Fixed onsite · No call-out fee
Data Recovery
The rule here is simple: if I cannot get the data back, you do not pay. I would rather do a free assessment and tell you honestly whether it is worth pursuing.
The other rule is more important: bring the machine to me, and do not keep using it. Every minute a failing drive is powered, it is writing bad sectors over the top of the data you want.
- Flat $150 rate
- No call-out fee
- Weekends & public holidays
- Fixed or you do not pay
Onsite rate
$150/ first hour
- Call-out fee
- $0 - never
- Weekend & public holidays
- No surcharge
- After the first hour
- Billed in 15-minute blocks
- Replacement parts
- At cost, no mark-up
- Typical turnaround
- Assessment same-day; recovery time depends on the fault
Includes GST for home users. Excluding GST for businesses. If it cannot be fixed, you do not pay.
What is recoverable
**Usually:** a drive that has stopped being recognised; a laptop that will not boot after liquid damage; a drive making clicking or grinding noises; files deleted by mistake; a machine that worked until it did not, with no warning.
**Sometimes:** a drive that fell off a desk, a full disk that will not format, an SSD that has failed, or files encrypted by ransomware.
**Rarely, or never:** a drive that has been dropped and visibly damaged, data on a drive that has been wiped or overwritten, or anything where the previous owner already tried recovery tools.
What to do right now
**Stop using the machine.** If the drive is clicking, stop immediately - do not run any recovery software yourself.
**Do not reformat, do not install Windows over it, do not "try it again".**
If it is a desktop and the data is on a separate drive, you can leave the failed one powered off and use the rest of the machine.
Bring it in. Diagnosis is free, and if it is not recoverable I will tell you in the first half hour so you are not paying for a month of hoping.
Getting your files back in the real world
Recovered files are a start, not an ending. Once a drive has failed once it will fail again, so I would rather set up a proper backup than leave you in the same position next year. Ask about it when you collect the files.
How a visit works
- 1
You call and describe it
No booking form and no call centre. I will tell you honestly whether it sounds like something I can fix, and roughly what it will cost.
- 2
I come to you
Early morning, evening, weekend or public holiday - all normal, none surcharged. Home or office. You can watch the work.
- 3
You are told before anything happens
The price is agreed before the job starts, and if a part is needed you get the cost price rather than a mark-up.
- 4
It works, or you do not pay
If I cannot fix it, there is no charge. If something I did stops working, I come back and look at it.
Data Recovery - common questions
My hard drive is clicking. Should I keep trying to read it?
No. Stop. A clicking drive is failing heads, and every power-on can destroy more of what is recoverable. Bring it in as-is.
Is there a charge if you cannot recover the data?
No. The assessment is free and if I cannot get the data back there is nothing to charge for. I would rather tell you that quickly.
Can you recover files from a phone or a camera?
Sometimes, yes - from a device that will not connect, or that was dropped in water. It depends entirely on whether the storage is still readable.
How long does recovery take?
The assessment is same-day. Recovery itself depends entirely on the fault - a deleted file can be back in minutes, a physically damaged drive can take a week or more, and I will give you a realistic timeframe when I have assessed it.
You might also need
Most jobs are a combination of these. If you are not sure which one you need, describe the problem on the phone and I will tell you.
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Home and office computer repairs - hardware, software, viruses, slow performance and everything in between. One flat rate, no call-out fee.
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Learn moreNeed a data recovery job done?
Robert is a Microsoft Certified ex-IBM help desk technician. One flat rate of $150 for the first hour, no call-out fee, and no surcharge on weekends or public holidays.
- Onsite rate
- $150
- first hour
- Call-out fee
- $0
- never
- Weekend surcharge
- $0
- incl. public holidays
- Typical visit
- < 1 hr
- most problems