IT Support in Berkshire for small to medium businesses. Networks, Internet Connectivity, Data Recovery, Cloud Computing, Internet Backups and Computer Systems.
Have you deleted data by mistake? All may not be lost, we can help you recover data from damaged or wiped magnetic media such as hard drives, solid state drives, magnetic tape or USB flash drives. If you are keeping vital data then physical magnetic drives can often be a better choice as the magnetic performance and reliability of solid state (SSD) drives will be impacted over time by each write operation. Writing data to a solid state drive degrades the structure of the disk gradually over time but read operations do not; because of this we recommend disabling automatic defragging features in some operating systems to preserve the life of SSDs.
If you have lost communication with your computer completely, it can be because the system has failed. This can occur because of hardware failure, misconfiguration or some external threat such as viruses or malware. In these circumstances it is best to have a backup to fall back on, but this is not always the case. In certain situations a recovery of the system is necessary without restoring data from a backup and this can often involve repairing the system files to allow the original configuration to boot up as it did originally. This is usually referred to as performing a system recovery. System recoveries differ in approach depending on whether you are using an Apple Macintosh or a Windows machine but the desired result is the same.
Another possibility of requiring systems to be recovered is when the hard ware storing the data fails in some way. This is particularly common when dealing with a single hard disk in a computer that is holding sensitive data. In these circumstances it may be necessary to repair the tables that hold the data first so that the disk can be read once more before trying to extract any data. These types of failures are often more difficult and costly than simply repairing the files or data on a disk.
If you have a functioning backup or some other system of file recovery such as a 'recycle bin' or 'volume shadow copy' systems running from a second disk or just the single disk, then restoring files is a simple process that can be carried out without the help of a professional. If your files have been deleted from the file allocation table then special software can be used to find signatures of files that have been removed from the disk index but still existing in magnetic 'shadows' that can help build up the original file (sometimes without the filename) which can allow for a full or partial recovery of your data.
Physical system damage is the most difficult scenario from which to recover. This is because magnetic media is very fragile and complex and cannot easily be repaired without hermetically sealed labs and highly trained, technology specific staff with access to a wide variety of components and technologies. We have partners that deal with physically damaged systems and can often make full or partial recoveries. The cost of these services however, is an important reminder of the value of a backup for your data. A simple USB hard disk connected to your PC is all it takes to be completely safe, preferably secured in some way to prevent theft and data loss, and will allow you to recover your data without fuss or difficulty.
Recovering data from physically damaged hardware can involve multiple techniques. Some damage can be repaired by replacing parts in the hard disk. This alone may make the disk usable, but there may still be logical damage. A specialized disk-imaging procedure is used to recover every readable bit from the surface. Once this image is acquired and saved on a reliable medium, the image can be safely analyzed for logical damage and will possibly allow much of the original file system to be reconstructed. The easiest recoveries though, are with backups so please read about backups here.
Our prices are calculated on single failures or recoveries - contact us for multiple failure pricing.
Mail us at [email protected] or call us on the number below:
Call us +44 118 402 7979
