Given the way the United States is being pounded by one hurricane after another, it is important to know how to preserve water damaged hard drives. Many businesses in the cities in states that have experienced hurricanes have had to deal with the devastating effects of flooding which in turn have led to their computers being damaged by water.

Here are some tips on how to preserve water damaged hard drives so that as a business or individual you can retrieve your data and shorten the time it takes to get your business or life back on track.

o The first thing that you should do is to remove your computer from the water. Make sure that you do not switch it on as it cause a short circuit, you could experience an electrical shock or your computer could be damaged still further.
o Very carefully remove the hard drive from the CPU so that you can take all measures to retrieve the data.
o Do not try to heat or dry the hard drive as this could do further damage to it. When flooding occurs, dirt and other debris may have entered your computer and by trying to remove the water from the hard drive, you may accidentally scratch the hard drive.
o The other thing that you need to take care is not pry open the hard drive. Computer hard drives should be opened only in a clean and sterile environment so that things like dust and debris do not get a chance to enter inside.
o Finally take your hard drive and seal it in an airtight bag along with a damp sponge. If the drive was completely immersed in water, it is important that you keep it moist.
o Now the actually task for data recovery begins. You