Irvine is a modern town based in a harbour that has been there for centuries. It keeps its data stored just like anything else: practically, and mainly on hardware designed to last. However when a drive fails or crashes the trip to get it to us is about 40 minutes. Plus, the first answer we give you is absolutely free.
From Irvine, the A71 is a feeder into the M77 (north), which leads you to Charing Cross and will take approximately 40 minutes. Trains can be taken directly from Irvine station to Glasgow Central on the Ayrshire coast line. Or simply avoid travelling altogether. The insured, tracked parcel has been Ayrshire's most travelled route to the bench each week and it earns that quietly.
The variety of data we recover represents the two different historical periods of Irvine: the business machines that came out of the enterprise-area units; harbourside and Beach Park photography cards; home-office laptops; and the NAS (network attached storage) boxes small businesses used as an "in-house server". Whatever the vintage, the discipline holds: imaged once, all repairs on the copy, nothing gambled.
No matter what device arrives, the prices do not change based upon your postcode. There is always a free diagnostic first. The fixed price of the recovery will be agreed to in writing prior to any work. The price is £250 + VAT for cards and sticks. Single drives cost £300 + VAT. RAID systems, NAS devices, and server hardware cost from £500 + VAT. In addition, in most cases you only pay if we have recovered your lost data. All data recovery jobs are completed in-house by our own employees (engineers), and your data never leaves the UK.
Yes, simply treat it as you would any other delicate item: turn it off, encase it for protection from jolts/bumps and carry it rather than crushing it under a bag. The train's vibration will be trivial next to the one second required to attempt turning it back on. Or seal this exact packaging, and post it: again, an identical result without wasting your time waiting at the platform.
Take whoever earns it, but also find out what "closer" really means as there are many local places that run software over sick drives or send the difficult cases on to someone else. Here the work is carried out from start to finish in-house, and includes a complimentary free diagnosis along with a full written fixed price quotation. The distance is just one post box; it's how you do it which is everything.
Before you send the unit to us for diagnosis or drop it off personally, please call us for a quote or complete our on-line price request form so that you may be able to determine what to do next. Next, turn the device off and pack it very carefully. Finally, you will need to make your choice as to which method of delivery you wish to use: the counter at Tay House, 300 Bath Street (Monday to Friday 9am–5:30pm, no appointment necessary) or via insured, trackable post from Irvine. In either case, we diagnose your unit free of charge and provide you with an exact written estimate of the cost prior to making any decision.
In every instance, all data recovery services, both diagnosis and imaging/data recovery, are performed at our Glasgow laboratory regardless of which city/region the client resides in.
Do not use your drive again. Each additional time you use your drive increases the risk that the remaining recoverable data may be overwritten. A faulty drive's head(s) are also at greater risk of coming into contact with its platter(s). If the system remains active, turn it off safely and then leave it turned off.
Do not run any data recovery software on the original hard disk. Most consumer data recovery programs create their own file indexes on the hard disk being scanned. While this typically does not harm a functioning hard disk containing deleted files, once the hard disk contains bad sector(s) or is mechanically failed, it will limit what was possible through data recovery efforts.
Do not open your drive. Even a small amount of dust entering a drive can damage the surface of the drive after only a few revolutions. If it has already been opened, tell us: it changes our approach, not our willingness to help.
Remove the drive where you can. Please send just the hard drive or SSD. We are not able to accept full computers (laptops/desktops). All computer shops can remove the internal drive from a system within minutes. External drives are the exception and need to be sent complete. Please include the external case/enclosure when sending the drive. This is because many external enclosures contain the bridge board which contains the encryption key. If the drive is sent without the case, then the drive will appear blank/unformatted.
Our diagnostic is free and is a real diagnostic. Our process involves putting your drive on the bench, not through a script, and identifying the type of fault. At this time, we determine if the media on your drive is stable enough to be imaged, and what information may actually be recovered before we discuss cost.
You get a fixed price in writing before work begins. Not a price range or estimate that changes once the job has started. Once you see the fixed price, you decide based upon the price you see. In most cases, no payment is due if we cannot recover your data.
We image first then repair from that copy. Your original drive is read only once using the least invasive method possible with the equipment. Every single repair operation is performed on the image of your original drive. Using this method ensures that your original drive is never damaged further than necessary.
Every step of recovery is done in-house. Your drive will never leave our facility while being worked on. Your data will always remain within the United Kingdom. Once your recovery is complete, you will receive a list of files found on your drive so that you may review them prior to receiving your completed recovery. 30 days after you acknowledge receipt of your completed recovery, all copies of your data stored on our servers will be deleted securely.