Data Recovery Companies

If you have ever suffered a hard drive failure or crash, you know how frustrating it can be.  Despite storing things such as important documents, email, financial records, rare photos and irreplaceable data on their hard drives, most people are not diligent about backing up their data even if they own backup software and an external drive.  I know I wasn't until after I had my first hard drive crash. 

In the event of a hard drive meltdown, a good data recovery company can often retrieve some or all of your precious data.  But how do you know which one to choose?  What should you look for and how can you tell the reputable data recovery companies from the scams?  Unfortunately, I have had more dealings with data recovery companies than I would have liked.  The tips below are based on my experiences and should help you choose a good data recovery company if you ever find yourself in the unenviable position of needing your data restored from a damaged or non-functioning hard drive.

Do not be impressed by the success rate touted by a data recovery company. While a good data recovery company would not falsify their stated success rate, their is no universal standard for measuring success. Unless you know exactly how a company computes their success rate, the percentage means next to nothing. For example, the success rate you see advertised may include partial recoveries where the customer was unsatisfied or exclude cases where hard drives were brought in having virtually no chance of recovery due to fire or other irreparable damage. Success rates are not a good way to compare data recovery companies.

Most reputable data recovery companies offer various pricing packages to suit different needs, timetables and budgets. If you need access to your lost data fast, consider a data recovery company that offers expedited service. They may charge extra for this so you will have to determine if it is worth it. Companies that charge a flat rate and treat every situation the same or are vague about turnaround times are difficult to trust.

Find out how the data recovery company you are considering will return your data to you. Some data recovery companies only use CDs or DVDs. If you do not have a lot of data, discs may be fine. When large amounts of data are involved, however, CDs or DVDs can be impractical and cumbersome. Top notch data recovery companies offer a number of options to return your data. If you are expecting to get a lot of data back and do not want multiple discs, ask if you can have your data returned to you on a new external hard drive. This adds to the expense of course, but I think the time savings and convenience are worth it.

Good data recovery companies do not do anything to damage your hard drive further. They use methods that do not put you at risk. Some people wrongly believe that not using destructive methods limits the recovery options and chances of success. Ask any data recovery company you are thinking of using if they use destructive methods or if your hard drive could potentially be destroyed by their techniques.

If you find yourself in need of the services of a data recovery company, shop around. Compare prices and services. Ask someone you know for a recommendation. If you do not have multiple or any options locally, it is possible to ship your hard drive to a company for service, but you will want to find out as much as possible about the company. Good data recovery companies abound, but unfortunately so do bad ones and scams. Your data is important to you so take your time if you can, ask questions and investigate thoroughly.