FAQ

Data recovery is a process of extracting data from a computer based storage device that was damaged, has become inaccessible or has corrupted media. Using specialized equipment, skilled data recovery technicians work to repair this damage so that all available data can be transferred to a target storage device. The devices that we recover from are: hard disk drives, RAID arrays and servers, camera photo cards, USB devices, CDs, DVDs, JAZ, ZIP and tape cartridges.

What causes lead to a need for data recovery? There are many, in fact. While some are a result of human error (accidental formatting/partitioning of a drive, accidental deletion of files or dropping/bumping a drive), many more are a result of computer viruses, natural disasters or simply, and most commonly, physical damage in the course of normal operation. In any case, most lost data is not permanently lost, but simply inaccessible to you. More information on data loss for specific media is available below.

Reasons for Data Loss on Hard Drives
Reasons for Data Loss on RAID Arrays and Servers
Reasons for Data Loss on Solid Stage Drives
Reasons for Data Loss on USB, CD, DVD, JAZ, ZIP
Reasons for Data Loss on Camera Photo Cards
Reasons for Data Loss on Tape Cartridges

Categorizing the damage on a storage device into logical vs. physical damage is important for the simple fact that it lends to a better understanding of what solutions may be required for a successful data recovery.

Logical damage
Logical damage results from power outages, hardware problems, malicious viruses, system crashes or user error, to name the most common. The main result is that the drive or files on the drive become inaccessible. Resolving these types of damage requires specialized (and proprietary) tools to restore the data and does not require physically opening the drive.

Physical damage
Physical damage results from mechanical failures (head crashes), faulty circuit boards (PCBs), failed motors or physical damage (dropped/bumped drive), to name the most common. Recovering data from physically damaged drives often requires opening the drive and parts replacements from other drives (same model, close manufacture date, etc.) as well as a high level of expertise since the replacement parts are not only sensitive but also minute to work with.

more on logical vs physical damage…

1. Prepare your media to send to us. What to Send and How.
2. Complete the Data Recovery Form to Create a Case and print your Case Number shipping label.
3. Ship or deliver your media to Memofix Hitech Services. Memofix Address and Directions
4. We provide a FREE evaluation and then contact you with a price quote, time frame to complete the recovery as well as an explanation of the media failure. Upon your approval, your data is recovered to a suitable storage device that you or we provide.

Within an hour of receiving your media, our technicians will begin diagnosing your storage device to determine why your data can’t be accessed. This evaluation can take anywhere from 20 minutes for a totally crashed hard drive, to 2 days for a 16 drive RAID array.

There are many factors that can influence the length of time it may take to perform a successful data recovery. However, as a guideline, cases involving logical damage
to the storage device (where software tools are used for the recovery) can take 1-3 days while cases involving physical damage to the storage device (where parts need replacement or the platter surface has sustained damage) can take one day to over a week.

Privacy and confidentiality of clients’ data is paramount. Memofix is committed to protect its clients’ information, both personal and business related. For more info, read our Confidentiality Guarantee.

Yes, we keep an image copy of your recovered data for 30 days. The first step in the data recovery process is to make your data accessible. After that, we will take an exact image of the original drive and from then on we only work on the imaged copy. It is this copy we keep for 30 days. This, in a sense, is a backup for you in case it is needed. After that, the data is wiped clean using secure techniques.

Unless you instruct us to destroy or recycle your submitted storage device, you will always have it returned to you. If your data loss was a result of issues with the drive, and not due to data loss from user error, then it is highly recommended you no longer use the original drive.

No, we do not charge any evaluation.

Please refer to full details on data recovery pricing.

No, our data recovery pricing is not based on the capacity of the storage device but rather on the type of damage we encounter and other specifics in that particular recovery. Having said that larger volumes of data take longer to access and recover than smaller volumes and time to access and fix your data is a component of price.

details on data recovery pricing…

When the data is recoverable, it needs to be returned to you in some way. When there is a lot of data, a hard drive is often the best solution.

You can provide a hard drive to put the data on or you can purchase one from us. Consider whether you would like an internal drive or an external solution or even upgrade to a larger drive. It’s your choice. In most cases, the solution chosen is an external 2.5 inch USB drive. This allows you to transfer the data to any computer you want. It’s convenient, mobile and can be used as a backup device to keep you out of trouble in the future. Depending on the capacity, prices range between $70-$90 CAD.

Smaller amounts of data (under 2GB) can be returned on a free USB flash drive or for quicker access you can download your data via secure FTP.

• If your storage device has become inaccessible or your data has become lost, do not continue with attempts to fix the problem yourself. Though there are many programs available for purchase that may be able to repair the problem, unsuccessful attempts may actually make things worse and may make it harder for us to recover your data.
• If your drive starts making sounds you never heard previously (clicking, humming, scraping sounds), do not try fixing the drive with utility software. Turn off the system to prevent more damage from occurring.
• If your drive has obvious physical damage or is making unusual sounds, do not power it up.
• Try backing up your data while your system is operating. It is possible that the next attempt in restarting your system your drive may not respond. If this is the case, do not try restarting your system in the hope that it may fix itself. More often than not, this only causes more damage to the drive.

more on Protecting your Data - Do’s and Don’ts

If your data loss was a result of issues with the device, and not due to data loss from user error, we recommend you NOT use the original device.

more on Protecting your Data - Do’s and Don’ts

If your drive is making clicking, scrapping or grinding sounds turn off your computer immediately. These are sounds of physical damage and continued use of the drive may lead to more damage and less likelihood for a successful data recovery.

more on Protecting your Data - Do’s and Don’ts

Please refer to our Packaging and Shipping directions.