GET A DATA RECOVERY QUOTE MEDIA SHIPPING FORM AND LABEL- please print and attach to your media b4 sending. ANY DATA RECOVERY QUESTIONS? FIND THE ANSWERS HERE: FAQs

• DATA RECOVERY PROCESS: How does it work?
• HOW TO deal with a failed hard drive
• DATA LOSS: Why it happens and how to prevent it.
• WHAT IS data recovery?
• DATA RECOVERY and data storage guide
• GLOSSARY of Data Recovery
• DICTIONARY of hard drives
• LAYMAN'S GUIDE to data recovery

Each recovery begins with a simple phone call to DRD. One of our trained, professional recovery specialists will discuss your particular need. To allow us to give the best possible service, please have on hand the make, model and manufacturer of the drive or media as well as a description describing the problem or failure occurring with your device. We will then give you an evaluation cost and ask for your daytime phone number, fax number and email address. A reference or job number will then be issued and shipping instructions given.

The evaluation is where one of our recovery specialists carefully inspects your device or media arrive at an accurate diagnosis of the problem. While each evaluation is different depending on the type of damage and device or media being checked, an evaluation usually involves mechanical diagnostics, creating a sector copy, and assessing data integrity.

Upon completion, you will be informed of your data's prognosis and if any parts will be necessary for a successful recovery. Evaluations begin within 12-24 hours of receipt of the device or media.

Only upon receiving your authorization will we proceed with the process of recovering your data from your device or media.

For mechanical damage, failed or compromised parts are replaced in a clean environment using exact replacement parts to ensure compliance with manufacturer warranty requirements. Specialized software is also employed to create an accurate image of your data. Some examples of parts that fail are read/write heads and assemblies, magnets, motors, and logic boards.

If there is no mechanical damage, or after the mechanical damage has been repaired, the next step is logical recovery. This type of recovery uses high-tech software to extract all possible data from the device or media by either repairing the low-level file system, extracting data from fragments found in the data image or both.

In the case of a malicious virus having caused the damage to the original data, great care will be taken to disinfect your system of the offending virus before restoring the data.

Once data has been extracted, it is then compiled and restored on the original or repaired device or media without voiding or nullifying any existing manufacturer warranty.

Recovery time typically ranges from 3-6 working days depending on circumstances such as device or media capacity size, amount of data to recover, amount of physical repair required, parts availability and complexity of file system.

Tips On How To Minimize Data Loss + Tips On How To Ship Your Media For Data Recovery:

Here are a few tips to help you minimize further data loss and increase your likelihood of data recovery on some of the more common types of data loss:

Desktop PCs:

1. If your system has "crashed" and you can no longer access the operating system or see the drive in the BIOS, then shut the system down immediately and do not run any further power through the drive by attempting reboots. This is considered a physical problem with the drive and is an extremely sensitive issue. If the headstack inside your drive has been damaged, you may cause further additional damage to the platter/s of the drive, upon which your data is stored. Contact Data Recovery Doctor 0845 257 9165 and explain your problem.

2. If you have deleted a file or files or accidentally formatted your drive, then the most important thing to remember is to NOT write or install ANY new information onto that drive. Deleting files simply removes the locating tag of the file, but the file is still intact on the drive. If you add new data to the drive, you may over-write your lost data; losing it forever. Using advanced data recovery software, Data Recovery Doctor technicians can re-assemble the binary code and restore your files.

3. If your partition has become corrupted, the most important thing to remember is NOT to attempt a re-install of your operating system or add new data to the drive. Again, Data Recovery Doctor technicians can use specialized software and techniques to repair the partition and/or extract your data.

4. If you have deleted a partition, do not attempt to restore it by formatting the drive as this will only result in the addition of an empty partition. It will not recover your data.

5. If you believe you have been infected with a virus, shut the system down and contact a Data Recovery Doctor technician. We may be able to help you identify the threat it poses to your data.

6. If you experience a single file corruption, be sure not to attempt creating a new file with the same name as this will partially over-write the file and will greatly decrease our ability to recover fully.

Remember, these are just a few of the more common reasons for data loss. Any attempts that you or even an IT technician make to recover the file or drive may result in a decreased quality of our recovery efforts or even make it impossible for us to recover the data. If you have any doubt, just ask yourself this question. "Am I prepared to move on without that data?". If you answered no, then contact DRD by phone or email before making any attempts at a recovery. Data recovery is a highly specialized branch of computer science and should be left to those with experience and training to complete it successfully.

Laptops and Notebooks

Laptop and notebook drives are much smaller and more fragile than their desktop cousins, consequently they require a more delicate and exacting touch to repair and recover. However, the steps listed above can be taken to minimize further data loss. Just note the following:

1. Unless the drive was designed to be removed by simply sliding out of the casing, do not attempt to remove it yourself.

2. If you can remove the drive easily, be sure not to put any undue stress on it by applying pressure to the housing on the drive.

3. Take extra care when packaging a laptop hard drive for shipping, so as not to incur any further damage before reaching our labs.

Hard Drive Shipping

If at all possible, remove the media from the computer. Get expert help if necessary. Send us just the hard drive(s), tape(s), floppy, jaz, zip, optical, flashcard, microdrive etc.

Handle a hard disk drive as you would handle an egg. Handle failed hard disk drives with the same care as new drives. Use the original shipping materials, if you still have them. If not, they are relatively easy to replicate:

1.) Wrap media in an anti-static bag or tinfoil to prevent Static Electricity Discharge.

2.) Use a box that is at least twice the size of the media so that the media can be suspended in the middle of the box. We recommend a minimum of two inches of insulation all around for a 2 lb drive.

3.) Pack securely with foam, bubble wrap, or newspaper so the media will not move from the middle of the box.

4.) If sending a computer laptop or notebook, use great care to ensure proper cushioning and protection. We recommend at least 6 inches for insulation. The heavier the unit, the more insulation and cushioning required.

5.) Hard drives packed following the above instructions, can be sent by Royal Mail recorded mail. Laptops and computers must be sent using courier companies such as TNT or UPS.

• MEDIA SHIPPING FORM AND LABEL- please print and attach to your media b4 sending.
• TO MAKE AN ONLINE ENQUIRY OR GET A QUOTE USE SERVICE ENQUIRY PAGE.  
• ANY DATA RECOVERY QUESTIONS? FIND THE ANSWERS HERE: FAQs

If require any data recovery services, please call us on 08700 116550. You can also contact us via email: info@datarecoverydoctor.co.uk. If you are looking for other computer services, visit our partner website www.computerdoctor.co.uk or call 0870 8407989.