The Data Recovery Industry

Guides regarding hard drives and data recovery.

Data Recovery Cost Calculator – Hard Drive Recovery Pricing 2024

Our data recovery cost varies from $199 to $749. Most others are in the $300 to $4000 range; we offer an affordable alternative to expensive data recovery.

What to think about when you need data recovery.

There is a lot to think about when you need to have a data recovery project completed. Here I discuss 5 important considerations when you need data recovered from your drive.

The truth about data recovery quoting methods.

Not all data recovery companies are out to deceive and over charge you for your recovery. But in my experience there are a lot of companies that tell little lies to make it easier to get you to say yes to them recovering your data. I cover some of those common lies in this article.

How do I know if my hard drive head is bad?

Without the proper equipment it can be very difficult to know for sure if your hard drive has a heads issue. To be certain of the condition of the heads inside your drive you would need access to tools that you most likely don’t have. However, there are some common symptoms of head failure that I discuss here.

How many heads does a hard drive have?

There are usually two heads per platter. Hard drive heads read the data that is stored on the platters. This data can be anything from the firmware of the drive itself to user data like photos or documents. When the hard drive heads are not working, you can not access the data that is stored inside the drive.

When to use a cleanroom for data recovery.

There are usually two heads per platter. Hard drive heads read the data that is stored on the platters. This data can be anything from the firmware of the drive itself to user data. A clean room environment is necessary to use any time the cover of the drive is removed. You need to use a clean room environment when you are completing head swaps, platter swaps, unsticking stuck heads, and inspecting the drive internally.

What are the types of data recovery?

The two types of data recovery are logical and physical. Logical data recovery is when you need to recover data that is corrupt, erased, or damaged in some way that makes the computer not able to read the data as usual. Physical recovery is when there is a problem with the hard drive itself and that hard drive problem is why the data needs to be recovered.

Why won’t my hard drive pop up?

Figuring out why your hard drive will not come up on your computer can be split into two sections: hardware and software. Your hard drive won’t pop up because the computer is either not recognizing that a drive is connected, or it can’t recognize what data is on the drive that is connected.

How long does a hard drive last?

A hard drive usually lasts about 6 years. Some hard drives will last longer (such as server drives or lucky drives) and others will fail sooner (like the super thin spinning disks or unlucky drives). On average, across all brands, drives last around 6 years. Do note that failure rates stay pretty low until after the 4 year mark. After 4 years, the failure rate picks up substantially.

Hard Drive Sectors

As with most things, time will wear out a hard drive. With billions of sectors, you are bound to have some that stop working sooner than others. When a sector starts to not respond to read attempts, the firmware of the drive will add the sector to a list of bad sectors and not use it in the future.

Folder with question mark and other drive symptoms on Macs

I have been working with Macs for decades, and after recovering literally thousands of drives, I can say that the standard drive in your Mac is just as likely to malfunction and need recovery as the drives that are in most Windows-based machines.

Signs of a failing drive that could be something else

I see a lot of articles around the web that say things like “The 13 most common signs of hard drive failure” and they list things like “Programs run Abnormally”. While a program running abnormally could be a sign of a hard drive issue, if only one program is running poorly, it is likely not the drive that is causing the issue.

How much does it cost to fix a clicking hard drive?

The average cost to recover a hard drive that is clicking is between $349-$749. Some hard drives have difficult to-find donor parts that can push the total cost of recovery higher, but 99% of drives fall in that range for recovery when clicking.

Beeping Hard Drives

Does your drive not show up on your computer when it is plugged in, but you can hear a beeping noise coming from it? Here we will discuss the main causes for beeping hard drives, the ways to recover the data on these drives, and tips for recovering the data safely.

How long should an HDD recovery take?

Most data recoveries are completed within 3-7 days. The time it takes to recover data can vary quite a bit depending on these factors; queue length at the recovery lab, the difficulty of recovery, parts needed for successful recovery, tools needed for successful recovery, the capacity of the drive, and the speed of the drive.

Seagate ST31000528AS Data Recovery

All about the Seagate ST31000528AS hard drive. We look at common issues, take apart information, and data recovery procedures used to get your data back. Audio and video recordings of common issues are available to listen to and watch. Learn what the issue is with your ST31000528AS hard drive.

Western Digital WD1001FALS Data Recovery

All about the Western Digital WD1001FALS hard drive. We look at common issues, take apart information, and data recovery procedures used to get your data back. Audio and video recordings of common issues are available to listen to and watch. Learn what the issue is with your WD1001FALS hard drive.