It can be alarming when your computer stops working during a project. The alarm quickly escalates into anxiety and panic as you lose access to important files on your hard disk. All files, regardless of whether they are business-related or personal, can be lost.

You want to save your job and recover all your hard work.

“It’s frustrating and disappointing because a lot of areas of the computing industry are really well developed,” explains Nick Johnson, executive of HardDriveRecovery.com — a Los Angeles-based business looking to fill gaps in the world of data recovery. “You’d think that with such a crucial part of the computing system being corruptible, they would develop an adequate service to resolve it when it comes up.”

A crashed hard disk is worse than the spiderweb cracks that run across an iPhone 5’s screen. A crashed hard drive can cause panic, regardless of how much data it contains.

There are many data recovery software options available depending on the severity of the problem and the source. DIY data repair can lead to more serious problems.

“You risk further corruption of the data,”Johnson. “That’s probably the biggest concern out there because there’s so many points of potential failure that if you don’t have extensive experience, you don’t know how to address it. There are a lot of instances that require a great deal of finesse, and that’s where having an expert is a real benefit.”

Private files could be lost if a technician is not experienced or anonymous. What happens if the drive is completely erased? Do you feel safe entrusting them with your data Are they going to overcharge?

Johnson asserts that these are valid concerns in many instances. “One of biggest problems we found is the price schemes,”He says. “Because it’s unknown what the actual price will be. Oftentimes, companies will give an estimate that’s hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars less than the actual bill they give you when the work is complete. That’s why it’s important to find a reputable company to do your hard drive recovery.”

Johnson states that computers should be equipped with the latest antiviral software. This is the best way for you to prepare. There’s always the possibility of failure, regardless of brand or hardware. Find out more at www.harddriverecovery.com.