DATA RECOVERY / DATA MIGRATION

Click here if you also wish to have your computer repaired back to working order

Do you hear any unusual noises coming from your hard drive?

If so power off your PC and don’t attempt to use it again. These sounds could indicate a head crash, in which the arms that read the surface of your hard drive’s platters smash into or scrape across the rotating platter. This can result in physical damage to the platters causing permanent data loss.

 

There are different levels of data recovery capability, ranging from shops that do data recovery from logical failure, to highly specialized forensic labs that can recover from physical failure. PCR successfully recovers data from drives with logical failure issues such as bad sectors, logical corruption, failed MBR or partition table, even when Windows can't access the drive. However if your drive has physical damage (mechanical or electrical), firmware module corruption, or other damage that won't allow the drive to "initialize" or appear in the computer's BIOS then you will ultimately need to take it to a specialized forensics lab, where this can cost as much as $3,000.00. Staples charges "only" $1,499.99 for data recovery from physical hard drive failure. For some people, paying this much is just not an option.

 

Because of the costs involved, it may be worth your while to see if PCR can recover your data first. PCR uses non-destructive software to analyze and, if recognized by the computer's BIOS and there are no signs of physical failure, attempt recovery of your data. If any sign of physical failure is detected, PCR will stop the job immediately. If unsuccessful, PCR should at least be able to provide you with some helpful diagnostic results. If PCR cannot recover your data then there is NO charge.

 

If your drive has begun making strange noises such as grinding or clicking sounds then you may have a physical problem and this requires highly specialized recovery expertise and expensive equipment. Furthermore if your hard drive is not recognized by your computer's BIOS then it should be taken to a specialized forensic recovery lab.

 

RATE

 

$40.00 labor rate

 

OR

RAW DATA "MIGRATION" of up to 100 GB of data from a healthy system drive (bootable or not bootable computer) that is accessible by Windows.

NOTE: Please provide a backup drive. LIMITATIONS: Does not include selective filtering of data. All data (including useless system files, etc) will be migrated. At this reduced price you would need to later pick and choose which files you want to keep or delete.

Compare with Staple's rate of $100.00 for only 10 GB.

$80.00 labor rate

 

OR

 

RAW DATA "RECOVERY" of up to 100 GB of data off system drive that is not accessible by Windows due to software damage (or "logical failure").

NOTE: Please provide a backup drive. LIMITATIONS: Does not include selective filtering of data. All data (including useless system files, etc) will be migrated. At this reduced price you would need to later pick and choose which files you want to keep or delete.

Compare with Staple's rate of $259.00
$120.00 labor rate

"RECOVERY" of secure data off of computer that is not bootable. Secure data includes encrypted files and folders, certificates, and Internet Explorer passwords. The only way to recover secure data (with NO cryptographic key or certificate back up) is to hopefully repair the computer to the point that it will "boot" to the desktop under the user account or administrator that is privileged to access the secure data.  This article explains it nicely if you wish to read in more detail.

NOTE: Please provide a backup drive to recover data to.

$30.00 labor rate

(optional)

Create safety clone of hard drive (up to 100 GB of data). A MUST if not HIGHLY recommended if attempting to recover secure data off of a computer that is not bootable. NOTE: Does not include cost of secondary drive. This reduced price applies when performed in conjunction with $120.00 rate to recover secure data (above).

+ $0.10 labor rate

Add 10 cents for each additional 1 GB (over 100 GB) of migrated or recovered recovered data.

+ $15.00 (optional)

Per full virus scan of recovered data (recommended if a virus infection is what caused your computer to fail)
+  (optional)

CLICK HERE for rates to reconfigure browser, local email, and/or user settings.

 

Don't forget that it's only $120.00 total to migrate your data AND repair your computer back to working order. CLICK HERE for details.
   

$20.00 (optional)

Too busy to drop off your computer? Add $20.00 for pickup & delivery from your Pacific Palisades office.

