Hard Drive Data Recovery Services

by cinnamon1642 8 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  cinnamon1642

  Hello all. I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if any of you know of a reliable data recovery company here in the US that is not too expensive. My 250GB secondary hard drive with all my important business data decided to stop working and my backup's aren't working either.

  Basically the drive will power up, then it sounds like it's trying to search and then it will spin down. The logic board on the bottom gets relatively hot too in just a short time. The drive is a Western Digital WD2500AAJS 250GB SATA drive.

  Any recommendations would be appreciated.

  Thanks
• 

  wunce_wuz

  Google search: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=data+recovery+services%2Bhard+drive

  As for price, the service one of our company site uses, it is $400 just to look at the drive and make a determination if anything can be recovered and how much. The complete cost can go as high, in the one case I know of, approximately $2000.00

  Might be a good time to start regular back-ups or use an online back-up service like http://www.carbonite.com/
• 

  brinjen

  Another avenue that may be cheaper is to get someone to look at the logic board. It could be something simple like a blown resistor (causing too much power in the circuit) or cap that's the problem. They may be able to replace the board altogether. May at least be able to get it up and running long enough for you to back up the drive yourself.
• 

  Mutz

  As Brinjen said you can get someone to look at the logicboard or do what I have done and found an identical drive, then swapped the board over so I could recover the data. Data recovery can be very expensive
• 

  Satanus

  Easyrecovery from ontrack would probably do it for you. You would need to buy another harddrive, big enough for windows to be loaded onto, and for the data to be copied to. I have used this program successfully. http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.ca/data-recovery-software/ All you would need to spend is for a new disk, and the software.
  
  Try first to get the data from your main disk. Keep the backup disk for a second attempt, in case the main disk recovery doesn't work.
  
  S
• 

  uriah

  Try shoving it in the freezer overnight, it might give you enough time to get some data off before it heats up.
• 

  brinjen

  Then you're risking condensation on the platters... that would kill any last hope you had of getting any of the data off of it.
• 

  BurnTheShips

  Try to find a drive the same as the damaged one and swap the logic boards. I have tried this and it works.

  Here is another crazy idea--that works.

  Put the hard drive in the freezer, let it get cold. Take it out and keep a sealed bag of ice on it be careful with condensation. A low humidity environment helps. Or put it in a hard drive enclosure without the case and keep it in a freezer while you access it over USB. I have been able to recover data from ruined drives this way.

  BTS
• 

  Mutz

  I have stuck a drive in the freezer, in a bag with all the air sucked out and one of those little dessicated gel packs.