FAQs

How much will it cost?
Typical recovery charges are indicated on the ‘Rescuing Data’ page but in general; for logical recoveries (where no surgery is required) the cost is between £55 and £295 + VAT. Where a surgical procedure is involved then costs will up to £799 + VAT. This is why we offer a free evaluation so that you know any potential costs with no obligation to proceed. 

Why has this happened – my device was fine yesterday?
Unfortunately, everything is fine until it isn’t; that’s life in general. Disk-drives, memory sticks and SD cards are just electro-mechanical devices and sadly, nothing in life is perfect. 

How likely is it that my data can be recovered?
Recovery is successful in over 95% of cases. Providing the actual disk platters are intact then data can usually be extracted. Drives that suffer an impact when running are the most common cases where recovery is severely compromised.

How long does the recovery process take?
Standard recovery time is between 5 and 10 working days. We do offer accelerated and emergency services too but necessarily they carry an increased charge.

Do you look at all the files – some of my images are very personal?
We do not view the files but check  elctronically that they can be opened and are intact. It is inappropriate and unethical for us to either read documents or view images in any judgemental way. We are bound by Data Protection rules and any information is kept secure at all times and complete and total discretion is applied. The content of any documents is considered confidential and no content is disclosed to any outside party except with your written and express consent.

How is my recovered data returned to me?
For small volumes of data it is either returned on CD (<650Mb), DVD (<4.7Gb), memory stick (<128Gb) or portable USB disk-drive (>128Gb). Up to 2Gb we can alternatively offer a download link.

How can I prevent this happening again?
The reality is that you can’t. Some devices continue functioning faultlessly for many years – some fail early in their life cycle. All you can do is take a moment to consider how problematic it would be if you lost your data and then make sure you have two independent backups that you have checked are valid. We have had clients faithfully taking empty backups for years because they didn’t check their procedure was valid! Keep one copy in a separate location so that if disaster strikes you don’t lose the original AND both backups.

What happens to my original drive or memory stick?
Whether we have had to repair the device or not, continued use of a failed unit is very unwise. You may have it back of course but we would strongly recommend that you allow us to destroy it securely once the recovery procedure has been completed.

Do I have to send the whole computer or can I just send the disk-drive?
If you have the skills to remove the failed drive from the computer then that is all we need. If you would rather send the complete machine that s fine too. Portable drive housings can be tricky to open and unless you really know what you are doing, it is better to send the complete item rather than risk distorting the inner drive when trying to prise open a sealed case.

How come you also off Video and Audio enhancement?
Part of the forensic procedure may require recovering poor quality video & audio. We therefore decided to offer this facility to the wider public as a service too.