Some people say there are two types of computer hard drives, those which have failed and those that will fail. This admittedly tongue in cheek comment points out the fact that all hard drives are mechanical products and as such will ultimately suffer physical damage, degrade or breakdown. If your computer's hard disk drive fails, taking with it precious files and various other data, your only real option is to obtain professional assistance from a reputable data recovery company.
Unfortunately, not all data recovery businesses are manufactured equal. Some businesses don't have the data or expertise to truly give you the best possible chance to recuperate your lost documents. There are a large number of businesses out there who claim to be data recovery professionals, but how can you know which ones are the most ideal for you? Below are a few tips about finding a ongoing business that will retrieve your details without costing you a bundle.
Client List.
Find out whom the business has done work for previously and whether those customers were content with the work. If the company has worked for larger clients and has a significant quantity of repeat business, you can be sure that they are reputable reasonably. You can check with the BBB or Chamber of Commerce in your town to discover if there were any issues registered against the business and the character of those complaints.
Another good way to tell if the company is well-recommended is to find out if the business that made your hard drive recommends that data recovery service you're considering to their customers. Hard disk drive companies will make sure they're comfortable with a data recovery company before recommending them.
Be cautious of testimonials offered about the company's website. They are useful sometimes, but often they could be inflated and certainly only the most positive feedback about their service will appear on the site.
Facilities.
A Class 100 clean space environment ("Class 100" means there are less than 100 micro-particles per cubic feet of air) is needed to perform work on the fine parts of a hard drive. Hard drives are sensitive and the slightest contaminate can render your computer data irretrievable extremely. An established data recovery business shall have these facilities to work on your hard drive. If indeed they don't you're better off looking elsewhere.
Recovery Rate.
It's worthwhile to enquire about the company's recovery rate when you compare service providers. Most data recovery companies have a success rate of about 80-90%. If the company you're considering has a significantly lower success rate, they're most likely not using the most successful recovery methods.
nondestructive Recovery Methods.
Some low-end businesses run software packages that can recover some of the data, but may damage the drive along the way further. Adding to the drive's damage may very likely remove any chance of you recovering your computer data in complete. Ask the business if they use nondestructive methods.
Pricing and Fees.
Generally speaking, costs for physical recovery of data from your own hard disk drive should all be in the same price range - give or take a little bit. If the company you're considering wants to charge you significantly more or less compared to the average amount, it may be a scam or a low-end company.
Also, in most cases, companies shall provide a free consultation and there should not be any flat fees.
Experience.
How long gets the company been in business? Do they perform only data recovery or perform they dabble in additional services as well? Perform they retrieve your data on-site or perform they ship it out to a third-party?
Companies who are not used to the business enterprise are more of a risk than well-established businesses generally, and companies who specialize in only data recovery are generally a better bet. Don't choose a business who outsources their work. If you do, you're simply having to pay extra to the center man, you will want to go straight to the business who does the task?
Privacy.
What assurances have you got that the ongoing firm will respect your privacy with regards to the data? Is there a confidentiality agreement in place? Are you comfy that you data will not be shared or distributed in any way?
Personal comfort level.
Sometimes the best guide is simply your "gut" instinct. Talk to the ongoing organization representative, ask the questions you possess and decide whether you are feeling comfortable with the business and the project. If any problems are experienced by you, find out if the company can address them sufficiently or just move on. There are a large number of data recovery businesses out there so it makes sense to look around and not settle for the first organization you find.
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