These are the technical questions our data recovery engineers answer most often – covering cost and timelines, hard drives, SSDs, RAID and servers, photos and media, phones, and what to do before you send in your device. If your situation is not listed here, call 1-888-943-8328 for a free evaluation.
Cost and Timelines
How much does data recovery cost?
Data recovery pricing depends on the device and the type of failure. You always receive a firm quote before any work begins, there is never a diagnostic fee, and you only pay if we recover your data. Some media have flat fees, such as flash drives from $149 and mobile devices from $199.
How long does data recovery take?
Turnaround depends on the type and severity of the failure. You receive an estimated timeframe together with your quote, and for urgent cases we offer emergency and priority rush service.
Do you charge if you cannot recover my data?
No. Under our No Recovery, No Recovery Fee policy, if we are unable to recover your data you do not pay a recovery fee.
Can I get a price before committing?
Yes. We evaluate your device for free and give you an exact price up front, so there are no surprises and no obligation to proceed.
Hard Drives
Can you recover a clicking or grinding hard drive?
Yes, this is one of the most common cases we see. Clicking or grinding usually means a physical problem inside the drive, so power it off immediately and let our lab handle it rather than risking further damage.
My hard drive is not recognized. Can you recover it?
Yes. A drive that is not detected may have a logical or a physical fault. We diagnose the cause in our lab and recover the data accordingly.
Can you recover a water-damaged drive?
Often yes. Do not try to power on or dry the device yourself, as that can cause more harm. Pack it safely and send it to us for evaluation.
Can you recover a dropped laptop or hard drive?
Frequently yes. A drop can damage the read and write heads or the platters, so stop using the device right away and send it in for a professional evaluation.
My drive will not spin or makes no sound. Is it recoverable?
Possibly. A drive that does not spin can have an electronic, firmware, or motor fault. Avoid repeatedly powering it on and let our engineers diagnose it in the lab.
Can you recover Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba and other brands?
Yes. We recover data from all major hard drive brands and models, including Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, Hitachi, and Samsung.
SSD, RAID and Servers
Can you recover data from a failed SSD?
Yes. SSD recovery is often more complex than recovering a traditional hard drive because of controllers, wear leveling, and encryption, but our engineers have the tools and methods to recover data from failed solid-state drives.
Can you recover from an NVMe or M.2 drive?
Yes. We recover data from modern NVMe and M.2 solid-state drives as well as older SATA SSDs.
Do you recover RAID arrays and servers?
Yes. We recover RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 arrays, NAS units, and servers. If a RAID has failed, do not rebuild or reinitialize it before contacting us, as that can overwrite recoverable data.
Can you recover a RAID 5 with two failed drives?
Yes. A two-drive failure in a RAID 5 is recoverable in many cases. We have recovered as much as 80 percent of the data from a RAID 5 with two failed drives.
Can you recover from a NAS or network server?
Yes. We recover data from NAS devices and network servers, including Snap Server, Dell PowerEdge and PowerVault, and IBM Netfinity systems.
Can you recover a virtual machine or VMware?
Yes. We recover data from virtual machines and VMware environments, including virtual disks stored on failed hardware.
Photos, Cards and USB
Can you recover deleted or formatted photos?
Yes. Deleted and formatted files can often be recovered, but it is important to stop using the device immediately so the data is not overwritten, and then contact us.
Can you recover photos from a memory or SD card?
Yes. We recover photos and files from memory cards and SD cards, including cards that show errors, will not read, or have had photos deleted.
Can you recover data from a USB flash drive?
Yes. We recover data from USB and flash drives, including thumb drives that show 0 MB, appear as an unknown device, or ask to be formatted. Flash drive recovery starts at $149.
Can you recover from a CD, DVD or SIM card?
Yes. In addition to memory cards and USB drives, we can recover data from CDs, DVDs, and SIM cards.
Phones, Email and Systems
Can you recover data from an iPhone or Android phone?
Yes. We provide mobile device data recovery for iPhone and Android phones, including Samsung, HTC, LG, and Nokia, as well as tablets. Mobile device recovery starts at $199.
Can you recover a database such as Oracle, SQL or Access?
Yes. We recover databases including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, SQLite, and Microsoft Access.
Can you recover Outlook or Exchange email?
Yes. We recover email from Microsoft Outlook (PST and OST), Outlook Express (DBX), Microsoft Exchange, Apple Mail, and Lotus Notes.
Do you recover Mac, Windows and Linux systems?
Yes. We recover data from all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux and Unix.
Can you recover an encrypted drive?
Yes. We offer encrypted data recovery. We will let you know what passwords or keys are required so the recovered data can be made accessible to you.
Before You Send Your Device
What should I do the moment I realize data is lost?
Stop using the device immediately, do not run repair or recovery tools, and contact us for a free evaluation. Continued use is the most common cause of permanent data loss.
Should I try DIY recovery software first?
We do not recommend it for a failing device. Recovery software only works on a healthy drive, and running it on a damaged drive can overwrite data or cause further damage, making professional recovery harder.
Does running the drive longer hurt my chances?
Yes. Continuing to power on or use a failing drive can overwrite data and worsen physical damage, which lowers your chances of a full recovery. Power it down and contact us.
How do I ship my failing drive safely?
Power the device off, wrap it securely (anti-static packaging is best for drives), and use our free prepaid shipping label. Call us first and we will guide you through it.
Can I get data recovery in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or South Florida?
Yes. Our lab is in Oakland Park, Florida, and we provide data recovery for Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and all of South Florida, by drop-off or mail-in, as well as nationwide and Canada.
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