Ontrack Data Recovery Responds to Data Loss Crisis Caused by Hurricane Katrina; Media Shipping Kits Developed to Answer Inquiries about Handling Storm-Damaged Storage Devices.

MINNEAPOLIS -- As people begin the process of rebuilding their homes and businesses from damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, attempts to salvage data from computers or other storage media are crucial to their overall recovery. Ontrack Data Recovery(TM), the industry's largest, most experienced and technologically advanced provider of data recovery products and services, has been hit with an influx of inquires from Katrina victims seeking advice about handling storm-damaged storage devices and about the likelihood of recovery. In response, Ontrack is offering free, comprehensive evaluations of the damaged media and specially-designed media shipping kits to aid in proper packaging - a step that can help get the media to recovery experts in a condition that provides the best chance for successful recovery. E[acute accent]"As we continue to hear from people seeking advice on what they should do with hard drives and other storage media affected by Hurricane Katrina, the first thing we tell them is to remain hopeful because chances for successful recovery are good ," said Jim Reinert, senior director of Software and Services for Ontrack Data Recovery. "It's also important that people understand the best way to handle their damaged storage devices. Our free media shipping kits prevent any water-damaged storage device containing important data from drying out or sustaining further damage in transit to recovery experts." E[acute accent]For businesses like Gulfport Miss.-based Sawyer Real Estate, the oldest real estate company on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, knowing they had options despite their office being six feet under water made the recovery process easier to handle. "Our life was on the hard drives in that office - rental records, financial data, everything," said Lenny Sawyer, owner. "Even though the drives were sitting in a collapsed building, under water for more than five days, Ontrack was able to recover critical data we thought was gone forever. Their excellent service has helped us start the rebuilding process." E[acute accent]Along with the free evaluations and media shipping kits, the following tips are helpful in handling any storm-damaged media:

E[acute accent]--Never assume that data is unrecoverable, no matter what it has been through;

E[acute accent]--Do not attempt to power up visibly damaged devices;

E[acute accent]--Do not shake or disassemble any hard drive or server that has been damaged - improper handling can make recovery operations more difficult which can lead to valuable information being permanently lost;

E[acute accent]--Do not attempt to clean or dry water-logged drives or other media;

E[acute accent]--Before storing or shipping wet media, it should be placed in a container that will keep it damp and protect shipping material from getting wet. Wet boxes can break apart during transit causing further damage to the drive;

E[acute accent]--Do not use common software utility programs on broken or water-damaged devices;

E[acute accent]--For mission critical situations, contact a data recovery provider before any attempts are made to reconfigure, reinstall or reformat;

E[acute accent]--When shipping your hard drives, tapes or other removable media to a recovery provider, package them in a box that has enough room for both the media and some type of packing material that allows for NO movement. The box should also have sufficient barrier room around the inside edges to absorb impact during shipping;

E[acute accent]--If you have multiple drives, tapes or other removable media that need recovery, ship them in separate boxes or make sure they are separated enough with packing material so there will be no contact.

E[acute accent]With 18 offices located around the world, Ontrack Data Recovery has the capability to handle any size job and provide results in 24-48 hours. Ontrack employs more than 150 engineers worldwide and invests in technology and techniques to speed recovery times and enhance recovery capabilities. To request the special packaging or learn more about what to do with storm-damaged media, call 1-800-872-2599 or visit www.ontrack.com/relief.

E[acute accent]About Ontrack Data Recovery

E[acute accent]Ontrack Data Recovery (www.ontrack.com) is the largest, most experienced and technologically advanced provider of data recovery products and services worldwide. Ontrack is able to recover lost or corrupted data from virtually all operating systems and types of storage devices through its do-it-yourself, remote and in-lab capabilities, using its hundreds of proprietary tools and techniques. Ontrack Data Recovery is a brand name of Kroll Ontrack Inc., a technology services subsidiary of Kroll Inc., the global risk consulting company.