FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Do you have multiple locations throughout the UK?
No, we only have one real lab, as does every other DR company we know in UK. Ours is centrally located in Peterborough, where all work is done in-house. We have a purpose built class-10 cleanroom which is open to visitors by appointment.
The difference is that unlike others claiming multiple locations (which are virtual offices or just UPS depots, Google the addresses!) we prefer to be honest about it, rather than mislead potential clients.
We are proud to be a small, honest and independent business!
That said, if you do require a local service we do have a network of dealers throughout the UK (and indeed worldwide) who can help to manage your case for you. For example they liaise with us to help diagnose the actual fault, remove the device from your computer, send it off to us with the correct packaging, rebuild your computer with a new HDD/SSD and then assist with restoring the data to your new installation. Just drop us an email with your location and we’ll advise your nearest dealer option(s).
2. Do you offer free evaluations?
Yes, we do offer a free evaluation and quotation for most single devices. All we ask is that the minimum fee is pre-approved (see “Advice & Price” page for minimum fees), or if you have been given a guide price by phone or email then that’s deemed as a pre-approved cost. If the quote comes in at the minimum fee or estimate and yet still declined then we’d have to charge a £49+VAT evaluation/rebuild fee towards the cost of wasted engineer and cleanroom time and/or re-assembling the device. This is so we can keep our prices as low as possible, while maintaining the high level of service you expect.
If our quote is above the minimum fee or the estimated price, then you are under no obligation to proceed and no evaluation fee applies. Just an admin/shipping fee of £14.95 + VAT if you need the device returning, or we can dispose of it at no charge.
If the drive is deemed unrecoverable by us, then no evaluation fee applies. Just the admin/shipping fee applies if you need the device returning, or we can dispose of it at no charge.
If we believe it has a chance of recovery and we request a parts charge or “open drive” fees, then you are under no obligation to proceed. Again, just the admin/shipping fee applies if you need the device returning, or we can dispose of it at no charge.
If the quote is approved and for some reason we cannot recover data, no evaluation fee applies and we even send it back for free!
So basically if you’re serious about the recovery, then you should never have to pay for an evaluation on single drive recoveries.
3. How do I get my device to to you?
Unplug or remove the device from your computer, then package it up as best as you can (ideally with plenty of bubble wrap or poly-chips and a sturdy cardboard box for hard drives, and a decent “Jiffy Bag” for flash devices). You can either send it to us (we recommend Royal Mail Special Delivery, or at least “Signed For” services) or you can arrange a dropoff/collection on the “send a drive” page too.
You can download an address label/packing slip here
If you’d rather deal with a real person, we have arrangements with PC shops around the UK who will be glad to handle your case for you for a reasonable fee. Please call us for your nearest partner shop. Cost is £99+VAT and includes dealer basic examination, courier collection for shipment to cleanroom lab, priority cleanroom examination, enhanced diagnostic report and return shipment of drive and/or data etc….
Or you are welcome to drop into our offices in Peterborough, visitors are most welcome to our REAL lab (not just a drop off point!)
4. What if my device has been opened or tampered with?
Although we are happy to work on devices that have been tampered with (for example have been opened, failed recovery attempt or had previous “DIY” attempts), we do ask for an upfront evaluation fee of £100 + VAT towards the costs of a full cleanroom examination and decontamination if required. If the device has been badly messed about with (e.g. fingerprints on platter, scratches etc..) then expect the cost be be above our usual rates and parts fee MAY apply.
This charge is payable upfront and is non-refundable, in any outcome.
5. Can I get a guide price before sending my device in?
Yes of course, no problem! Firstly you can try and get an idea of cost from our “advice and price” page here
Or you can contact us here and one of our friendly staff will go through the symptoms with you and try and give a verbal estimate for you free of charge.
If we provide an estimate range and the device is sent in for recovery based on this, the price at the lowest end of the range is deemed pre-approved and so work will commence immediately.
Alternatively, if you prefer a local service, we can you in the direction of a local “partner” computer specialist who can help you through the whole process, for a small fee.
