DriveSavers Offers Free Data Recovery for Frozen Missouri Drives

Data Recovery Firm Provides Tips on How to Protect Computers From Problems Associated With Winter Storms

NOVATO, Calif., Dec. 7 -- Ice storms and severe winter weather can take an expensive toll on personal computers if they are not properly protected from extreme cold. DriveSavers, the leading data recovery firm in the United States, is offering free data recovery to help consumers and businesses in Missouri who lost data as a result of freezing temperatures and power fluctuations from the recent storm.

Hard drives can be seriously impacted if exposed to temperatures below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. As drives thaw, data can be destroyed by the resulting condensation, expansion and contraction of internal components, and power surges that may follow the restoration of electric service.

"Cold temperatures and power surges can wreak havoc on electronic equipment," said Scott Gaidano, President of DriveSavers. "With the right precautions and actions following a deep freeze, consumers and businesses can minimize damage to their devices and loss of critical data."

To avoid costly drive problems caused by extreme winter weather and associated power surges, DriveSavers advises computer users to:

  -- Unplug all electronic devices -- laptops, desktop computers, digital
     cameras, iPods, etc. -- from outlets, surge protectors and battery
     back-up systems before power is restored.
  -- Do not turn the device on again until it has had the chance to "thaw
     out" overnight at room temperature (70 to 73 degree Fahrenheit).
  -- If the drive spins up, but the data is not accessible, users could
     attempt a recovery themselves by using data recovery software, but this
     is only recommended if the data is not valuable.
  -- If the drive won't spin up, or it makes scraping, tapping, clicking or
     humming sounds, shut down the computer immediately and call a
     professional data recovery firm, such as DriveSavers, to prevent any
     further damage to the drive and its data.

For those users whose drives already have been impacted by the cold, DriveSavers is coming to the rescue. Until further notice, the Novato, CA firm is offering free data recovery services to individuals and businesses in Missouri who were affected by the ice storm that left thousands without power from December 1st through December 6th. Until further notice, DriveSavers will provide one free hard drive recovery per person or business for drives damaged by freezing temperatures. If the drive was damaged as a result of the power outage, DriveSavers will recover the data at a 30 percent discount. All additional damaged drives will be recovered at a 20 percent discount.

In addition to data recovery, DriveSavers will cover the cost of the first two target CDs, or one DVD. Customers will be required to pay for shipping their drive to and from the DriveSavers facility for evaluation. Free recovery services are expected to take at least seven to 10 business days.

DriveSavers has successfully recovered data from thousands of drives with extreme physical and logical damage and is well known for some of its extraordinary recoveries, including a PowerBook that was submerged at the bottom of the Amazon River for two days, drives damaged in Hurricane Katrina, and computers damaged in the 9/11 disaster. To take advantage of the free data recovery services, please contact a DriveSavers recovery adviser at 800-440-1904.

About DriveSavers

Since 1985, DriveSavers has recovered data from hard drives and other storage media that have been damaged, dropped, burnt, crushed, and drowned. The company has a success rate of over 90%, and recovers data in as little as 24 hours from all operating systems and storage media including: hard drives, disk arrays, floppies, CD-ROM, DVD, removable cartridges, digital camera media and backup tapes. DriveSavers is factory-authorized by all hard drive manufacturers to open sealed drive mechanisms without voiding the original warranty. For more information, visit www.drivesavers.com .