FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

With so many companies offering such a wide range of pricing which company do I choose?
Data recovery is an extremely competitive business. In this business, you get what you pay for. We have structured our pricing so that we may offer a fair price to our customers without compromising the quality of our recovery efforts. There are many factors that come into play when structuring pricing for data recovery, such as equipment, parts, expertise, advertising, etc. Beware if you come across a company offering extremely low rates. Stop and think about how much effort and expertise will actually be given to recovery of your important data. Parts alone, if needed, can be expensive and many times multiple parts are needed. In most cases you only have one chance at recovery of your data, so make sure to choose the right company. We have heard of some companies that will initially offer you a low rate just to get you to send them your hard drive, and then once they receive it the price goes up. There is no way that a data recovery company can know for sure what needs to be done in order to recover you data without first evaluating the drive. This is why we initially quote you with a price range. Once we receive your drive and evaluate it, we then give you a firm price quote.

What should I do if my hard drive is clicking, grinding, or not spinning?
Immediately power off the computer or hard drive to prevent further damage. In many cases the more times that the drive is powered on, the more difficult it is to recover your data. Contact us immediately at 877-840-3282 for a Free consultation. In most cases we can successfully recover data from drives that experience failure.

Is there a charge for the evaluation?
There is NO charge for our standard and preferred service evaluation of individual hard drives and flash media. An evaluation charge will apply for RAID arrays, priority evaluation, and hard drives that have previously been opened.

Should I try to recover the data myself with some type of software?
If you are serious about getting your data back, don't fall into the trap of buying some software program to attempt recovery yourself. In most cases especially involving physical failure of a hard drive, software will only make the problem worse. If the drive is physically failing it will need to be dismantled in a cleanroom environment by a professional. Also, there are programs out there that will actually write data to your hard drive, overwriting the important data that you are trying to recover. We cannot express the importance enough to consult a professional.

How does this process work?
Once we receive your hard drive, we start our diagnosis/evaluation process. When the hard drive evaluation process has completed we contact you with our results and a fixed price quote. Next, upon authorization from you, we immediately begin our data recovery process. Once the hard drive recovery process has completed your data will be stored on a media type of your choice. We then return your recovered data and you will be back up and running.

What happens if my recovered data gets lost in transit back to me?
For your protection we keep a secure copy of your data on file for thirty days. After that it is securely deleted from our servers.

How will my data be returned to me?
We can return your data to you on any media of your choice. Most customers prefer either DVD or an external drive.

How long does this process usually take?
The initial evaluation is usually between 1-3 business days, depending on the service that you choose on our Data Recovery Form. The actual recovery process generally takes between 2-7 business days depending on the type of failure that occurred and the response we get from the drive. We do offer priority and emergency services that can speed up the process.

What if I decide not to proceed after the initial evaluation?
Once we evaluate your drive, we contact you and if at that point you decide not to proceed we can either return your drive to you  at a minimal shipping charge or dispose of it here free of charge.