6. What happens if I decline your quotation?
If we have quoted you at our minimum fee (as per our verbal /email estimate, or our price guide) and yet it’s still declined, unfortunately we have to make a charge of £49 +VAT evaluation/rebuild fee. (See “free evaluations” FAQ above).
In addition, if we have proceeded due to the price being “deeemed pre-approved” either verbally or in writing, then we reserve the right to charge up to 50% of the quoted fee as a “cancellation fee” towards the cost of parts and/or wasted engineer time. We do this to enable us to keep our prices keen and service efficient, prioritising “live” jobs.
If the quote is above the minimum fee (for example if it’s badly damaged or has been tampered with) then you are under no obligation to proceed and you can cancel your job at quote stage and have your device returned (shipping fees may apply).
7. You've quoted me a price, can you get my data?
By quoting you a price we are usually confident of getting a good recovery (i.e. 85% or better by file count – more details in FAQ’s10 & 17)) for you, but as with any complicated procedure like a cleanroom recovery in rare circumstances recovery is not always possible.
So by agreeing the quote, you are only agreeing “in principle” to pay us if we perform a successful recovery for you. You need only pay us on a successful recovery!
We do require cost approval BEFORE any recovery work is done (by you verbally or in writing, or “deemed pre-approved” from an estimate), to avoid wasted engineer time and/or parts thus enabling us to prioritise jobs and keep our prices down. See FAQ below for more details.
8. Can you tell me what's on my device before approving costs?
Basically, no. In order to access the data for review or to provide a file list (including specifying any damaged files) we need to actually complete the job, which obviously incurs labour and/or parts costs.
So all we ask is for cost approval only, we do not ask for payment until the job is complete and file list (if requested) sent.
The same applies to providing a quote for return media (usually a USB HDD/SSD or flash drive). We will not know the volume of data before the work is done (or at least in progress) because the device is in almost all cases faulty, so we cannot judge the capacity of the required media. In addition, there may be a large quantity of unimportant data (such as downloaded films/music or pirate software) which can be omitted to save costs on the return media.
Unlike some companies who present a file list and then quote a price, thus opening up the opportunity for inflated prices based on the perceived importance of the data, we do not work like this. We believe the cost should reflect the actual costs involved (parts and labour) rather than holding data to ransom for an inflated price.
If you don’t know what’s on the drive or want to know what’s on it without approving our quote, then we can go as far as providing a file report for you. But this will incur a fee of 50% of the quoted price towards to costs of parts and technician time. If the report is satisfactory, then you pay the remainder (plus media if applicable) and get your data. If the required data is not there, then you owe nothing more and we can return the device in its original state (if possible). If we cannot recover any data, your 50% deposit will be refunded and we return the device at no charge (excepting rare cases of severe media damage where we’ve asked for a parts/attempt fee upfront).
9. What if you can't get any of my data?
If we receive your drive and after standard evaluation we deem it “unrecoverable” (perhaps due to catastrophic media damage) then we can either destroy the device for you at no charge, or we can re-assemble it and ship it back (admin/shipping fees of £14.95+VAT apply).
If after approving the recovery fees we are unable to recover your data (very rare!), we will re-assemble your device and ship it back to you entirely free of further charge.
10. What if you can't get all my data?
We always aim to get 100% of data, but sometimes that’s simply not possible. Especially in physical cases (such as drives with failed read/write heads, there is often media damage which prevents reading from some areas. Nothing can be done about this, no matter what.
In fact almost all failed drives will have some level of media damage (unreadable sectors)!
We class 85% or better (by file count) as a successful recovery, but if the results are below that you are under no obligation to accept the recovery although we may offer the partial recovery at a discounted price. This excludes badly damaged cases where we have advised in advance that the % recovery will be less due to damaged media, in these cases we will advise of maximum and/or “deemed good” % of any likely recovery.
