Category Archives: Handy Recovery Advisor

A New Survey from Handy Recovery Advisor Shows Over 70% of U.S. Users Have Faced Data Loss

A nationwide U.S. survey by Handy Recovery Advisor exposes the main causes, user habits, and blind spots behind data loss, and shows how common and preventable it is

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 9, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Handy Recovery Advisor, a trusted resource for data recovery tips and digital safety advice, has published the results of a nationwide survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. The report highlights how everyday users deal with data loss and how most don’t take action until it’s too late.

Handy Recovery Advisor: Cover with data loss rate finding.
Image caption: Handy Recovery Advisor: Cover with data loss rate finding.

According to the study, 71% of Americans have lost data at least once. The two biggest culprits were found to be accidental deletion (34%) and hardware failure (30%). Together, they account for nearly two-thirds of all incidents. The survey results clearly show that data loss is something most people will eventually deal with, whether it’s due to human error or a device malfunction.

“Data loss isn’t a problem exclusive to businesses,” said Andrii Yasko, content strategist for Handy Recovery Advisor. “It happens in regular households every day. Our goal with this survey was to understand what people actually do in situations like this, what really works for them, and how these experiences shape their data habits going forward.”

MAC USERS ARE AT GREATER RISK

While many people see Apple devices as more dependable, the survey actually found that Mac users are 30% more likely to experience data loss than Windows users.

CLOUD STORAGE WORKS (IF YOU USE IT)

The survey revealed a clear connection between cloud adoption and data resilience. Nearly 60% of users who have never experienced data loss reported actively using cloud storage for their files.

MOST RECOVERIES ARE DIY, AND THEY OFTEN WORK

When data loss happens, most people rely on themselves. 60% of successful recoveries were done without professional help. Of those who tried the DIY route, nearly 79% got their files back.

Additional insights:

  • While 92% of respondents said they’re aware that data recovery is possible, only 28% have ever used recovery software.
  • About 33% said they’d pay for professional recovery – but only if the lost data was truly important.
  • Users with higher tech proficiency reported more data loss overall.

You can find a full report here: https://www.handyrecovery.com/data-loss-statistics/

METHODOLOGY

The survey was conducted through the Pollfish platform on June 24, 2025, and gathered responses from 1,000 U.S. adults across a broad range of states and age groups (18 to 75).

About Handy Recovery Advisor

Handy Recovery Advisor is a go-to resource for anyone interested in data recovery, data loss prevention, and smarter data management. Learn more at:  https://www.handyrecovery.com/.

NEWS SOURCE: Handy Recovery Advisor


This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Handy Recovery Advisor), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/a-new-survey-from-handy-recovery-advisor-shows-over-70-of-u-s-users-have-faced-data-loss/

Copr. © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, Calif., USA. -- REF: S2P STORY ID: S2P127555 NOREL-3B

 

Only 33-percent of Users Back Up Their Data Regularly – New Study From Handy Recovery Advisor

A new study from Handy Recovery Advisor reveals noteworthy insights about everyday users' data security awareness and backup habits. While many users realize the importance of backups, gaps in their backup routines still leave their data vulnerable to potential threats.

SHERIDAN, Wyo., Nov 15, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Handy Recovery Advisor, a data recovery and management portal, surveyed 1,000 US everyday users about their data security awareness and backup routines. While the insights reveal positive tendencies, such as a 78% backup rate among users, it shows considerable gaps such as failure to differentiate between data backup and syncing, lack of data encryption on external drives, and irregularity in backup practices.

cover with backup rate finding
Image caption: cover with backup rate finding.

Odysseas Kourafalos, author and Chief Editor at Handy Recovery Advisor, comments on the intentions behind the study: “From the requests and feedback of our readers, we noticed a significant data breach increase in 2024. This tendency aligns with the growing global rise of data breach incidents affecting regular users and their data. Following this, we decided to explore the backup strategies of everyday users to see existing gaps in their backup routines and seek ways to fill those.”

WHILE THE BACKUP RATE IS HIGH, CONSISTENCY IS FAILING

The survey revealed an impressive 78% backup rate among users. Yet, further statistics show inconsistency in this practice, as only 33% of users run regular backups, 27% back up a few times a year, and almost 20% do so rarely.

MORE THAN HALF OF USERS PRACTICE SELECTIVE DATA BACKUP

About 52% of respondents practice a selective approach to data backup, relying on factors such as the importance and urgency of the data in question. Furthermore, the majority of users prioritize financial data and password information as top data types requiring backup.

LACK OF BACKUP IS THE MOST FREQUENT REASON FOR DATA LOSS

The survey revealed that for 34% the most common causes of data loss are accidental deletion and lack of data backup. Other frequent reasons include device failure and hardware malfunction (30%) and physical damage to a device (11.20%).

Additional Valuable Insights Include:

  • 63% of respondents think syncing data with cloud storage means it’s fully backed, with half of them regarding themselves as tech pros;
  • 37% of users prefer to save sensitive information on physical drives;
  • 45% of Mac users have experienced problems when trying to back up their data
  • 68% of respondents who have lost data now back up regularly

You can find a full report with the survey findings here: https://www.handyrecovery.com/data-backup-statistics/

METHODOLOGY

The survey, conducted via Pollfish on October 29, 2024, included 1,000 people from across the US, aged 18 to 75. Most participants were Millennials and Gen X, with 83% describing themselves as Intermediate or Advanced tech users.

About Handy Recovery Advisor

Handy Recovery Advisor is a media platform providing everyday users with comprehensive information and tools on data recovery, loss prevention, and efficient data management. Learn more: https://www.handyrecovery.com/

NEWS SOURCE: Handy Recovery Advisor


This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Handy Recovery Advisor), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/only-33-percent-of-users-back-up-their-data-regularly-new-study-from-handy-recovery-advisor/

Copr. © 2024 Send2Press® Newswire, Calif., USA. -- REF: S2P STORY ID: S2P122474 NOREL-3B