2026-04-26

Data Backup Glossary (Letter G)

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM02 mins

Data Backup Glossary (Letter G)Ghost imaging
Using ghosting software, a method of converting the contents of a hard drive—including its configuration settings and applications—into an image, and then storing the image on a server or burning it onto a CD. When contents of the hard drive are needed again, ghosting software converts the image back to original form. Companies often use ghost imaging when they want to create identical configurations and install the same software on numerous machines.

Gigabyte
2 to the 30th power (1,073,741,824) bytes. One gigabyte is equal to 1,024 megabytes. Gigabyte is often abbreviated as G or GB.

Giant magnetoresistive
Giant magnetoresistive (GMR) is a hard disk drive storage technology. The technology is named for the giant magnetoresistive effect, first discovered in the late 1980s. While working with large magnetic fields and thin layers of magnetic materials, researchers noticed very large resistance changes when these materials were subjected to magnetic fields. Disk drives that are based on GMR head technology use these properties to help control a sensor that responds to very small rotations on the disk. The magnetic rotation yields a very large change in sensor resistance, which in turn provides a signal that can be picked up by the electric circuits in the drive.

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CBL Data Recovery Rallies to Respond to Thailand’s Flooding Disaster

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM04 mins

CBL Data Recovery,Thailand Flooding Disaster,CBLCBL Data Recovery Technologies, the world’s most trusted name in emergency data recovery services, has proactively opened a Flood Relief Receiving Centre in Bangkok to receive water-soaked digital media from businesses that have been affected by the recent disaster in Thailand.

“Ever since we heard about the flooding, we have been putting additional resources in place at our 14 laboratories around the world to help those companies recover their critical lost business information due to water-damaged media, there is no one in Thailand capable of recovering lost data due to water because it requires special laboratory techniques and technology as well as the ability to cope with the necessary security and confidentiality issues associated with handling sensitive business and government data.” says CBL’s president Bill Margeson.

CBL is a pioneer in laboratory level data recovery services and has 19 years experience in retrieving information from any digital media, such as RAID, NAS, SAN, hard drives, tapes, optical and SSDs.

“All is not lost. We are ready and able to assist Thailand’s businesses get back up and running as soon as possible, over the years, we have helped many organizations recover their lost data due to the flooding disasters like what is occurring in Thailand. Our track record of success is proof positive we have the skills and knowledge to take the necessary steps to recover as much data as possible from damaged media.” adds Margeson.

According to Thai sources, the government is currently assessing the damage. “They anticipate significant damage from the factories located in a number of industrial estates severely affected by the floods, several government departments have yet to determine those companies who are affected and the kind of help needed. “But we are on standby to assist businesses recover their lost data so they can return to business profitability and help the country return to economic health.” says Margeson.

CBL Data Recovery Technologies Thailand’s Flood Relief Receiving Centre is located at:

37th Floor, 98 North Sathorn Road
Silom, Bangak
Bangkok 10500
Thailand
Telephone: 02-105-6300

For additional details on CBL’s Thailand Relief, click here: http://www.cbltech.ca/thailand

About CBL Data Recovery Technologies Inc.

Founded in 1993 and globally headquartered near Toronto, Canada, CBL Data Recovery Technologies Inc. is a leading international provider of data recovery services. CBL employs proprietary techniques to recover data quickly and effectively from a wide array of affected media including hard drives, tapes, other magnetic, optical and removable media. CBL offers services worldwide through its network of data recovery laboratories, customer service centres, and authorized partners.

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How To Perform Diagnostics on Maxtor (or Quantum) SCSI Drives

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM08 mins

SCSIMax SCSIMax is a diagnostic utility for all Maxtor (and Quantum®) SCSI hard disk drives supporting Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T). This test will determine hard drive integrity in a short period of time, with a high degree of confidence. If the program completes without error, the problem remains elsewhere in your system. Check SCSI cables, termination and operating system. Maxtor recommends you use this utility for troubleshooting potential hard drive problems. These problems include, but are not limited to: potential hard drive surface media problems (e.g., bad clusters or sectors, partitioning/formatting problems, etc.) and drive recognition problems (e.g. hard drive that is not recognized by the operating system). SCSIMax uses the SCSI controller’s ASPI driver to route Int13 commands to the hard drive. The utility is not data destructive, but Maxtor recommends that you complete a full backup of your hard drive before running this utility.

Note: Incompatible with Apple® systems, and SCSI Ultra320 controllers. This utility does not run from the Windows desktop.

Use SCSIMax on all legacy (ie, up to Ultra160/Ultra3 speed) Maxtor SCSI hard drives prior to warranty replacement.

Seatools Enterprise may be used for these drives as well, but is particularly well-suited for Serial-Attached SCSI and SCSI Ultra320 drives of the newest generations.