If there is specific data requested on the booking form (e.g. Sage or QuickBooks data for example, or a specific file) then this is taken by as a criteria for success, so again you are under no obligation to proceed if we cannot recover what you requested.
We will always be as fair as possible, as your satisfaction is our number one priority.
11. What if you've recovered data but I've sent the wrong drive or it's not the data I need?
We cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions such as this, and the recovery fee is payable in full in most cases.
If we are advised in advance that the drive may or may not contain the required data, we may offer to start the job and go as far as being able to provide a basic file listing. We would take a 50% payment upfront for this with the remainder payable if the data recovered is satisfactory and/or is the required data. If the recovered data is not required then no more is payable and we will return the device. If we cannot recover any data at all, then the 50% deposit paid will be refunded less any parts/admin/shipping fees.
If we are not advised in advance that the drive may or may not contain the required data, and we produce a recovery of a very good standard (95% or better) and can provide a file listing to that effect, we would require 50% payment of the agreed fee and the drive can be destroyed or returned to you if the recovered data is not required. You will not receive any data back. This is towards the cost of parts and/or wasted engineer time . If we cannot recover any data at all then there’s no charge, or if the recovery is poor (less than 85%) then we may offer it as a partial recovery (see FAQ#18 & 19)
12. You say you've recovered my data, how do I know this before I pay?
Totally understandable, nobody wants to pay for nothing!
In virtually all cases we are able to send an interactive file list in HTML format (which you can open with any Internet Browser), which will enable you to browse through the files and folders of the recovered data to satisfy yourself we have recovered your important data. If there are any files that are reported as having some damage (due to physically damaged media which nothing can be done about) then these would be in a separate list.
Also if you wish, you can advise of any “mission critical” files and within reason we will manually test them for you to make sure they work for your total piece of mind. We want you to have total trust in us before paying for anything!
13. How do you get my data back to me?
It should be noted that drives are very rarely “repaired” as such (in particular ones with physical damage, which are NEVER to used again), just temporarily fixed up to gain access to data.
How we get the data back to you largely depends on the amount of data recovered, but as a guide…
Up to 4Gb can be uploaded to DropBox and a download link provided (no extra charge)
Up to 128Gb can be supplied on a USB flash drive (please call or email for current prices)
Larger than 128Gb can be supplied on a USB3 portable HDD (please call or email for current prices)
Or you are welcome to send in your own drive but please make sure it’s NEW or has NO DATA on it, as we may well have to WIPE the drive.
Data encryption is available for returned data on request, but may cause shipment delays, to allow for the encryption.
14. Do I get my faulty device back?
Generally speaking we do not return faulty devices, especially with the recovered data. Due to data security policies, once an original device is returned we have to erase all copies/clones of your data, so if we were to return the original device and data together and they get lost/damaged in transit then ALL data is lost. Also, if we still have the original device and the clone/image we can perform further work on the data if there are any further issues, with no extra labour fees.
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT’S LIKELY ANY PLASTIC CASING WILL NOT BE RETURNED, AS IT’S OFTEN DAMAGED WHEN REMOVING DRIVES FOR TESTING! AND DISPOSED OF.
If you do choose not to take our advice and insist on the device being returned with the data, then that’s no problem but we do require a written statement to say that you accept all risks of data loss/corruption/damage once all devices are returned and all copies/clones erased at our end. Further charges will apply if you need to “re-visit” the case, which would not apply if we retain the device as per our advice.
It should be noted that drives are very rarely “repaired” as such (in particular ones with physical damage, which are NEVER to used again), just temporarily fixed up to gain access to data. A drive that has been sent in for recovery is generally NOT usable again and as such should be considered scrap, especially in physical faults and/or media issues.
If for some reason (such as a warranty claim or security reasons) the original device is required back, then it may be requested back and we will close the case, erase all copies/clones of the data and return the device. Re-assembly and/or shipping fees may apply.
After 30 days of sending the data we get no requests for further work or return of the original device, it is either securely destroyed, securely erased and/or recycled for parts.
