FAQs

Data Recovery


Q: What is Data Recovery?
A: Computer storage systems can fail in many different ways but the data stored on them is not always completely lost. The technique used to recover the information depends on the type of failure (file corruption, virus attack, mechanical or electrical problem and human error). Sometimes these problems occur in combination.
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Q: What should I do and what should I NOT do if my hard drive has failed and I want to have the data recovered?
A: First of all stop using the hard drive or storage device that requires recovery. If your drive is making unusual noises or showing other obvious signs of distress, shut it down immediately and do not power it up again. Before you forget them, write down all symptoms of the failure and all recent actions and events involving your computer. Contact our technicians for additional advice (which will depend on the type of media involved). (518) 464-1492 Do not perform any operation on the storage device that will further damage the physical device or the data on it. In particular, do not write to any of the files on the device or add additional files. Do not format the drive. Do not modify the partitions on the drive (using FDISK or any other partitioning software). Above all, do not open the device. Hard drives are particularly sensitive to contamination and should only be opened in a microscopically clean environment (clen room). If you have a backup, you should evaluate how current the data is and if it will fulfill your needs. Consider restoring your backup to a different system in case you find that critical files are missing or outdated. Avoid using do-it-yourself recovery software. These utilities can overwrite data on the drive and modify the control structures. If these operations are performed incorrectly, you risk complete loss of the data. You must balance the cost of total loss against your knowledge and experience before using such tools. If you seek help from a trusted local authority, please remember that professional data recovery is a skill learned from practice and may require highly specialized tools. While data recovery can seem expensive because it is labor intensive, recreating your data may be equally as expensive. Also, the turnaround time for data recovery is usually much faster than the time it would take to recreate your lost files from scratch.
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Q: How do I package and send media?
A: Only your drive is required for data recovery. For internal drives, remove the drive from the computer (get expert help if necessary) and ship only the drive. Enclose the drive in a ESD container or an ESD (electrostatic discharge) bag. For external drives, ship the drive in its enclosure. Do not ship cables, power supplies or stands with any type of drive. It is extremely important that your hard drive be packaged carefully to avoid any additional damage during shipment. Ship the drive in its original manufacturer's packaging if possible, or pack the drive with two inches of solid foam padding inside a sturdy corrugated cardboard box. Do not use foam packing pellets, bubble wrap or newspaper all of these material easily product static electricity.
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Q: What is the evaluation process and how long will it take?
A: Once we receive your media, our team will immediately start working on your case to determine the extent of the damage. We may or may not determine the root cause of the failure. We do not attempt to fix the drive, but we will assess the amount of work or parts involved to get the drive working well enough to read the data. We strive to have the evaluations completed within 24 hrs of our receipt of the drive. We will then contact you with our evaluation results.
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Q: What medium will you recover our data to?
A: When it comes to saving data we try to be as accommodating as possible, we realize that everyone has different systems and needs. We typically restore data onto another hard drive or dvd. But if you have a special request, please let us know.
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Q: Our company has confidential data on our hard drives, how do you ensure confidentiality?
A: In the past we have not had any problems with confidentiality. We are professionals and realized that the data we recover is proprietary, if you have a disclosure document that has been professionally drafted we will be happy to sign it. We also offer onsite services for companies with security policies that do not allow data to leave their facilities. If you have any other confidentiality concerns please feel free to contact us. You can trust us with your data.
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