Have you ever lost data because of a mistake, a bug in the software, or a problem with the hardware? If so, you’re alone. Every year, almost half of all people lose data. Many people look into professional data recovery services desperately attempting to get it back. Then they find that their prices aren’t very clear.
If you want to know how much hard drive recovery costs, keep reading. By the end of this article, you’ll know the answer. But we should warn you that hard drive recovery costs are very complicated. Don’t expect a specific and concrete number.
Read also: Database Administrator Job Description: How To Become A Guru In Less Time
What are the Different Ways Hard Drive Data Loss Can Occur?
#1. Deleted Files by Mistake (Logical Failure)
This can happen for several reasons. For example, if you move a file to the trash by accident and then empty the trash. Or if your files get corrupted, or if you reformat the wrong drive.
If this is the case, you might be able to get your information back with the help of file recovery software. But if you accidentally deleted a lot of data, you might save yourself the trouble by calling a professional. The recovery software or the professional will ensure that your files are correctly recovered.
#2. Hardware that doesn’t work (Mechanical Failure)
These problems can be hard to solve and will need help from experts. You can do some preliminary research to determine what’s wrong based on the signs. Your hard drive might turn on, but your computer might not be able to use it. Or, your hard drive might not turn on at all.
Be aware that fixing a hard drive with mechanical problems can be dangerous. It’s best to let a professional make the recovery. To get your hard drive to work, you can try to-.
- Turn off your machine so you lose no more data.
- Take your hard drive out of your computer.
- You can use your hard drive as a second hard drive by connecting it to a different computer.
- You can pay for or get free file recovery software and install it on the hard drive that is still working.
- Follow the instructions for your software and begin the scan and recovery process. This can take anywhere from several hours to several days.
- Sort out and clean up your data (recovered data will not be as organized as it was initially).
Check out: How to Handle a Data Breach of Employee Information
Why are Hard Drive Recovery costs so hard to figure out?
We’re willing to bet that this isn’t the first article you’ve read recently about data recovery prices, right? If we’re right, you might wonder why it’s so hard to get a clear picture of how much it costs to recover data from different storage devices. You’re not the only one who doesn’t understand how much it costs to get your data back.
Every job to do with recovery is different. Some jobs to recover data are so simple that they only take a few minutes with no special tools. Other jobs are so complicated. A technician with a lot of experience can only do them in a clean room. The professional would charge between $100 and $300 an hour.
Remote assessments are unreliable. Many data recovery companies do remote assessments over the phone by asking the customer questions. The aim is to get at least a rough idea of how much it will cost.
But these assessments aren’t always accurate. This is mostly because customers can’t always explain the cause of the data loss and the signs. Also, data recovery companies can’t let customers think that the cost of data recovery is less than it is.
Most companies don’t discuss data recovery prices until they have the storage device in their hands. These are part of the reasons hard drive recovery costs are difficult to figure out.
Read also: How To Undo Notes On iPhone
What are the Hard Drive Recovery Costs?
Every issue with your hard drive has its own specific cost. Let’s look at some of the most common ways to lose data and their costs.
#1. Accidental Deletion (Affordable)
Cost: $0–$300
If you delete the wrong file by accident, it might feel terrible. But it’s the least expensive and complicated way to lose data. This is because deleted files stay on storage devices until new data overwrite them. You can easily get them back with data recovery software.
#2. Logical Failure (Moderate)
Cost: $300–$1,000
Logical failure is any problem with accessing files that aren’t caused by a mechanical problem. For example, a malware attack that damages a file directory, or a problem with the master boot record. It could also be an accidental format.
Most of the time, you can’t get data back from a storage device that has been logically damaged. Unless you connect it to a different computer and scan it in read-only mode. This is something that not all DIY solutions can do.
#3. Mechanical Failure (Expensive)
Cost: $500–$3,000
You have a big problem when your hard drive makes strange noises, gets wet, or stops working without warning. This is because mechanical problems can be very expensive to fix. They require replacing parts, using advanced techniques and equipment, and doing the work in a controlled cleanroom.
Check out: How To Recover Deleted Notes On iPhone
How Much Does Hard Drive Recovery Cost when You do it Yourself?
$100 to $300, plus the time cost. To do data recovery on your own, you may need to buy software and even more hard drives. You should also think about how much time you will lose if you do your research and work.
There are many extra risks when trying to recover your data, especially if you haven’t done this before and don’t know what to do.
If you stop using your storage device as soon as you realize essential files are missing, you can save a lot of money on the cost of data recovery. Why? Because you don’t want to overwrite them. This would make them hard to get back or impossible to get back at worst.
Before calling a data recovery service, ensure you’ve tried data recovery software.
Check out: How To Recover Deleted Videos From iPhone
Are there Softwares To Recover Data Without Hiring A Professional?
There is, yes! We’ve already talked about how to DIY data recovery software can help in some cases of data loss. Here are three well-known data recovery programs that you can use on Windows, Mac, and Linux:
- Disk Drill (Windows, Mac). Both professionals and regular home users love it for how well it works and how easy it is to use.
- For Windows, Recuva. The recovery wizard in this free data recovery software makes it easy to find and restore lost files on Windows computers.
