Data Recovery

There are no certainties in IT except one. Your computer will stop working at some point due to a hard disk or hard drive issue.

A computer's hard disk is where it keeps all the software and data files. The disk itself is an engineering marvel where a series of golden platters, that look like small round CDs, spin at over 5000 revolutions per second from which the data is read by reading heads that float just over the surface of each platter. It is no wonder that occasionally they fail, as they are delicate instruments.

More recently computers have started to use SSDs or Solid State Drives. Inside an SDD there are no moving parts and they can be thought of as advanced and fast memory sticks. Although they to can fail, this is less likely.

Drives can fail due to viruses, mechanical damage and software corruption. It is always advisable that users take regular backups but if this hasn't been done or the backups are not as comprehensive as thought, i-c-why may be able to help.

Another reason could also be that some important files have been accidentally deleted. The best advice here is first, do not use the computer as soon as this is discovered. The more you use it, the less can be recovered. But is it possible to recover deleted files.

Sometimes, users just have an old computer or hard drive from an old computer that they would like some files extracted from. Again, i-c-why may be able to help.

What to do?

Book your computer in for a free evaluation. This will allow us the chance to see what can be done. Recovery of files from old disks is usually straight forward. Similarly, can the recovery of data from a software corrupted disk be accomplished. Hardware damaged units can be more of an issue and it very much depends on the extent of the damage.

The Old/Damaged Hard Disk

If the disk is just old, it may be possible to keep it as a live second drive in your new PC depending on connections being available. This is less likely as an option for laptops. If the hard disk has had some form of corruption, it would be best not to use it. A software corrupted hard disk may be repairable with the use of recovery DVD's that either came with your computer or you created under instructions when you first purchased it. Even if it not repairable, the drive can be tested and if it passes, it can be restored to factory settings.

The Recovery Process

To recover files from an undamaged hard disk is reasonably simple and quick. To recover files from a software corrupted drive can be a bit more complex but it does depend on the nature of the corruption. Mechanically damaged hard disks are the most difficult and time consuming to recover. Very badly damaged drives may have to be sent away to a specialist engineering company and they will often charge around £500 with no guarantee of success. However, CRC corruptions or where the physical damage is minor, it may be possible to extract the important files.

The recovery process, in any case where some sort of corruption or damage has occurred can take some time.

Recover Deleted Files

Recovering deleted files is possible but will depend on how much the computer has been used since the deletion occurred. The longer the computer was used, the fewer files may be recoverable. The process can be a slow one but many files should be recoverable but be aware that hey may not be the ones you are looking for. Please speak to i-c-why for advice.

Pricing

£30 - Recover Important Files only from an undamaged hard disk *
£60 - Recover Important Files only from a software corrupted hard disk **
£30 - Recover Deleted Files **
£60 + £5/day of restore running - Recover Important Files only from a mechanically damaged hard disk **
£60 - Restore Computer to Factory Settings if rescue or original DVD's are available
£90 - Restore Computer if rescue or original DVD's are not available ***

All prices include VAT

* - The user must agree beforehand what folders to recover

** - It may not be possible to recover any/all files. No fee is due if no files can be found.

*** - If the original DVD's for the computer are not available, any software purchased and pre-installed may not be recoverable.