SCSIMax supports all Maxtor and Quantum SCSI drives including:

  • Atlas 15K
  • Atlas 10K, Atlas II, Atlas III and Atlas IV
  • Atlas 7200RPM IV and Atlas 7200RPM V
  • Viking II

Depending on S.M.A.R.T. settings, not all tests are performed on all drives.

ASPI Drivers

ASPI (Advanced SCSI Programming Interface) is a software layer that enables programs to communicate with SCSI devices. Adaptec® ASPI drivers will load from the Windows 98SE, or Millennium (ME) startup disks, when the “Start computer with CD-ROM support” option is chosen at the selector prompt. LSI host adapters load their own ASPI drivers during system startup. If you are using another brand of SCSI host adapter, consult your host or system manufacturer for ASPI driver support. SCSIMax is not currently supported to run on SCSI Ultra320 controllers, due to boot issues.

SCSIMax System Requirements

  • Windows 98SE/Millennium startup disk, or equivalent bootable DOS disk that loads compatible ASPI drivers, in accordance to the model of SCSI host, being used to test the hard disk.
  • SCSIMAX.EXE program copied to a clean formatted floppy diskette.
  • PC-compatible system (Pentium or newer).
  • A supported Maxtor/Quantum SCSI S.M.A.R.T. capable hard drive.

Step-by-Step Instructions

    1. Download SCSIMax to an existing directory on your hard drive (for convenience copy to the desktop). The download version is a self-extracting Zip file. After opening you will be prompted to insert a floppy into the (A:\) drive.
    2. After SCSIMax has been extracted to the floppy diskette, remove the diskette and perform a normal shutdown.
    3. Boot your system to the 98SE or Millennium startup disk, and at the selector prompt choose the Start computer with CD-ROM support option. This will automatically load the ASPI manager drivers for Adaptec branded hosts.
    4. When the 98/Me boot disk reaches the A:\ prompt, remove the disk, and insert the disk with the SCSIMax utility. Type SCSIMAX at the A:\ prompt and hit [ENTER].
      Note: SCSIMax is designed to run on Maxtor/Quantum S.M.A.R.T. capable hard drives (the utility will identify a drive as S.M.A.R.T. capable). As with any system test or diagnostic, Seagate recommends that you have a complete backup of your drive before beginning.
    5. SCSIMax will next display a license agreement. Choose [Continue] or[Accept]. The program will identify all SCSI controllers in the computer. If your system has more than one drive, you will see a menu of recognized SCSI controllers with attached drives. Select a drive to test, enter its number or choose 0 for all.
    6. After the Quick Test, you will be prompted to perform a full surface scan. The full surface scan can take quite some time depending upon the drive’s capacity, but will test every Logical Block Address (user’s data area). Seagate recommends the full surface scan if you suspect that the hard disk may report media errors on areas of the drive that are not normally tested by the Quick Test.
    7. When the test finishes you are prompted to Print, Save and Exit. Press S; to save. Regardless of Pass or Fail, SCSIMax saves a drive information text file to the floppy called TESTLOG.prn. If the drive fails any of the tests performed, SCSIMax will display a 6-digit error code. Please make note of the code, or save the TESTLOG.

Note: Owners of O.E.M systems (HP, Compaq, Dell, etc.) that were originally purchased containing a Maxtor or Quantum SCSI drive must contact the O.E.M. or the place of purchase for warranty service.

File Version: 1.21
File Size: 70.0 kb
Supported Operating Systems: Windows NT, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows 95A, Windows 95B, DOS, Windows XP Professional
Download: SCSIMax

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How to reduce the chance of hard drive damage by ESD

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM03 mins

hard drive damage Hard drives are highly sensitive precision instruments that read, write, and store information on spinning magnetic disks. Special handling is required to protect hard drives from damage. Hard drives can be damaged by excessive physical force or from Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).

ESD damage is usually invisible to the eye and may not be discovered until much later, either through intermittent performance or failure. By using the proper procedures outlined in this article, you can reduce the chance of hard drive damage by ESD.

  • Before removing the hard drive from its ESD bag, prepare tools and cables to install.
  • Keep the hard drive inside the ESD bag until you are ready to physically install the hard drive into the computer system.
  • Wear a grounding strap if available – especially if near sensitive devices like memory, controller cards, or other electronic boards.
  • With the computer turned off (but still plugged into the power source), touch bare metal on computer case, then unplug the computer’s power cable*.
  • Do not let others touch the drive.
  • Hold a hard drive by the sides, taking care not to touch the PCB connectors or Printed Circuit Board assembly.
  • Install drive without walking on carpet or moving about in any way that generates static electricity.
  • Do not drop, jolt, or shake a hard drive. This action could damage the internal components of the drive.
  • Avoid subjecting the hard drive to extreme temperatures.
  • Do not stack hard drives.
  • Do not stand hard drives on their sides.
  • Do not place anything on top of a hard drive.
  • Never force or hammer a hard drive into a computer bay.
  • Use caution when installing data and power connectors to avoid damaging connector pins.
  • Do not obstruct or cover any air filter holes on the drives.
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