Compare with the other Geeks' on-site fee of $100.00! 

 

 

What the others charge:

Compare with  recovery prices that START at $259.00 including an "initial assessment charge" of $59.00 just for walking in their door!  You will also have to wait. Typically they ship your drive to Louisville, KY and back! Typically Palisades Computer Repair will recover your data off a software damaged drive in-house within 24 hours. 

 

Staples charges between $260 and $1,500 for data recovery

Staples charges $100 for data migration of 10 GB.

 

Another local repair place (located in Santa Monica) says that in most cases they are able to recover your data for under $400.00

 

Another (located in North Hollywood) charges a $300 flat rate

 

 

 

What steps do you take to recover data?

Step 1 is to analyze the drive, making sure that there are no signs of physical failure. If the drive is making strange grinding or clicking noises then PCR will stop the job immediately. This type of hardware damage requires specialized equipment.

If the drive is physically healthy and "recognized" then

Step 2 is to attempt to copy the data onto a stable safety backup drive. Hopefully the data is readable as files and folders. If not then the data should be still be copied to a backup drive as an image (exact byte for byte clone).

Step 3 is to analyze the drive with software to determine what may be causing the problem, and possible repair the drive back to normal software health.

If only raw data can be backed up, rather than in tact files and folders, then

Step 4 is to translate the raw data into files (documents, jpg images, MP3 files, etc). Even when data is only showing up as raw hexadecimal data there are ways to recover photo, document, mp3 and other file types. Hopefully you defragmented your hard drive periodically. The chances of recovering complete files decreases when raw data is fragmented.

 

Why do data recovery places charge so much? Is this "highway robbery"?

Not if it's to recover data from a drive with physical failure, which requires expensive equipment and specialized expertise. Specialized data recovery places recover data using systems that cost upwards of $15,000. This one, which is capable of recovering from firmware module damage, "only" costs $9,870. Furthermore if the hard drive must be opened up, then a specialized dust-free "clean room" must be used. There is also a very steep learning curve to do advanced data recovery. Complicating things even more is the fact that the various drive manufacturers all use many different parts and software components for their drives and it constantly changes. The time needed to just analyze (not recover) data from a drive might be a full day -- and this is work being performed by highly trained technicians in a very specialized field!

 

LEFT: An example of a hard drive that is "recognized" (as drive "F") but "inaccessible" due to logical failure. This is just one example of a situation in which Palisades Computer Repair can recover data from a drive that has software damage.

LEFT: An example of a hard drive that is "recognized" by Linux (as a 200 GB drive) but "inaccessible" due to logical failure. This is another example of a situation in which PCR can recover data from a drive that has software damage. 

NOTE: Please provide a backup media such as a secondary computer or backup drive.

 

If no data can be recovered then there is NO CHARGE.

 

PCR will simply copy data as it exists on your failing drive byte per byte. There is NO guarantee of the quality of data recovered. Some of your data files may be corrupted. An example of corrupted data might be an MP3 file that skips or won't play, or a document file that won't open due to damaged sectors on your hard drive. 

Does NOT include importing data into programs, organizing, management, or "cleansing" of files (example: deleting or renaming documents or files with long file names, importing emails back into your email program, placing files into specific folders, configuring internet account access settings). 

 Palisades Computer Repair does not adhere to any so-called "court approved" data recovery standards. If you need to recover data as evidence to be used in a court of law then you need to take your hard drive to a specialized forensics lab.

 Palisades Computer Repair is limited by what exists on your hard drive, the health of the original drive and the health of the destination drive. Data corruption or loss can occur before, during, or after file transfer. PCR will always make a good faith effort to protect your data. Protecting your data is priority one. However Palisades Computer Repair nor it’s repair tech will be legally liable for any data lost. Customer is fully responsible to backup any important data. 

Other related pages: backup your data yourself

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Since 7/31/09