- PhotoRec (Windows, Mac, and Linux). PhotoRec works on almost every major operating system. It can open hundreds of file types for images, videos, audio, and documents.
These and other types of data recovery software can –
- Get back recently deleted files
- Formatted hard drives, and
- Other types of data loss are caused by logical damage.
But they can’t get data back from storage devices that broke by physical damage. There is no way to solve this problem with data recovery software applications. We strongly advise you not to use these apps to get data back. You’re likely to make things worse.
If you don’t have the right experience and precise tools, let professionals handle it. Use data recovery software for logical damage.
Read also: How To Recover Snapchat Pictures
Factors that Affect Hard Drive Recovery Cost?
Aside from the type of data loss you experience, a few other things can affect the price of data recovery. You should keep these things in mind when choosing between, say, a local and a remote data recovery company.
Rates per hour.
Data recovery specialists are in high demand and make more than the average salary. Still, the data recovery rates of experts working for a company in San Francisco differ greatly from those working in, say, Belarus.
Special equipment.
Not every company spends the same amount on tools needed to solve even the most complicated data loss problems. A group of college students working out of a garage can’t charge as much as a company. This is because the company has shelves full of high-tech equipment that guarantees good results.
Buildings and other structures
Some companies only do business online and don’t have any physical locations. They can offer better prices by making their infrastructure simpler, but not always better service.
Replacement parts
Enterprise-grade hard drives can be very expensive. The cost of replacement parts, which they take from a healthy donor drive, can increase the hard drive recovery costs.
Turnaround time
If you don’t like to wait and want your data back as soon as possible, you’ll have to pay more. The payment may be for faster shipping and recovery.
Notice that the price of data recovery is usually NOT based on how much data needs recovering. Almost all reputable data recovery companies charge a flat fee plus an hourly rate. The hourly rate is usually around $150, but it can be as low as $100 or as high as $300.
You should be very careful if you find a data recovery company that charges per GB (or MB) of recovered data. The company’s people probably want to take advantage of you and send a bill that is too high.
Check out: How To Get Snapchat Memories Back
Does Hard Drive Recovery Cost Depend on the type of device?
Yes. Professionals in data recovery spend their days getting lost data back from all kinds of devices, such as:
- Hard disk drives (HDDs)
- Solid-state drives (SSDs)
- External hard drives
- Flash drives
- USB memory sticks
- Digital cameras
- Tablets and smartphones
- Personal computers and laptops
But even though these devices are very different, most of the cost of data recovery is still determined by the factors above.
That’s because it can be as easy to get back several TB of data from a large enterprise-grade hard drive that was accidentally formatted as it is to get back a few MB of documents from a broken USB flash drive whose memory chip barely survived.
In other words, just because a storage device seems “simpler” doesn’t mean it will be easier for a professional.
Read also: What Happens When You Delete Snapchat?
Summary
So you accidentally deleted a file and cleared the Recycle Bin. Then you remembered that you needed that file back. Losing data is a bad thing to go through. It’s easy to lose data because anything can happen. Even if you don’t have a backup, there’s hope with hard drive recovery. We hope we have helped you figure out the hard drive recovery costs.
Read also: How To Restart iPhone SE
FAQ
It all depends on what the lost data means to you. Data recovery services are great, but they may not be worth the price. If you lose data, it is easy to fix at home or will cost you hundreds of dollars to fix.
Information security that needs frequent updates and upgrades is expensive to keep up with. Not only that, but it takes work and time to stop viruses and hackers from getting in. And it costs money to keep your recovered data safe in these places.
Here are the best free hard drive recovery programs for 2022:
Disk Drill Data Recovery for Mac and Windows
R-Studio for Windows and Mac
PhotoRec for Windows and Mac and TestDisk for Windows.
Stellar Data Recovery (Windows and Mac)
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard (Windows and Mac)
Data Recovery Made Smart (Windows)
Data Rescue 5 for Windows and Mac
With the help of a skilled data recovery service, it is possible to get files back from a broken hard drive. Recovery software can’t fix damaged hard drives because the operating system cannot get to the device to let the software recover the data.
If you’re talking about a service for recovering lost data, they will have to see at least the names of the files. As for opening the files, they aren’t supposed to open files that have nothing to do with the repair.
Most of the time, data recovery takes between 2 and 5 days. But the time to get the data back depends on what went wrong. After a tech looks and figures out what’s wrong, you’ll have a better idea of how long it will take to get your data back.
Check out: How To Turn On Find My iPhone
References
- datarecovery.com– How much does data recovery of a hard drive cost
- recordnations.com– Hard drive recovery cost
- gillware.com– How much does data recovery cost
- provendatarecovery.com– Data recovery cost rates
Recommendation
- Database Administrator Job Description: How To Become A Guru In Less Time
- How to Handle a Data Breach of Employee Information
- How To Undo Notes On iPhone
- How To Recover Deleted Notes On iPhone
- How To Recover Deleted Videos From iPhone
- How To Recover Snapchat Pictures
- How To Get Snapchat Memories Back
- What Happens When You Delete Snapchat?
