Your computer is often the hub in your home when it comes to storage of all your important documents, photos, videos and more. You count on it to make your life easier and smoother, while at the same time reliably storing your information in a safe and secure way. So, while you may be careful with it, as any parent will tell you where there are kids around – accidents are bound to happen.

One incident that far too many parents have fallen “victim” to is the rather unfortunate wiping of the hard drive by the kids. It can literally happen in the blink of an eye before you even know what’s going on. In fact, you may not have even know it has happened until you go to use your computer next. Sure, you’ve told the kids to leave the computer alone, but that doesn’t guarantee its safety does it? So, what happens if your child has wiped your hard drive? Now what? Before the panic starts to rush in we’ve got some tips and advice to help you out.

Stop and Take a Deep Breath

Typically, the first response to a deleted hard drive is to panic as your mind starts swirling thinking about all the data and content that you've lost forever. While it is extremely hard to do, you've got to stop your mind from spiralling. Stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and try to see things in a more logical manner.

Sometimes what you think has been deleted isn’t deleted at all. For example, maybe it wasn't a hard drive wipe, maybe your child just accidentally erased individual files. If that's the case, then they are likely to be sitting in your ‘recycle bin’. In other words, before you start to panic it’s wise to assess the situation and figure out exactly what has been done and what has been wiped.

Invest in Data Recovery Software

If indeed the hard drive has been wiped, your next plan of action can be to look into data recovery software that you can use yourself at home. Experts also recommend that your antimalware and antivirus software is up to date before you start trying to recover any lost files. There are a variety of software options on the market, many of which are quite easy and quick to use.

The only downfall with this option is that it can be tricky to use and understand, especially if you aren’t much of a techie.

The Safer Approach

For those who just don’t want to take chances and want the best odds of actually recovering their data, it’s usually best to leave it to the professionals. Don’t play around with the computer, just get it straight to them. Secure Data Recovery is an example of a company that offers RAID failure services and repairs. They have offices across the country and are well-trained to deal with your issues.

There May Still be Hope

So, before you start to mourn the loss of all your data and content, you’ll want to take these steps as there may still be hope of recovering what was wiped.