What is Logical Failure?



What is logical or software failure? In this type of failure, the data itself is affected through means of a software default. The storage media itself may remain unscathed, but the data will be damaged. For example, when a hard disk collapses because the read head has stopped working, the data is still intact in it, though we can't access it since the machine won't read the boot command. Therefore, it is not a case of logical failure. But when a virus attacks the programme files and corrupts them, causing the machine not to boot, it is a case of logical failure. In a nutshell, any hardware-related issues do not come under the ambit of logical failure. Thankfully, according to professional data recovery companies, software failure is easier to tackle than hardware failure.

How Does it Happen?

How does software failure happen and how is data lost through it? There are many ways for this, and we shall look at all the main ways here.

• One of the main reasons, as illustrated above, is virus infection. A virus is a programme that is created with the aim of corrupting or deleting other programmes. A virus is called so because it spreads through means such as the internet, other infected drives and disks, mails, websites etc.



• Data is lost when the Operating System of the machine crashes. This is all the more problematic as OSs are not at all supposed to falter. So Microsoft, Apple or Linux are unwilling to provide too many details on these cases. But OSs do crash, and all data that I stored in these programmes is then deleted.



• Sudden removal of devices such as the USB drive while the programmes are still running causes data loss. Once again, unsaved data will be deleted, and files may be corrupted too.



• File corruption and fragmentation are a major software-oriented problem. There are certain file types such as media files (video clips, songs, photos) that are quite large and prone to getting corrupted. Similarly, the jpeg files that come in with internet pages saved as offline copies also have a tendency to get corrupted. Fragmentation is the scattering of a file where its address gets chopped into small pieces and stored at various locations inside the disk.



• Virus is not the only way in which humans can devise logical means of data loss. Hackers, industrial spies, rival groups and employees themselves are stealing data through new and innovative means everyday. To cover the trails of their crime, they often corrupt or destroy data on their way out of the system.



• Finally, there is the domain of human errors that causes data loss through logical means. This includes accidental file deletion, accidental formatting of disk or partition, accidental deletion in all other devices such as CD and USB drive. Overwriting is another way of data loss, but sometimes it is more a matter of unawareness rather than carelessness, as there are gadgets such as digital cameras that store new data by overwriting old data, and the user may not know that.

How to Recover Lost Data

The handy way to recover logically lost data is through DIY software available on the net. But in case you have any doubts, it is better to go to a professional recovery company.

Permanent Data Loss through Logical Failure

There are certain types of data loss through logical means that can turn out to be permanent deletion of data. Hopefully, knowing about such cases helps in guarding against them.

• Overwriting, as in the example of the camera, is one of the ways in which data can be permanently lost.



• File fragmentation is very bad for data and professional recovery people also may fail to get back shredded files.

How to Guard Against Logical Errors

Some simple ways of guarding against logical data loss are:

• Install an antivirus and update it regularly. Run your scans on schedule.



• Defrag and clean up disk.



• Take regular backups of important data.



• Do not keep other data in the same disk with the OS.



• Check the files you are about to delete before formatting a partition or drive.