What can you expect the cost of hard drive recovery to be? Read to know all about it, in this article.
In this age of information technology, data is sacred. Storage devices like hard drives and USB flash drives are not exactly immune to loss of data or corruption of files. When you lose data and have made the big mistake of not backing it up, what you need is a hard drive data recovery software. Loss of important data can give you sleepless nights. It is wise to have a regular incremental software backup on a separate drive, to prepare for such an emergency. Also, ensure that you setup a system restore point, that can help you, in case of a system crash.
How Recovery Works
The repair and recovery mechanism is different, according to the kind of error that has led to the loss of data. These errors can be of two types and the data recovery techniques to deal with them are different. Namely, a logical (software level) error or an error due to physical damage.
The first one is easier to deal with, while the second one is not. A corruption of files that are stored in certain sectors, can be dealt with scanning and repair tools. However, a case of physical damage requires advanced tools for repair and recovery. Depending on the type of repair required, the cost of recovery will vary.
Cost Estimate
As far as the recovery of data is concerned, there are two ways in which you can get help. You could either buy a specialized software for the purpose, or go to a professional company that carries out such data recovery jobs. The software option will cost you less, compared to professional help. A software that can carry out hard disk recovery may cost anywhere between USD 40 to USD 150. Check out the software reviews before buying it. Such programs can deal with most of the corrupted file problems, which periodically keep cropping up. One of the best rated programs is Digital Rescue Premium, which costs about USD 50.
However, if your drive is physically damaged and not even accessible anymore, you will have to take help from professionals. Typically, these specialized services will first evaluate the problem and then provide you with an estimate of the repair cost. Some quote a price according to the amount of data that will have to be recovered.
These services will cost you anywhere between USD 200 to upwards of USD 1000 depending on the size of data to be recovered. For example, Disk Doctor is a service that will charge you around USD 1000, for 500 GB of data recovery. You will typically have to supply an additional hard drive for storing the recovered data.
Don’t fall for companies which give you exorbitant cost estimates, without evaluating your problem. Firstly, see if a recovery software works for you. In most cases of software-level errors, they will work. However, in case of mechanical or electronic failure, you may have to hand the drive over to a professional, who can repair and recover your data using advanced tools. Research extensively, before opting for a recovery service, to get the best cost.