Q & A
A1: Data Recovery is a broad term that relates to the many ways to extract data from a damaged or inaccessible magnetic & optical medium. Technology varies greatly. Sometime it may take a lot of time.
Q2: If I used delete / erase / remove commands or empty the Recycle Bin, can you recover?
A2: Yes.
Q3: If I have formatted the hard drive or CDRW, can you recover?
A3: Yes.
Q4: If I have removed the partition, can you recover?
A4: Yes.
Q5: If I have physically damaged the hard drive or media, can you recover?
A5: Yes.
Q6: If I have overwritten the data, can you recover?
A6: Yes or no. It depends on each situation.
Q7: If my hard drive is making noises and/or I smell burning, can you recover?
A7: Yes, please shut your computer down immediately and send in your Hard Drive.
Q8: I turn on my computer and all I see on the screen is " Boot failure please insert boot disk ", can you recover?
A8: Yes.
Q9: I turn on my computer and all I see on the screen is " Hard Disk Controller Failure " and the system stops, can you recover?
A9: Yes.
Q10: My computer system stopped responding (mouse doesn't move, keyboard does not work) while I was in a very important document / file. After the computer was restarted, the document / file is now missing as I did not save it. Can this file be recovered?
A10: Yes. Possibly if you never turn it on again.
Q11: I dropped my Hard Disk or Laptop and now I can not access my data. Can the data be recovered?
A11: Yes, possibly. When a hard disk is dropped the Read/Write heads slap ( scratch, indent ) the platters in side the disk, Platters move from there original position causing mis-alignment, the electronics may be damaged, etc. This kind of damage may cause permanent damage to the drive in question and may be extremely difficult to recover. The cost for this type of recovery service can be high and may take time.
Q12: A virus has infected my hard disk/floppy and now I cannot access my drive, floppy or file. Can my data be recovered?
A12: YES. Majorities of viruses are just here to annoy us and don't cause damage to the important data areas. Even some virus's are not virus's, but are Trojan's they are simple commands hidden in files that may delete your files from your drive, damage your partition, FAT, Boot areas, destroy your computers CMOS rendering your computer useless.
Q13: After an electrical storm my hard disk no longer is detected. Can the data be recovered?
A13: Yes. The drive/device in question has probably received an electrical charge that has caused damage to the drive/device's electronics' and is in need of repair. Sometimes the drive/device may of been functioning when the surge occurred, this can and may write signals to the media of the drive and erase important alignment info (Servo's).
Q14: What is Clean-Room Technology?
A14: Most data recovery companies at least have a class 100 or better clean room to perform even the most basic recovery procedures. Any physically damaged hard disk, for instance, must be recovered in a clean room. Without a cleanroom, contaminants can settle on the platters. After a hard disk platter has become contaminated, the heads can catch on these particles, more or less sanding the platter surface. This can result in data loss.
Q15: What is the Electronics Technology?
A15: Other ways to recover data include the use of sophisticated equipment combined with the knowledge and expertise of an Electronics Engineer. Even in extreme cases, data can be retrieved with the necessary electronics equipment. This equipment is usually developed by the data recovery lab using it, and is always a well kept secret.
Q16: What is the Programming Knowledge?
A16: Another essential area of data recovery is knowing how files and directories are stored logically, rather than just physically. In at least 40% of all cases, some sort of logical data damage is involved in the recovery process. A Data Recovery Engineer must know how to reassemble and reconstruct files, directories, and entire disks.
Q17: What is the Magnetic Media Microscopy (MMM)?
A17: Magnetic Media Microscopy (MMM) is used in cases where data has been overwritten. MMM is a lengthy process that involves examining each bit of data at a magnetic level to determine that bit's previous state. Recovering just a floppy disk using this technology can take days or weeks. MMM is rarely used because of the cost factor.
Q18: How do I package the Devices?
A18: Please secures the drive in an anti-static bag and enclosed in a drive-shipping container. If a shipping container is not available, please use a box size of not less than 5" x 8" x 10" and be sure that the drive has at least 5" of bubble-wrap insulation on each side. Please do not use packing peanuts. If shipping more than one hard drive, please wrap each drive individually with at least 5" of bubble insulation.
Q19: How long will it take to recover?
A19: It really depends on the situations of your devices. Basically we have two kind of services: one is standard service, it takes about 3 days to a few weeks; Another is rush service, which takes about 1 day to 3 days. (It will cost 50% more on total bill.)Q20: How much will it cost?
A20: For most situations, the cost is under $350. Generally, we charge $50 per hour. For more information, please check section RATES
DataRecoveryBC.COM is not responsible for any damages caused during shipment and recovery procedure.