Don't Just Turn On!
We would like to highlight something that is probably obvious to you but it’s natural with all the chaos of a disaster to just turn on everything to see if they work. You really don’t want to do this if you need the data from your computer systems.
- Stop! Please disconnect all computers before power is restored to the building.
Please do not turn on the power to the building or turn on a computer or server that has been covered by flood water!
Before you do anything, after the building has been checked for safety, to disconnect computers from the wall socket. The first thing you want to ensure is computers do NOT try to turn on when building power is turned back on. A lot of servers for example, will automatically turn back on, and you certainly do not want this to happen.
We all know computers and water don’t go well together and in the case of your computer, you want to give the hard drive inside the best chance of recovery. This means, getting your computer support company, to dismantle, clean, and hopefully recover the data stored on it.
Do and Dont's For Your Drive
- Don't use a hair dryer to dry the drive. Let it dry normally.
- Don't run damaged drives any more than you need to. Every second they're on may worsen the components.
- Do all of your research before you plug that drive in, and make sure you have a plan. Better to let a professional recover the drive however.
- Rinse the drive briefly in fresh water. Rinsing (very briefly) with fresh water can help wash away the thousands of particles present in the dirty flood water.
- Check to see if your insurance will cover it (if using insurance)... sometimes the recovery is covered...
Ask For Advice
Remember, it’s likely (hopefully not) the backup drives are also affected. It’s best, in order to have the best chance of recovery, to not attempt to plug these in also.
Please get your computer support person or company to check them out. If you have any questions, we’re more than happy to give advice and you can contact us through our website, or via our Facebook page.
We wish you the best fortune at this time. If you like give us a call, we give out advice frequently!
