How a job runs · phone, bench, post home
How data recovery works. Seven stages, and two of them wait until you say go.
Every parcel arrives differently, but the run remains consistent. It has seven stages, and they occur in the same sequence every time, regardless of what the box holds. A phone call starts it off. Once you open the media returned to you and find your folders in their correct place, the run is complete. Below is that sequence, plus the two steps waiting for your approval.
Put it to an engineer — the first look costs nothing
0203 0868633
The order it goes in, end to end.
A call, or the quote form
Ring us or use our online quote form. The two questions we need answered are: What was the device busy with when it failed? Which folders would you be lost without? When we get back to you, we will give you an honest assessment of the chances of recovery and detailed guidance on packing, well before you tape the box shut.
Sending it to Guildford
Your parcels arrive at our intake laboratory located at Guildford Business Park, and the full address is provided on the contact page. Please get a quote from us first, either via telephone or using the quote form, and then send it tracked and insured, with the printed shipping form inside. Alternatively, bring it into the intake lab yourself, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, and no appointment is necessary. Remove the hard disk(s) from laptops, desktops and recorders before sending; only the hard disk(s) should travel. If possible, remove the hard disks from NAS units and label them according to their bays; if removal of the hard disks is impossible, please send the NAS unit intact. Hard disks from servers and RAID systems are removed individually and labelled with their respective bay numbers.
Logged the day it lands, and the first look costs nothing Free
Once the parcel is opened a unique identifier will be assigned to it immediately. Once this is completed the process of diagnosing the problem commences. This includes identifying which component has failed and assessing whether the data stored on the failed component is recoverable. Finally, we estimate approximately how long it may take to successfully recover the data stored on the failed component.
Yours to say yes or no
When we provide a cost quote in writing for recovering your data, it remains fixed. Upon receipt of your acceptance of our cost quote, we begin the actual recovery process. If you reject our cost quote, we will return the whole lot to you along with what we found, and no charges whatsoever will be made. Either way, the diagnosis was free.
The work on the bench
Prior to any repairs being undertaken, all data on your original media will be replicated sector by sector onto storage devices owned by us. Any subsequent repairs or rebuilds (e.g. rebuilding arrays, unlocking volumes, firmware modifications, replacement of faulty heads) will be performed against the replicated data. Thus, the media you sent us will be returned to you in the condition it arrived in.
The file list comes first
First, we send you the whole list of everything that we could read from your drive. Then you get to compare it against the folders you requested; in most cases you only pay if we recover your data.
Sent home by post
When we complete your order, whatever we were able to recover will be returned to you on new media, with the postage at our cost. All the working copies of your data which we keep will be securely erased after thirty days. Your case remains active while you are still checking the contents.
How long each of them takes.
| Fault seen | What it takes | The time it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Logical: deletion, formatting, corruption | File systems rebuilt from the image | Typically 2–3 working days |
| Mechanical issues: clicks, banging sounds, won’t spin. | Parts from another unit that matches yours, then a careful read. | 3–5 days at the bench |
| Multiple disks: RAID sets, NAS devices, servers. | Each individual member of a multi-member group is imaged separately before we assemble the entire RAID array using software. | 3–4 working days once it lands |
| Encrypted volumes, and court work | Agree the scope of the project prior to determining the timeline. | Written into the quote |
| When it truly cannot wait | Businesses that cannot function are given priority along with hearings and audits scheduled for a specific time. | Say it when you ring |
What belongs in the box.
The questions that come up first.
Will I hear anything while it is on the bench?
You will. We will send you a message once each of the stages outlined below is complete. In between, feel free to call us any time. Each call is answered directly by an engineer, not by an automated ticket system that forgets about your call after it is taken.
And if nothing at all can be read?
Then we tell you so clearly, and tell you so quickly, instead of dragging out the investigation for weeks. Where your files have genuinely gone, we say the word gone. If we discover that another lab has a better chance with your particular fault, we will provide you with their name and telephone number. Also, keep in mind that in most cases you only pay if we recover your data.
Whose hands is the drive actually in?
Engineers employed by us, working at a bench in our intake laboratory. We never use a third-party service provider, and nothing crosses a border. Your parcel receives a case reference number the moment it is opened, and the same case reference number stays with your device until the day it is posted back to you.
How long are your copies of my data kept?
Thirty days, counted from the date your files arrive with you. If you notice a gap within this time, simply contact us and we will go back over it. Once the thirty days expire, all working images related to your case will be securely erased and none of your material will remain at our facilities.
All of it begins with one telephone call.
Only one phone call or completed quote form is required to open a case. Diagnosing your problem costs nothing and commits you to nothing.