Most of our clients are oblivious to the processes and work that goes into data recovery, since it is typically only a service that you research when you actually need it. As such, we frequently receive questions – here, we will attempt to answer some of the more common ones.
How much does data recovery cost?
This is probably the most common question we receive, and the short answer is – it depends. While we’d love to give you an exact quote over the phone, until our data recovery technicians have seen and examined your device, it is impossible to give an exact price. In reality, the cost of data recovery varies from case to case, sometimes significantly. Not only do we recover data from a multitude of devices – such as hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), RAID systems, USB flash drives, SD cards and mobile phones – there are other factors at play to, including brand/model and the fault. While we aren’t able to provide you with a quote before we see and examine your device, we do offer a free evaluation for all customers; you won’t pay a penny until we confirm that your data is recoverable.
How does the data recovery process work?
Upon contacting us via telephone or through the contact form on our website, you’ll be given a unique job reference number, and an address to send your device to. Our data recovery team will then examine your device, and provide a free diagnosis, a file listing of recoverable files, and finally a quote to complete the work. If you accept the quote, we will recover your data and return it to you, either on an external hard drive or via FTP. If you decline, we will send your device back to you free of charge.
What facilities do your data recovery technicians work in?
Our data recovery team undertake all physical data recovery work in a class 100 clean room. Hard disk drives in particular are assembled in tightly controlled conditions, and our clean room environment replicates that. A “Class 100” clean room ensures that, thanks to air filtering, there are never more than 100 particles of dust per cubic foot. Hard drives are not designed to be opened, and when they are, it is vital that they are opened in the correct environment. This makes consulting a professional data recovery specialist especially important when dealing with physical damage.
How long will the data recovery process take?
Again, it really depends on several factors like the type and model of your device, and what is causing your data be inaccessible. Our free evaluation typically takes between three and five business days, although it is not uncommon for it to be completed in a shorter time frame than that, or if the problem is particular difficult to diagnose, longer. We do offer an emergency data recovery service where your job will be prioritised, but there is a higher cost attached to this.