Use tracking.
Use a tracked delivery service and keep the tracking number until the device has been logged by the lab.
How data recovery works
Every recovery follows the same commercial safeguards but not the same technical script. We log the device, understand which files matter, assess complete and partial recovery, agree the price or range, recover and verify the result, then return the data and delete our working copy.
Before you send anything
Contact us first if the device is clicking, wet, badly damaged or repeatedly disconnecting. The safest instruction may be to leave it powered off.
Open the packing and delivery checklistPrevent another impact.
Pack the device in a rigid box with enough cushioning on every side to stop it moving in transit. A bare drive should also be protected against static.
From first contact to returned files
The sequence is controlled. The technical work inside it remains individual because almost every damaged device reveals a different combination of faults.
- 01
Tell us what failed
Describe the device, the symptom, previous recovery attempts and whether encryption is involved. We advise whether it is safe to power the device again.
The safest first action is clear.
- 02
Define what matters
Before diagnosis, tell us which files matter most if a complete recovery is not possible: name important folders, file names or file extensions where you can.
A partial recovery can be judged against your real priorities.
- 03
Send it tracked or visit
Bring the device to our London lab or use tracked delivery. Keep the tracking number and package the device so it cannot move or take another impact in transit.
The device reaches us without avoidable additional damage.
- 04
We log and assess it
We photograph the device, register it against a job ticket and notify you that it has arrived. An engineer then assesses both complete and useful partial recovery.
The device, case and recovery prospects are recorded.
- 05
You approve the commercial limit
After diagnosis and before recovery, we provide a price or an agreed price range. If the required procedure or time changes materially, we stop and ask for approval before exceeding it.
No chargeable recovery begins without your approval.
- 06
We recover from controlled copies
Where the media can be imaged, recovery proceeds from stable working copies rather than repeated experiments on the original. The method changes as the evidence from the device changes.
The original is exposed to no more work than the case requires.
- 07
You review the result
We can show the recovered structure, demonstrate a sample file, arrange a remote screen-sharing review or let you inspect the result at the London lab.
You can confirm whether the data you needed is present.
- 08
Payment, return and deletion
After confirmation and payment, the recovered data is copied to suitable external media. Our working copy is then deleted under the short retention rule shown below.
The files and original device are returned through the agreed route.
Complete recovery is the goal. Useful recovery is the decision.
Damage is not always evenly distributed. A device may contain a readable directory tree with several damaged files, or a small number of intact folders beside an unreadable area. That is why “did you recover everything?” is not the only useful question.
Before diagnosis, tell us whether the priority is a named project, a folder of photographs, accounting records, mail archives or particular file types. If a complete result is not possible, we can tell you whether the remaining result contains what actually matters.
Useful details to provide
- Important folder names or paths.
- Known file names.
- File extensions such as PSD, DOCX, XLSX, MOV or PST.
- The most recent date the files were known to work.
- Anything already tried on the device.
How you can verify the result
We do not ask you to rely on a percentage alone. The review method should prove enough without exposing more private content than the decision requires.
- 01
screenshots of the recovered folder and file structure.
- 02
a screenshot showing that a sample recovered file opens.
- 03
a remote screen-sharing session in which the customer reviews the result.
- 04
an in-person review at the London lab.
Payment, return and the 48-hour window
After the customer confirms the result, recovered data is copied to suitable external media supplied by the customer or provided by Datraction.
Unless the accepted quotation requires a refundable advance payment, payment is due after the result has been confirmed and before the return media is released or sent.
A working copy may be retained for up to 48 hours after the customer receives or collects the recovered data. It can be deleted immediately on request or after the customer confirms by email that it is no longer needed.
- While it is with us
- Customer devices and recovery media are stored in a safe while they are not being worked on.
- Office monitoring
- The office is protected by an active camera system recording 24 hours a day.
- If a specialist is needed
- If our equipment or expertise is not sufficient for a particular case, we may offer referral to a trusted specialist laboratory. Nothing is sent elsewhere without the customer’s explicit approval.
Questions about the process
The exact recovery method changes by device. These operational safeguards do not.
- How should I package a hard drive for delivery?
- Use a rigid box and enough cushioning on every side to stop the device moving inside it. Put a bare drive in anti-static protection where available. Do not send a drive loose in a padded envelope, and keep the tracking number until the lab confirms receipt.
- Why do you ask which files matter before diagnosis?
- Some damaged media can return most data but not every sector. Knowing the important folders, file names or extensions allows us to assess whether a partial result would still solve the problem and to prioritise validation around what matters to you.
- How can I check what has been recovered?
- We can provide screenshots of the folder structure and a sample file, arrange a remote screen-sharing session or let you review the result in person at the London lab. The method is agreed according to the case and the sensitivity of the data.
- When do I pay for the recovery?
- You pay after the recovery result has been presented and confirmed, but before the return media is released or sent. Any return drive, donor component, licence or other additional cost is identified in the quotation or agreed range.
- How long do you keep a copy of recovered data?
- A working copy may be retained for up to 48 hours after you receive or collect the recovered data. You can ask us to delete it immediately, or confirm by email as soon as you have checked your copy and no longer need the short safety window.
- Will my device ever be sent to another laboratory?
- Most work is completed in our London lab. If a case needs equipment or expertise we do not hold, we may offer referral to a trusted specialist laboratory. We explain the reason and nothing is sent elsewhere without your explicit approval.
Tell us what matters most.
Describe the device, the failure and the files or folders you would prioritise if a full recovery were not possible.
See how recovery costs are calculated