15. My recovery results are for a "RAW" recovery only, what does this mean?
In rare circumstances, the only recovery possible is what we call a “raw” recovery. This means that the file structure has not been possible to recover, perhaps by file system overwriting (a format with partial data overwriting, data deleted and partially overwritten, or a system restore for example) or by physical damage to the area of the drive containing the file system metadata.
If this is the case you may end up with a report, rather than a “file listing “as such and this can be explained thus;
The “Size checked” files are ones that can be checked for file headers and size by our software (for example photos & word docs) and should be mostly good, but there is a possibility of damage if there are bad/missing/invalid sectors within the file.
The “header checked only” ones are ones that are found by file header only, and so may either be good, damaged or un-testable due to file type.
Where possible we will try and re-name some files according to their content using embedded metadata (e.g. Word or Excel files). Also in most cases we can sort photos into date order into separate folders in a “Date sorted pics folder” by YY/MM/DD to make it easier to sort. This service is included in the price.
As with all RAW recoveries, they are supplied “as is” with no guarantee all files will be good. Especially ones that have been “attacked” with CHKDSK!
16. My recovery report shows a "!Problem" or "Damaged" folder, what does this mean?
In some cases it’s not always possible to recover all files 100% intact due to physically damaged or unreadable sectors on the device, this is particularly applicable in cases of drives with physical damage (e.g. ones that have been clicking or buzzing and required cleanroom work).
Our system reports a file as damaged even if only one sector (perhaps from millions) is unreadable, but in a good deal of cases the damage may be minor and so the files may be useful and/or repairable (especially large files like video or PST files for example). But for purposes of reporting, they should be considered bad.
It should also be noted that if a folder appears in the “damaged” report, then it does not necessarily mean the whole folder is damaged. For example if a photos folder has sub-folders such as “2015, “2014”, “2015” etc… then also check the same folders in the “good” report as it may well be only a few files are actually damaged.
Although all the files in the good report are reported as intact (i.e. no bad/missing sectors) there is a small chance that some files may be damaged (for example they never worked in the first place or never saved properly, or due to encryption or have been overwritten). If there are any “mission critical” files then please advise their file name and location and we will gladly check them manually (within reason).
Additionally if the original device is a solid state or flash drive, there may also be additional data corruption due to un-correctable bit errors in the memory pages. Although this should be minimal and we do what’s possible to verify the integrity of the files it’s impossible to manually check every file individually which is the only sure way to check.
The report is intended as a guide to confirm that the required data is present, you do not have to select which data you require sending unless you wish to. We would normally send all the data in the reports (good and damaged) unless specified otherwise (for example to save on uploading time, or return media costs).
If any particularly important files are reported as damaged, then please advise and we will check them for you for quality (within reason!) and perhaps be able to offer some options for repair (either paid or free, depending on type of file and/or level of damage).
17. I have my recovery report(s), how do I interpret the results?
Reports are usually provided in an interactive HTML format which can be opened in any up-to-date internet browser.
The HTML file may be archived into a ZIP or 7-ZIP file (for example if it’s very large), from which you will need to extract the HTML file using WinZip or 7-ZIP (free download) or built-in ZIP extraction.
Once the file is opened, you can click on the “+” sign on a folder to see the files/folders within. There is also a search facility in the listing to enable you to quickly locate any specific files.
There may be a “!Problem” or “!Damaged” folder or listing, which contains files that should be considered damaged. Our system reports a file as “damaged” even if one sector out of millions is damaged, so some “damaged” files may or may not be useful and/or repairable, but for purposes of reporting we consider them damaged.
Although all the files in the good listing are reported as intact (i.e. no bad/missing sectors) there is a small chance that some files may be damaged (for example they never worked in the first place or never saved properly, or due to encryption or have been overwritten). If there are any “mission critical” files then please advise their file name and location and we will gladly check them manually (within reason).
Please don’t be alarmed if you see an important folder in the “!Problem” list, as it’s more than likely that only some of the files in that folder are damaged and the good ones are in the good list!
