Professional Data Recovery Services in London

Ontrack has specialised in data recovery since 1987 and has expanded its services internationally, covering a wide range of storage technologies including hard drives, SSDs, RAID, servers and mobile devices.

Ontrack says it carries out around 50,000 data recoveries each year. Its data recovery services expanded into Europe in 1991, and it has operated dedicated recovery facilities in locations including the UK, Poland and the United States.

If you believe a storage device has failed or important data has been lost, stop using the device as soon as practical.

Continued use may overwrite data or worsen existing damage. Avoid repeated restarts, software based recovery tools or disassembly unless a specialist has advised that these steps are appropriate for the particular case.

Specialist recovery may be appropriate when data cannot be accessed normally and straightforward recovery methods are unsuitable or may put the remaining data at further risk.

Examples include:

• • Accidental deletion or formatting
  • Failed hard drives, external drives, SSDs or memory cards
  • File system corruption
  • Mechanical or electronic failure
  • RAID, NAS, server or other multi drive storage failures
  • Storage devices that are no longer recognised
  • Water, impact or heat damage

These examples are illustrative only. Each case is different and the amount or condition of recoverable data cannot be predicted in advance.

Evening Computing can gather the initial information about the device, the symptoms and the importance of the data, and coordinate the next step with Ontrack where specialist recovery appears appropriate.

Ontrack’s process normally begins with a charged diagnosis. The diagnosis can provide a file list showing the data that appears recoverable, allowing you to decide whether you want to proceed with a full recovery.

If you decide to proceed, Ontrack carries out the specialist recovery work and copies recovered data to new media. Ontrack has advised that recovered data is returned on encrypted media, together with the original device where applicable.

Even where recovery is attempted, results cannot be guaranteed. Some files may be missing, damaged or unusable depending on the condition of the storage media and the type of failure.

Specialist data recovery can be expensive because it may involve detailed diagnosis, controlled handling of failed storage media, specialist recovery tools, secure copying of recovered data and safe return of the original device.

Based on indicative pricing supplied to Evening Computing by Ontrack, a standard data recovery case may involve:

Diagnosis: approximately £270 including VAT

Recovery: approximately £600 including VAT

Backup media and shipping: charged separately

These figures are indicative only and may change. Actual costs depend on the device, the type of failure, the condition of the storage media, the urgency of the case and the amount of data involved.

A diagnosis may provide a file list so that you can decide whether to proceed with the full recovery. Payment for diagnosis does not guarantee that recovery will be possible.

Our role is to provide the IT context and coordination around the specialist recovery work carried out by Ontrack. Where appropriate, we can help establish what has happened, gather relevant information about the device and data involved, consider whether another usable copy or backup is available, and coordinate the case with Ontrack.

This can be particularly useful where the failed storage is part of a wider business IT environment, or where the customer would prefer someone familiar with their systems to help manage the technical context around the recovery.

Ontrack carries out the specialist diagnosis and technical recovery work using its own procedures, tools and professional judgement. Ontrack determines whether recovery appears technically possible and which recovery methods are appropriate.

Evening Computing does not carry out laboratory data recovery work, direct Ontrack’s recovery engineers or guarantee the amount, completeness or usability of data that may be recovered.

Data recovery is used after normal access to data has already failed. Backup is different: it is a planned copy of data intended to allow restoration when files or systems are lost or damaged.

Where a usable backup exists, restoring from that backup should normally be considered before specialist recovery from failed storage media. Specialist data recovery may become necessary where an adequate usable backup does not exist or does not contain the data that is required.