Answer a couple of quick questions as to why your hard drive, SSD, USB flash drive, memory cards or RAID system isn't working. The possible cause will be returned to you along with the best ways to protect your data right now and a rough estimate of how much it will cost — all done via our website — no need for a phone call.
Based on the causes that result in most failures. Any information you provide is kept entirely within your web browser — we will only hear back from you if you wish to follow up after using our services.
Enough to help you determine the course of action needed before calling anyone.
Not a lookup table — the questions depend upon your answers.
Every diagnostic starts the same way, regardless of whether you are dealing with a person on the telephone or this tool: establish the type of device, the issue described, then what has been tried. These three items provide a much quicker reduction in potential issues compared to any data related to age or capacity.
Depending on what you have described as being wrong with the drive, the questions asked during the diagnosis will vary. If you report there is a noise, the program will ask you to provide details about the nature of the noise; this is due to the fact that a steady click, versus a scraping noise, indicates varying degrees of severity. If you simply indicate the drive makes no noise, the program will go down a completely different path as a non-spinning drive typically presents with electronics failure rather than mechanical failure — and, unlike the first example, nothing is deteriorating while you consider your options.
This tool is unable to visually inspect the unit. It may be possible for two units to present the same symptoms based upon a description (i.e., a faulty head and a mis-reported capacity), therefore the results provided by the tool will be a most likely diagnosis instead of definitive confirmation. The free 48-hour diagnostic will confirm which is correct.
All plus VAT, and the same prices listed across the website.
£250 memory cards and USB sticks • £300 single drives, SSDs, laptops, PCs, externals and Macs with removable storage • £550 flat for Fusion Drive Macs • from £500 for RAID, NAS, servers and databases • £800 flat for BitLocker • £400 flat for CCTV • from £800 virtual machines and forensics • from £1,250 enterprise SAN.
The tool tells you which band applies. The tool does not quote because a quote requires seeing the device — and a firm that provides you a firm number based on information provided via web form is guessing at yours.
This needs to be clearly understood because an over-confident tool would be worse than no tool.
In those situations the tool works well: sorting a described symptom into the right fault class; telling you if the situation is getting worse; identifying cases that are closed regardless of who you contact (encryption without key; soldered Macs on a dead board; TRIMmed SSD deletions).
Where it is not reliable: any test or assessment that requires you to have your device in front of you. Questions like if the platter(s) have been scored, how many sectors are failing in each zone, if a controller has enough left to recover from its failure, or how much of the array remains readable are all things that will affect the actual outcome of recovering your data. None of those types of questions can be answered from a description alone.
Use the diagnostics as a good starting point; but do not consider the diagnosis to be absolute. This is the same type of information you could obtain from a very lengthy phone call, and that's basically what they were designed to provide at 2AM when you're trying to troubleshoot a problem.
These conditions are true for every device and every fault listed above.
Grinding, clicking, scraping. The type of output produced from any tool will not matter here. In most cases the time between when you hear the noise and when you shut down the system, will probably mean more than all of the tests and outputs after the fact.
Do not install recovery software on it. Do not copy test files back onto it. And do not accept Windows' offer to format/repair it. Install recovery software somewhere else. Recover your data to somewhere else as well. Or leave it alone completely.
Yes. Free. No sign up required. No credit cards needed. All works inside your browser — therefore, no communication occurs with us unless you specifically initiate it. There's also a totally free in-house diagnostic on the device itself.
In general, based upon your device type it gives a pretty accurate "ballpark" estimate. In other words, the great majority of recoveries fall into this category. However, there may be some rare cases where either physical damage to the card will require chip-level service, or an involved RAID rebuild, etc., and could ultimately cost more. Regardless of what ultimately develops regarding the specifics of your case, the final price for your project is always confirmed in writing after the free diagnostic, prior to starting the job.
Generally speaking, when there's no recovered data (in most cases), there won't be a charge for the recovery. Your written quotation will specify what conditions apply to your specific situation, so you'll never have to worry about being surprised by charges you didn't know were going to occur.
Please package your media and either deliver it to our Oxford Street office Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm, or post it fully insured. Please print out the attached shipping slip, fill in your details and enclose them along with your parcel including your name, telephone number, e-mail and postal address as we need to register receipt of delivery.
Switch it off immediately and leave it switched off. The vast majority of cases where a hard disk produces a clicking / grinding noise are due to mechanical failure of the heads/motors. Each time that you switch on your computer, the chances of further damage occurring increase. For help use the diagnostic above which relates specifically to your circumstances, or contact us immediately at 0161 871 0788.
Yes. All services are carried out in house and all recoveries remain strictly confidential. If you require further confidentiality we can sign an NDA prior to commencing work.
Tell us what's gone and we'll respond, usually inside 30 minutes during the day.
We'll reply shortly. Anything urgent, call 0161 871 0788.
Just drop your device off with us or post it using the attached shipping slip. Following a free diagnostic we will provide you with an exact written quote based upon the specific costs associated with recovering your data. Would you rather discuss this over the telephone? Just give us a call.