Remove the computer equipment from standing water and do not power it up. The system should not be powered up for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that it is not safe to provide power to anything saturated in water, because this can cause electrical shock. The second reason is the drive inside the computer should not receive power in its current damaged state.
Remove the hard drive from the equipment. The disk drive should be removed from the computer in order to properly prepare it for data recovery.
Do not apply heat, freeze or dry the hard rotec technology drive. By applying such measures, the hard disk will sustain even more damage. When flood water enters the inside of a hard drive, it brings along with it debris and dirt. Some of this debris remains inside the drive and can scratch the surface of the disk platters if dried out.
Do not attempt to open the hard drive. A hard disk should only be opened by a data recovery company in a clean room environment. The internal parts of a drive are sensitive to dust, debris, and fingerprints. The surface of the hard disk platters can easily be scratched or scored making the data unrecoverable.
Keep the hard drive in a zip-lock bag along with a damp sponge so it remains damp. If a hard drive has been submerged in water, it is imperative to keep the drive damp (not saturated). As the inside of the drive dries out, debris can be scratch the platter surface. A data recovery company has special equipment and solution
