PCJOE Data Recovery Services

Data Recovery Service Highlights

Absolutely no charge unless we produce results.
FREE Assessment including FREE Nationwide UPS shipping both ways (in Manhattan, we pick up the drives ourselves).
Data Recovery on hard drives with electronic issues, mechanical problems, corruption of file system, or file deletions.
Unlike many, we use only non-destructive techniques ensuring that no data on your drive is ever modified.
We provide absolute confidentiality. Your recovered data is never shared with anyone other than you.
Clean-room facility for invasive hard drive procedures.
Large stock of parts available in-house allowing for quick turn-around.
12 years of successful Data Recovery service.
Low Rates.

Overview

We offer data recovery services to anyone anywhere in the USA. The recovery process begins with a free assessment of your storage device. The evaluation is completed in one business day or less and upon its completion, you will receive a price quote, a time-frame projection, an explanation of the problem, as well as a probability assessment.

The quoted cost can vary significantly from one job to the next and is based upon the type of storage device in question, the nature of the problem, the estimated time required to perform the recovery and the level of expertise needed to complete the procedure.If the quote is approved, the work begins. Otherwise, the storage device is returned at no charge.

At this point, if necessary, work begins on bringing your drive back to working condition and creating an exact duplicate of your drive. All work on data is performed on the duplicate to ensure that no modification of data occurs on the original drive. When the recovery is completed, you will receive a list of files so that you can confirm that your files have been restored. Finally, your data is shipped on the media of your choosing which can either be supplied by us or by you.

Scope of Service

We can perform the following types of recovery:

Repair of Electronic/mechanical problems
System area reprogramming
Repair of File system corruption
Recovery of deleted files
File repairs (including Outlook, data base, Outlook express, Word docs, etc.)
Forensic hard drive imaging
Forensic data mining
Raid Array Reconstruction
Other. Ask if you need something not on this list.

Supported Drives & File Systems

We perform Data Recovery on all of the following drive types and file systems:

IDE hard drives
SATA hard drives
SCSI hard drives
RAID Arrays ( Modes 0, 5, etc.)
Laptop hard drives
External hard drives
All Windows/Dos file systems
All Mac file systems
All Linux File Systems

Preparing Your Drive For Recovery

Taking the following steps prior to submitting your drive will greatly increase the probability of recovery:

If your computer is on, turn it off immediately (i.e. pull out the power cord)! Continuing to use a drive that is either compromised or contains deleted data can severely diminish the recovery potential.
Do not run any utilities such as chkdsk or scandisk on a failing drive as this can result in irreperable file corruption as well as increasing the risk that the drive will completely fail.
Commercial Data Recovery software can sometimes be useful in recovering data due to deletions or corruption, but never use them unless it has been established that the hard-drive is in 100% working order. If in doubt consult a professional.
Hard drives are fragile so be sure to pack your drive well when shipping. Two inches of padding on all sides is a good rule of thumb.

Our Rates

Logical recovery:.................................... rates start at $250.00
Physical recovery (IDE/SATA): ............... rates start at $450.00
Physical recovery (SCSI): ....................... rates start at $650.00
RAID recovery (IDE/SATA)*: ................... rates start at $450.00
RAID recovery (IDE/SATA)*: ................... rates start at $650.00

Logical recovery addresses issues such as file deletions, file system corruption, reformatting of drive, etc., and assumes an otherwise functional hard drive.

Physical recovery addresses issues such as bad heads, unreadable sectors, damaged electronics etc.

Rates quoted above refer to base pricing and do not represent a final quote. A firm cost estimate can only be determined after an assessment of your hard drive has been conducted.

*RAID pricing is per drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hard drive?

A hard drive is an electro-mechanical storage device that exists within the computer. Drives are available in various capacities, physical sizes, and with a variety of interfaces.

Why do hard drives fail?

Hard drives have moving parts and are exposed to heat and in some cases power fluctuations. Additionaly, in the case of latops and external drive enclosures, drives may be subjected to physical shock. With time, parts can fall out of alignment, or electronics may be damaged. In most cases, it is not possible to determine what specific issue triggered the problem with your drive.

Is it true that lost data is always recoverable?

Unfortunately, this is not true. Data resides on a very thin and delicate film on one or more metal platters within the drive. In some cases that film becomes damaged in which case the data cannot be recovered.

On what types of drives do you work?

We're able to perform data recovery on basically any type of elctromechanical hard drive. This includes SATA, SCSI, IDE, 3.5" desktop drives, 2.5" laptop drives, external drives, 1.8" drives, etc.. If your drive type isn't mentioned here, be sure to call and ask us about it. Chances are we can help you.

How long does it take to perform a recovery?

The time can vary depending on the job. Some jobs can be completed in a day while others may take a couple of weeks. A time frame estimate for your job is included with your free assessment.

Can you recover data from a Mac, Linux, or Windows machine?

Yes we can perform recovery on drives containing any of those operating systems and any of their respective file systems.

Should I ship you my entire computer?

We prefer you ship only the hard drive. We do not cover the cost of shipping entire computers.

What is your success rate?

We're successful in better than 95% of cases.

Do you have a clean room facility?

Yes. Any data recovery procedure requiring us to open up the drive is performed inside a clean room environment.

What guarantees do you offer?

While we cannot guarantee that your data is recoverable, we do guarantee that you will not be charged unless we recover your data.

How do I ship the hard drive?

1. Please first remove the drive from your laptop or desktop computer.

2. Place your drive in an anti-static bag. If an anti-static bag is unavailable, wrap the drive in several layers of aluminum foil.

3. Place the drive in a shipping box with a minimum of 2 inches of padding on all sides (avoid using peanuts as these may shift during shipping).

Can I recover my data using a utility/software?

Most software is geared towards recovering files lost due to deletion, corruption, or formatting issues. Using software to recover data from a malfunctioning drive may result in the problem becoming worse because the software will assume that the drive is operational and attempt to read/write from inaccessible portions of the drive. In most cases, the best way to proceed is to turn off the computer and have the drive examined by a professional.

Do you recover deleted files?

Yes, we can often recover deleted files provided they have not been overwritten. The sooner the computer is turned off following the loss of files, the better the chance of recovery.

I deleted important files, what should I do?

Please shut down and stop using your computer. Although your files have been deleted, they may still be present on your drive and recoverable. The probabaility of recovery diminishes with use because there is a risk that those files will be overwritten as long as your computer remains turned on.

My drive is making weird noises. What should I do?

If your hard drive is making unusual clicking, screeching, or other sounds, turn off your computer immediately (i.e. pull the power cord out of the outlet). Continued use of a compromised drive may result in additional damage and reduce the likelihood of a successful recovery.

Do I need data recovery service?

Data recovery is necessary in cases where data is inaccessible due to problems with the hard drive, corruption of the file system, or inadvertant deletion of files. If your problems are related to other computer issues (e.g. your computer doesn't power on) then it is more cost effective to either have your computer repaired, or have the hard drive removed and backed up to some other media ( cd's, thumb drives, external hard drives, etc.). If you're unsure, please call us for a recommendation.