What type of data recovery attempt does 'salvaging' specifically involve?

The term 'salvaging' in the context of data recovery specifically refers to the process of extracting functional files from corrupted media. This typically involves techniques where data can still be accessed despite the media being damaged or compromised in some way. By focusing on salvaging, practitioners aim to recover usable data from file systems that may have suffered corruption due to various factors, such as hardware failures, software malfunctions, or even accidental deletion.

This process can include using specialized software tools that can read and extract data despite errors that may prevent normal access. It doesn't encompass restoring backups, which involves fetching copies of data from an alternative storage medium. Nor does it pertain to rebuilding databases or repairing hardware, which involve different methodologies and skills distinct from the data extraction aspect of salvaging.