Partner Crashed Our Hard Drive -- 20 Years of Records ... GONE

[SixxChick]

I am just beside myself. My business partner has basically been brain dead technologically-speaking for most of our 20-year partnership. I'm no Bill Gates, but I try to stay on top of all things when it comes to computers. Come to find out, he had not been backing up our database of clients. Three attempts through three reputable companies, and all of our data is not retrievable. I estimate we have lost over 10,000 cases and all of the pertinent information associated with them. This was SO unnecessary because everyone (except him) knows that it's not a matter of IF your computer crashes, it's a matter of WHEN.

 

I'm just beside myself. I don't know what to do. I can't see through the tears right know because I put my blood, sweat and tears into this business. Now, I don't have a lot to show for it. Other than asking him to buy me out, I don't know what I am going to do.

 

Thank you for listening.

[acrosstheuniverse]

Oh no!

 

What does the loss of this info mean for you, exactly? Can your business carry on, from this date onwards? Can you gain that client info from clients as and when they contact you or is that not how your business works?

 

I would caution blaming this on your business partner however, unless he outright lied and said he'd backed it up and didn't. You know how important this was too and didn't back the information up, so you're both equally to blame!

[SixxChick]

He did tell me he was backing up. When I confronted him about that after everything crashed, he said he meant he was only backing up Quickbooks, and not our client database. WTF? I really thought we were covered. Otherwise, I would have taken over that aspect of our business.

 

I have hard files, but I don't have the financial information that our database kept calculations on. Liability, which could be an issue in the future, is freaking me out as well.

 

Eking out a living is hard enough as it is. Now, it's gotten a million times harder and more complicated.

 

Thanks for your words!

[VeveCakes]

Your business insurance might cover this, are you insured?

[jen1447]

Sorry to be niggly w/details but what exactly did he do to the hard drive? I assume the data existed at one time? It's very unlikely it couldn't be recovered at least in part unless it was completely destroyed, like in a fire or sth.

 

(I understand you've already had professional consultation on this, just trying to see what the deal was.)

[ChatroomHero]

I agree with Jen, I work in IT and it would be very hard to lose everything unless he threw it in the ocean.

 

 

What I don't understand is if he is computer illiterate, why was it his responsibility to perform backups of all of your data? Whether he said he was doing them or not, how was the one person incapable of doing a backup in charge of doing backups for everything?

 

 

How did the companies try to recover your data exactly?

[SixxChick]

Insurance won't cover it. And it was a rather old system that I (and only I) was looking to update, but it's too late. I got caught up in the quagmire of day-to-day living. My bad in that regard.

 

I've gone through a number of laptops in the past ten years. I have always been able to retrieve my data through Carbonite.com, the cloud, etc. It's like magic. I just made the stupid assumption that he was doing the same.

 

Who doesn't backup these days? ARGH!!!

[SixxChick]

How did the companies try to recover your data exactly?

 

I'll get back with you on this. I'm not speaking to him right now.

[Art_Critic]

I know you said you have tried data recovery places but have you tried

 

"ontrack data recovery" I have personally used them for a raid 5 disk crash on a server years ago and it is amazing what they can recover..

 

Expensive though, my data insurance company paid about 14k to have that disk recovered.

 

They will even pull the disk platters out of the unit if they have to.

 

Other than that it has to hurt.. you could have all your hard copies OCR scanned back in to help recreate the database as well...

[SixxChick]

I know you said you have tried data recovery places but have you tried

 

"ontrack data recovery" I have personally used them for a raid 5 disk crash on a server years ago and it is amazing what they can recover..

 

Expensive though, my data insurance company paid about 14k to have that disk recovered.

 

They will even pull the disk platters out of the unit if they have to.

 

Other than that it has to hurt.. you could have all your hard copies OCR scanned back in to help recreate the database as well...

 

We had a discussion about the disk platters and, still, to avail. (I don't even even know what disk platters were until this happened.) I will look into this company. Thank you very much for your response.

[SixxChick]

End of story. Thank you everybody for your responses and suggestions. I'll find a way. Another new start. I really do appreciate your help on this forum.

