Dadurch, dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren, verhindern wir Datenverlust.

It is a common German way to express how something is achieved.

In this sentence, dadurch, dass ... means something like:

• by ...
• through the fact that ...
• by means of the fact that ...

So Dadurch, dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren, ... introduces the method or means by which the result happens.

A useful way to think about it:

• dadurch = through that / by that
• dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren = explains what that is

So dadurch points forward to the dass clause.

Because dadurch, dass is a fixed construction in German punctuation.

The word dadurch is followed by a dass clause that explains it, and German normally separates that with a comma:

• Dadurch, dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren, ...

There is also a second comma after digitalisieren because the whole subordinate clause ends there, and then the main clause begins:

• Dadurch, dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren, verhindern wir Datenverlust.

So the commas are doing two jobs:

1. introducing the dass clause
2. closing that clause before the main clause starts

Because the clause beginning with dass is a subordinate clause, and in German subordinate clauses the conjugated verb normally goes to the end.

So:

• dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren

follows the standard subordinate-clause word order.

One small thing that can confuse learners: digitalisieren looks like an infinitive, but here it is actually the finite present-tense form for wir. In German, many verbs have the same form for:

• the infinitive: digitalisieren
• wir in the present tense: wir digitalisieren
• sie plural in the present tense: sie digitalisieren

So here it is not an infinitive; it is the normal verb form for wir.

Because German main clauses follow the verb-second rule.

The first position in the sentence is already taken by the whole introductory element:

• Dadurch, dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren

That entire chunk counts as position 1. So the finite verb of the main clause must come next, in position 2:

• verhindern

Then comes the subject:

• wir

So the structure is:

• Position 1: Dadurch, dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren
• Position 2: verhindern
• then: wir Datenverlust

This is completely normal German word order.

Das Negativ is the direct object of digitalisieren, so it is in the accusative case.

The noun Negativ is neuter, so:

• nominative: das Negativ
• accusative: das Negativ

For neuter nouns, nominative and accusative look the same, which is why you still see das here.

So:

• wir digitalisieren das Negativ

means we digitize the negative, with das Negativ as the object.

Because German often uses abstract nouns without an article when speaking generally.

Here Datenverlust means data loss in a general sense, so no article is needed:

• verhindern wir Datenverlust

This is similar to English, where we often say prevent data loss, not necessarily prevent the data loss.

You could use an article in a more specific context, for example if a particular data loss had already been mentioned. But in this sentence, the article-less version is the most natural.

Yes. Datenverlust is a compound noun:

• Daten = data
• Verlust = loss

German very often combines nouns into one word. The final part usually tells you the basic category of the word, so Datenverlust is a kind of Verlust.

This is extremely common in German, and recognizing compounds will help a lot when reading.

Yes, that would also be correct and very natural.

Indem often corresponds to by doing ... in English and can express the method more directly.

So these are both good:

• Dadurch, dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren, verhindern wir Datenverlust.
• Indem wir das Negativ digitalisieren, verhindern wir Datenverlust.

A rough difference:

• indem is often a bit more compact and straightforward
• dadurch, dass can sound a bit more explanatory or explicit

In many contexts, they are very close in meaning.

Yes. A very natural alternative is:

• Wir verhindern Datenverlust dadurch, dass wir das Negativ digitalisieren.

This has the same basic meaning.

The difference is mainly one of emphasis:

• starting with Dadurch, dass ... puts more focus on the method
• starting with Wir verhindern Datenverlust ... puts more focus on the result

Both are correct.

Because they are nouns, and in German all nouns are capitalized.

So:

• das Negativ
• der Datenverlust

This is one of the most noticeable spelling rules in German and applies regardless of where the noun appears in the sentence.