What types of storage media can you recover?
We recover files on a large assortment of different device types, such as: hard disk, RAID, floppy, zip, jazz, REV, flash drive, tape drive, iPod, digital camera, CD/ DVD disk and much more. If you have any questions on whether we can recover your data, please call us at
(866) 260-1169 to speak with a recovery technician.
Click here to learn about the types of damages we can recover.
How much does data recovery cost?
Costs will vary depending on the complexity of the recovery and the severity of the failure that has occurred. The average cost of a single drive recovery can be as low as $200 or as high as $2500, as an example. Flash drives and RAIDs have a separate pricing structure depending on the severity of failure and complexity of the recovery process.
In order for us to quote an exact price, it is required that we do an evaluation of the failed drive(s). The non-refundable evaluation fee is $100 per drive, which will be applied to the recovery fee should you choose to go forward with the recovery process. The diagnosis will determine if the drive is recoverable (about a 75% chance) and, secondly, we will know the exact price to be charged for the recovery upon completion of the evaluation.
While we can’t quote you exactly without performing this evaluation, contact us and describe your situation, and we may be able to give you a narrower ballpark.
If we only want to recover select files from our hard drive, will it cost us less?
There is no difference in cost no matter how much data we do or do not recover. The cost is applied to the procedure required to find and reclaim the data, and therefore it is easier to give the customer everything that is recoverable rather than bits and pieces.
Read about our reconstruction process here.
If a file is needed which we were not able to give the customer originally, we are not liable for being unable to recover or give the customer that data.
What is your success rate for recovery? How does that compare to other companies?
Our average success rate falls in between 70-75% on all devices evaluated. That rate is high and the odds are in your favor. Utah Data Recovery stands among the best data recovery services.
Read more.
There are companies claiming to be data recovery firms that guarantee a 95% success rate. Claims such as these are dishonest. It is impossible to guarantee a 95% success rate on failed devices, simply because there are too many variables involved, and such claims cannot be accurately made.
How long does the evaluation process of a failed drive take?
Although no guarantees can be provided, every effort will be made to complete the initial evaluation within a window of five business days. In most cases, the average evaluation takes 1-5 business days.
In extreme situations, however, where the device failure is more complex, it could take several weeks or longer. Certain components may cause an extension of the recovery. We put more time and precision into our evaluations than most data recovery firms for the simple purpose of being accurate in the knowledge of whether the recovery is possible and in yielding the best integrity of recovered data. While time can be of the essence, retrieving good data is even more important.
Learn more about the recovery process here.
If you are currently waiting for data recovery and you haven’t heard from us for five days, feel free to call us for a status update.
We're in an emergency situation and need the data ASAP. Do you offer expedited services?
Because data recovery is a highly fluid situation in which we are working with extremely unstable devices, it is not easy to guarantee any type of turnaround or SLA on any type of recovery. On average, a recovery takes up to 5 business days. However, we do offer 1 and 3 day expedited services on the evaluation phase of a recovery project. The guarantee pertains to the completion of the evaluation by placing the priority of that evaluation above all other projects to meet the deadline.
In addition to the $100 evaluation fee, a 1 day expedite would be $150, or $75 for a 3 day expedite. Expedition does not guarantee the recovery of data in that time frame as it would be impossible to make that guarantee. However, under normal circumstances, recovery is possible soon after the evaluation is complete, unless it is a complex issue.
Is the recovery done at your own facility? Are you a local company?
Yes. We are, to date, the only known company in Utah or Idaho that recovers your data locally, in-house
at our shop in Logan, Utah. We do not ship to third parties or resell data recovery services. However, there are times in a critical situation when a drive previously deemed non-recoverable by us may be sent to our colleagues for peer review to get a second opinion on behalf of our clients. Nine times out of ten our original assessment of the drive is correct. This occurs in situations regarding essential, irreplaceable data where the customer has no choice but to exhaust all options.
Are you as capable as other data recovery agencies around the country?
Yes! We operate a million dollar plus clean room lab in order to be as surgically precise as necessary to handle even the most complex of data recovery scenarios. Trusted by numerous universities, government institutions (state and federal), and even Fortune 500 companies, we have a combined total of more than 25 years of research and development experience. There are many companies that claim to do data recovery, but 90+% are re-sellers, not providers. We do all the work within the walls of our own lab. If you would like to read more about our success or our processes, check out our blog
here, or
our other articles.