 

"Thank you for choosing *** for your data recovery needs. We regret that data recovery was not possible in this case.

 

The drive has suffered from an electromechanical failure and resulting media damage. This can occur when the read/write heads make physical contact with the surface of the disks, causing abrasive damage to the media where the data is stored. Our engineers replaced internal components and rebuilt the drive in our ISO Class 5 clean room in an effort to work around the failure. But because of the severity of the damage, no data was recoverable.

 

Thank you again for giving us an opportunity to work on this drive. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at (800) ***-****."

[Mind-Chants]

There are different proprietary techniques to create a bit-for-bit image of the drive. So finding the right company with appropriate tools is critical. Electro-mechanical failure in old drives are quite common (media damage to platter surface) and recoverable.

[SixxChick]

There are different proprietary techniques to create a bit-for-bit image of the drive. So finding the right company with appropriate tools is critical. Electro-mechanical failure in old drives are quite common (media damage to platter surface) and recoverable.

 

We've been through two highly acclaimed companies to no avail. With your suggestion, I'll keep on plugging. Thank you.

[Emilia]

I agree with Jen, I work in IT and it would be very hard to lose everything unless he threw it in the ocean.

 

What I don't understand is if he is computer illiterate, why was it his responsibility to perform backups of all of your data? Whether he said he was doing them or not, how was the one person incapable of doing a backup in charge of doing backups for everything?

 

How did the companies try to recover your data exactly?

Bingo, my question exactly. When a screw up happens it is also the responsibility of those that allowed it to happen.

 

'The I'm not speaking to him now' mentality is very immature, it's equally your responsibility OP. Whoever picks a person for a task is responsible for that task as much as the person they picked.

[salparadise]

Whoever picks a person for a task is responsible for that task as much as the person they picked.

 

Yas, yas, I laughed at the original post.

 

"My business partner has basically been brain dead technologically-speaking... he had not been backing up our database of clients."

 

And my first thought was, let me guess... you put him in charge, assumed your data was well protected, and never checked or backed up anything yourself. Then goes on rationalizing how she has zero culpability, the partner is a scoundrel and she's not speaking to him. Uh huh.

 

Data loss is a whole lot like losing your license due to too many speeding tickets. Your own behavior couldn't possibly have anything to do with the outcome.

Edited June 22, 2016 by salparadise

[SixxChick]

Backing up is not rocket science. Plus, he assured me he had it covered. You're right ... I got caught up in my own day-to-day work load and should have been more proactive. And, I never called him a scoundrel.

[ChatroomHero]

Backing up is not rocket science.

 

 

I am sorry you have to go through this, but it will probably be a very good lesson learned as you grow in business. I mean if your business was providing a car service and you got called for a job to drive the Pope from the airport to the hotel next door, I wouldn't send the guy with 3 DUIs and blame him when he screwed up.

 

 

It might seem like common sense but sometimes you get busy and distracted but you need remember to treat the most important things to your business as the most important things, always. Everyone is human, sounds like you are moving forward which is good and I hope it all works out for you.

 

 

Good luck!

[katiegrl]

End of story. Thank you everybody for your responses and suggestions. I'll find a way. Another new start. I really do appreciate your help on this forum.

 

"Thank you for choosing *** for your data recovery needs. We regret that data recovery was not possible in this case.

 

The drive has suffered from an electromechanical failure and resulting media damage. This can occur when the read/write heads make physical contact with the surface of the disks, causing abrasive damage to the media where the data is stored. Our engineers replaced internal components and rebuilt the drive in our ISO Class 5 clean room in an effort to work around the failure. But because of the severity of the damage, no data was recoverable.

 

Thank you again for giving us an opportunity to work on this drive. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at (800) ***-****."

 

Get a second opinion! And a third if you have too.

 

Someone (this company) didn't do their job properly or correctly.... hell computers have been auto-backing up files for years, and they are always retrievable, some way, some how, always.

[Kristine]

Hard drives crash. It's not his/her fault. This is why it's impertinent to have a back up system in place. It's the lack of the back up system that is the problem. Mechanical failure is inevetiable.