Regarding the percentage quality of the recovery, we generally go by the number of files rather than data quantity in terms of Gigabytes. The reason for this is that although there may be an apparent large quantity of data (in terms of Gb) in the “damaged” list/folder, it may well be that a good quantity of these files only have minor damage (see above). It stands to reason that the larger the file, the greater than chance of some sectors being damaged, so it would be misleading to call recovery “poor” if only a small percentage of the damaged files are large ones, yet occupying a disproportionate percentage of the volume.
You may also find that due to file system damage there may be a “Lost & Found” folder (or similar) where found data cannot be located back into its’ original location, and there are numbered folders within it. So if you think you’re missing any files then take a look there also, using the search function in your file listing.
18. I have been offered a "partial" recovery due to media damage, what does this mean?
If we have taken a look at your drive and found evidence of serious media damage (for example obvious platter damage or that one or more of the read/write heads is very badly contaminated and/or covered in a layer of debris indicating severe media damage to one of the platter surfaces) then we may offer a “partial” recovery option due to the severity of the damage preventing to read any data from one or more platter (disk) recording surface.
Basically we have to physically “doctor” a new set of heads to avoid contact with the destroyed surface, because as if the head(s) relating to the destroyed surface(s) were left to allow any contact it will instantly kill the new head(s) and scrape off more of the magnetic surface and could easily cause catastrophic damage internally as it flies around inside the drive.
If for example the drive has TWO platters and so FOUR recording surfaces and ONE is damaged, the MAXIMUM raw data that could possibly be cloned/imaged (in theory) is 75% of the capacity of the drive. Although it’s impossible to say how this would translate to the number of good files compared to damaged ones (due to many factors including size of data zones when data is saved, file sizes and fragmentation of files) we would usually put our “deemed good” rate of recovery of files at 65% as a minimum to be considered a “good recovery”.
Similarly, if the drive has FOUR platters and so EIGHT recording surfaces and ONE is damaged, the MAXIMUM raw data that could possibly be cloned/imaged (in theory) is 87.5% of the capacity of the drive. Although it’s impossible to say how this would translate to the number of good files compared to damaged ones (due to many factors including size of data zones when data is saved, file sizes and fragmentation of files) we would usually put our “deemed good” rate of recovery of files at 80% as a minimum to be considered a “good recovery”.
It should be noted that due to the way data is recorded on the drive, it’s much more likely for smaller files (for example photos and documents) to come off intact than larger files (for example films and large database files) so please bear this in mind when considering your partial recovery offer!
Although it also may well not be possible for a complete file/folder structure (due to physical media damage) we will try our best, and we will also run a “raw file signature search” as well to get the absolute best recovery we can for you. Please see our FAQ #15 #16 & #17 for more details on this.
If the recovery % is significantly less that our quoted estimated rate we may offer the reduced rate recovery at a discount, but you’re under no obligation to accept this.
19. Do I get a discount because my recovery is "partial"?
That depends…
If we have advised you before presenting our results, and you’ve accepted that it will be partial and/or raw, then no. The cost given is based on a balance of extra parts/time used to perform a partial recovery vs. the fact that the recovery won’t be complete.
If we had anticipated that the recovery would be successful (i.e. 85% or better) and due to unforeseen issues (such as excessive media issues) the recovery turns out to be significantly less, then we may offer the partial as a discounted option. You are under no obligation to accept this.
20. How long will my recovery take??
That depends on many factors including; how busy are, availability of parts, complexity of recovery etc..
But the main factor that determines how long it takes is the drive itself, rather than us! The more badly damaged the drives media is, then the longer it will take.
The average recovery time on normal services is 7-10 working days but it may well come in quicker, especially if you are specific about the actual data required (e.g. skipping downloaded music and pirated movies etc. could save a lot of time.)
If the data is particularly time-critical then we do offer “Express 3-5 day” and “Emergency 1-2 day” services at a premium of 50% and 100% respectively. Express and Emergency evaluation comes at a cost of £49 & £99 + VAT respectively.