What is your policy regarding maintaining/destruction of private, confidential or company data?
Unless otherwise requested, it is our policy is that we retain all recovered data for five business days from the point in which the data is delivered or picked up in person from our facility. This is to ensure that the end user has the necessary time to copy and backup the recovered data in the event that the medium it was returned on were to fail. After five business days, all data is sanitized beyond recovery and would require a new recovery, at the end user’s expense, to get the previously recovered data back if it has not been backed up by the end user. Furthermore, depending on the severity of the initial failure, or the absence of the original hardware that was recovered, it may not be possible to do a second recovery. It is crucial that recovered data is promptly backed up and archived upon return.
I've already had my failed device evaluated. Why do you have to evaluate it again?
In order to protect the customer’s data from further degradation, third-party evaluations cannot be accepted, as the accuracy of their evaluation cannot be verified. Many companies claiming recovery are not qualified data recovery firms and are therefore not capable of determining what has caused a failure on a device. Furthermore, our processes are proprietary and require our own evaluation to determine if the drive is recoverable.
What is the preferred method of shipping, and what should I include in the shipment?
The preferred method of shipping is any reputable shipping carrier. It is important that all devices being recovered are shipped in static-safe bags and packed with plenty of padding on all corners of the box to prevent movement and damage. Finally, it is critical that whoever the carrier is, they stamp “fragile” all over the box so that those who handle the package are aware of the delicate nature of what is contained. The signed form 1 application for new data recovery (available on the
Forms page) needs to be filled-out and placed in the box, along with a method to return your data to you, such as another hard drive or flash drive.
We prefer that you ship only these items unless otherwise instructed over the phone. Any computers or laptops shipped in which we must remove the drive will be subject to a $35 drive removal fee as well as the evaluation fee.
How do I become a client of Utah Data Recovery® for digital forensics, expert witness testimony, or private investigative work?
We require all new or returning clients to fill out a form 3, also known as a “request for new digital forensics, expert witness and private investigative services” on a case-by-case basis. Form 3 can be downloaded on our
Forms page. Digital forensics involves many variables and every situation is unique. Therefore, upon filling out the required fields, questionnaire, and signing the agreement on the form 3, a computer forensics analyst will contact you to arrange a consultation meeting to discuss the details. If applicable, it is advised that legal counsel be present. The purpose of the meeting will to be to ascertain the details of the situation, what we are investigating, or the strategy that may be required for legal proceedings. Digital forensics is similar to legal work.
A minimum deposit will be required up-front which is non-refundable. This deposit covers the initial investigate work or discovery as well as any data acquisition fees or forensic grade images of devices that may be in question. Whether for civil or criminal purposes, we do not accept custody of any digital evidence or devices containing digital evidence until we have received and signed a chain of custody letter. If a chain of custody letter has not been established, we will provide one known as a form 5, which can be downloaded from our forms page. Furthermore, we do not accept any criminal evidence, digital contraband, or devices containing criminal evidence unless authorized by a court on authority of the state with a signed protective order.
Are you officially 'Utah Data Recovery®'?
Yes, we are the only official organization with the rights to claim the name “Utah Data Recovery®.” Not only is it our legal “Doing Business As” name under the State of Utah, but we also retain two trademarks under the mark “Utah Data Recovery®.” US trademark registration numbers are as follows: 4811635, 3529475. Any other website not affiliated with us claiming to be “Utah Data Recovery®” in any text or logo or allegedly providing “Utah Data Recovery® Services” is in direct violation of US trademark law and our trademarks, which we spent a great deal of legal funds and time to attain. It became necessary to obtain these trademarks over ten years ago when we had the legal DBA name of “Utah Data Recovery®” and we found that, over time, we were being buried by other companies (including fraudulent companies and data recovery scams) who were using our business name. It has caused a lot of confusion as to who we were. We would receive calls from customers wanting to know the status of their data recovery, only to find that we had never done business with them before. Please report any violations to our legal department at:
435-752-6616 so we can take the proper steps to remedy any violations of our DBA name and trademark.