Hard Drive Recovery Service: Why You Need One

If you’re like most people, you don’t have thorough backups of your important data. For most of us, it usually takes an instance of losing important files before we realize how important it is to have copies of critical data on multiple media formats. Fortunately, those of us who have learned the hard way have hard drive recovery services to fall back on.

Simple problems like accidentally deleting files most often have simple solutions, and there are scores of hard drive recovery software applications, as well as System Restore and Time Machine, available to help you recover data on your own. More complex problems like physical damage, unbootable drives or crashed servers require more complex data recovery solutions such as Gillware, DriveSavers and The Data Rescue Center to help restore lost files and media.

In this review site, you'll find side-by-side comparisons and comprehensive reviews of the best hard drive recovery services on the web to help you choose the one that fits your data recovery needs. You will also be able to find learning center articles on hard drive recovery services to further enhance your knowledge. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

Hard Drive Recovery Services: What to Look For

These are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate data recovery software.

Data Recovery Effectiveness
If you’re paying for data recovery from a recovery service, chances are you’ve lost something important that you can’t recover yourself. That being the case, the recovery of your data is tantamount in this equation. A recovery service that cannot restore all of your data is almost as bad as one that can’t restore any of it.

Service Plans
Recovering data from a damaged hard drive is a meticulous science that requires the precision craftsmanship of highly trained technicians. While you should expect to pay a lot for these services, you should never have to pay evaluation fees or pay anything if your data can’t be recovered.

Companies that offer cheap services and charge evaluation fees are most likely incompetent and liable to further damage your hard drive with dubious techniques, which can often render data that could have been salvaged unrecoverable.

Ease of Use
Before choosing a service, take a minute to check out some of the companies' websites. If a site is easy to navigate—with helpful information, clear certifications and prominent contact info—that company is probably a safe bet. Talk to a customer service representative to get an idea for how they treat their customers and to get a general figure for how much hard drive recovery will cost you, although you won’t be able to get a firm estimate until they evaluate your media and determine whether your data is recoverable, and how difficult that will be.

Help & Support
The easiest way to evaluate how seriously a company takes customer support while performing a hard drive recovery is to see how helpful they are before you commit to their services.

Speed
There are innumerable situations in which losing critical data can harm you and your business greatly if it is not recovered quickly. Most recovery services offer expedited and even emergency recovery in addition to their standard service, which usually takes between five and seven days once your hard drive is in their hands. Emergency services can often return your data within 72 hours.

Data Security
While in the hands of a recovery service, your data should be treated with complete confidentiality. Make sure that the service you choose has systems in place to protect the privacy of your information.

When choosing a hard drive recovery service, it’s not a good idea to make your decision based solely on price. Instead, consider the company’s reputation, clients, historical effectiveness and other criteria that can give you an idea of their efficacy and competency. Talk to their staff, read reviews by other customers, and be sure to read the reviews of our top-ranked recovery services.