Data-Recovery Service Adds P2 to its Data-Recovery Services

DriveSavers, a company well known for providing pricey but valuable options for recovering corrupted or otherwise lost data from a failing or failed hard disk, has begun offering data recovery from P2 media. “P2 cards are considered to be one of the most durable video storage mediums available but, like all removable media, they are inherently susceptible to physical failure and data will inevitably need to be recovered from these devices,”  said DriveSavers Chief Information Security Officer Michael Hall in a prepared statement. Recovery services start at $1000 for an 8 GB card. HD  Studio asked Hall to offer some advice, should the worst happen to your footage.
HD  Studio: How does the process of data recovery from P2 compare to recovery from a hard disk? Is it more or less complex?

Michael Hall:  It is more complex. Hard drives and P2 cards have different computer interfaces, and P2 cards contain two or more solid state memory chips that work together as a RAID to provide increased storage capacity and faster data transfer rates.

Is it more or less expensive?

It is about the same.

What kind of faults are typical on P2/solid-state drives? Does the entire piece of media fail, or just some small fraction?

It varies. It can be a physical or logical failure. With a logical failure the P2 card is still accessible, but the data set is corrupt or may appear as if the data was erased. With a physical failure, the card is inaccessible. Physical failures can be due to any number of factors. Usually a failed component or memory chip occurs due to mishandling of the card.

If I suspect I’ve lost important footage from a P2 card, what’s important for me to know and do if I want to have the best chance at eventually recovering that data?

Keep the card safe and protected from further damage. If it has been damaged by water, send the card to us in a zip lock bag. Once the corrosion occurs, it makes the recovery much more difficult. If it has been physically destroyed, collect as many of the pieces as possible and send to DriveSavers immediately.

For more information:  800-440-1904 or www.drivesavers.com