different binary patterns will make the data files difficult but not necessarily impossible to recover
• Chopping up the discs taken from within the drive leaves many parts of a disc where (given enough money to do so) the data can still be recovered.
• Wiping the data using binary patterns, heating the discs to a temperature above the Cure Point, and then physically destroying them (run over with a steamroller) is the only certain way of destroying the data.
• The US DOD standard demands three overwrites. The German standard requires seven overwrites.

The choice depends on how sensitive the data might be and how much can be spent to ensure data safety.

Microchip Computers can arrange the disposal of your data devices, with or without the original computer, and provide documentary proof of data destruction.

If end-of-cycle equipment still has some second-hand value, if will be sold and part of the proceeds returned to the original owner. If not, the equipment will be broken up and disposed of according to the WEEE directive.

To discuss your needs with our people please contact Mick Walker

Data Recovery from disc or file.

Whether its just embarrassing or a disaster, losing data is painful. It is too late to regret not backing up properly, that is something to conside later.

Password protected files.
There are many applications which allow you to protect the whole or part of the data within with a password. Lose the password and you can't get at the data. There are ways of recovering the file or the password. For mor details, contact Mick Walker

Disc Defects
My computer wont boot! or it boots and you can't read the data disc. In many cases the data can be recovered, perhaps not in its entirety, from damaged discs, even fire damaged ones. Most problems occur because of a virus damaging the boot sector, the disc can still be read and data recovered. If you have such a computer, contact Mick Walker