Whether you just use your computer primarily to surf the web, or you are a more advanced user whose computer propels a business, at some point in time you will probably find the need for data recovery software. Since the majority of computers are now running Windows XP, the focus of this article will be selecting data recovery that's XP compatible. There are literally hundreds of different types of recovery software, so it might be wise to take a little time in advance of a crash to evaluate and select the package that's right for you.

The following are the most common situations causing data loss:

• User Error
• Operating System Corruption
• Virus Attack
• Hard Disk Failure
• Inadvertent Deletion
• Accidental Reformat or Partitioning

When one of these disasters occur, it's very important to have the proper software on hand to recover from it. If you attempt to install additional software on your computer after a failure, you run the risk of overwriting your data or causing your drive to completely fail. Not having your software pre-installed can cause additional down time. It's also a good idea to pull the drive from the computer it originally was in, and put it either in another machine or an external housing. This keeps the operating system from writing any other data to the drive and possibly overwriting your existing data, also preventing any boot problems from complicating the situation.

First of all, you need to ascertain what type of damage has been done to your data. Physical damage can't be repaired with a software solution. If it's a logical data failure, software would be a good place to start. Since you're not doing this after the fact, you have some time to properly choose the right package. Pick a full featured solution, not just one that does un-deletes. Look for features such as format and partition recovery, and multiple file system support. Another useful feature is the ability to work with flash drives and cd/dvd recordable media. Simple file un-deletion should be just a matter of course. Make sure the software will work with USB and FireWire external drives.

Features shouldn't be your only criteria for choosing the software. Look for quality of support, the best way to find this is by checking the online forums for the manufacturer. Check for success stories as well as a complaint, customer input is the best source for information of this type. Computer magazines frequently do stories rating utility software, so that's another good source to check out.

As I always recommend, back up your files frequently, and have a disaster recovery plan in place before you need it. It will save both time and money.