Open, and looking at it costs nothing · 9am–5:30pm, Mon to Fri Ring instead, it is quicker: 0115 8220606
NDR Nottingham Data Recovery 0115 8220606 Get my quote
NDR / What yours will cost

No charge to look · one fixed figure follows

First the fault. Then one written price, and it stays put.

You give us the details of your issue (answer two questions) and we provide the most likely reason for the problem, a price band, and the one thing you should avoid doing tonight. Below that lies the form to be filled out. An engineer at the intake lab will look at your device completely free of charge; when you receive our written figure, it represents the actual price, nothing else.

Ask an engineer and the first look is free
0115 8220606

The likely cause, from two questions.

How the work runs →
Online check · costs you nothing NDR-2026-····

Which of these is your data on?

Whichever is nearest will do.

Pressing two buttons gets you a simple answer and the one thing to do before anything else. This is not a diagnosis; a diagnosis needs the drive physically in front of an engineer. Think of it as the answer the phone would give you at 3am, when nobody is there to pick it up.

Now for the detail.

Whether or not you choose to go ahead, you won't ever be charged for having us look at your device, and the figure won't change once it's written. No money changes hands until you have agreed to the cost. Everything you send goes straight to our support desk. They respond to each submission within one working day, and the desk operates Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm.

What follows once you send it.

01

Back to you within a working day

Rather than your message being sorted by a computer program, a person reads everything you write. The reply gives an honest view of the chances of recovery, an instruction on what to leave alone in the meantime, and where to post it. Half an hour is typical while the desk is staffed; overnight messages get a reply after 9am the next morning.

An engineer repliesMost often the same day
02

The fault named at the bench Free

Each device gets a case number and goes straight onto a bench. This is where the actual fault is identified, along with a survey of how much of the platters, or the flash, can still be read. Allow around 48 hours for a single disk; several disks take longer, and you will be told how long when the parcel is booked in.

Each device gets its own case numberThe bench starts the day it arrives
03

The figure, and your call on it

Your figure is provided in writing along with the findings of the diagnosis. When you approve it, our engineers begin work. If you decide against it, your device will be returned to you by post at no cost to you. Regardless of how you choose to proceed, there is no charge for the diagnosis, nor is there any fine print reversing this later.

One fixed figure, in writing

Where to send it, and the paperwork.

Want it on paper instead? →

Send it here · tracked and insured · desk staffed weekdays, 9am–5:30pm

Manchester Data Recovery
Peter House
Oxford Street
Manchester
M1 5AN

It doesn't make any difference what container you send your item in (a small box or a padded bag), so long as there is a printed copy of this form enclosed with your device. We do not collect, and there isn't an office in Nottingham where you can drop off your item. After you get your quote, you may send it by tracked and insured post, or bring it to the intake lab yourself, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. No appointment is needed.

The disk travels; the machine stays: in the case of towers, laptops, Macs and DVRs, all that we need is for the disk to be removed and then sent separately. Most repair shops will remove the disk for you while you are waiting. Soldered storage (T2 and Apple silicon Macs, soldered laptop flash) is not taken on here; if you are unsure about which type you have, please ring us before sending your item.

Two exceptions: a single external drive comes complete, with its enclosure, cable and power supply; a NAS arrives either as individual disks labelled by bay number, if they come out, or as the entire NAS. Servers and RAID sets go the other way: bare disks, each labelled with its bay number. No tablets. No phones.

1Your contact details
2What failed

Tick whatever applies

RAID / server: only disks should be sent; the controller remains with you. Before you disconnect a single cable, note the bay number of every disk and mark that same bay number on each individual disk, e.g. 1, 2, 3. NAS: if the disks can be taken out, take them out and label them likewise. Otherwise, send the complete unit.

3Symptoms noticed

Symptoms — tick every one you have seen

4What you want back
You receive a phone call as soon as the diagnosis is complete, followed by an email with the same figure. 0115 8220606 · nottinghamdatarecovery.co.uk Only pay if we recover your data, on most jobs
This can be done on screen, or a copy printed and placed inside the box, or you can do both. Send it ahead and the case opens before the box leaves your location.

All items entered on this page are included on the printout. Want to complete it by hand after printing it? Download the PDF and enter all the information by hand. Regardless of which method you choose, include one copy in the box with your device.

Packing it up.

Assume it breaks easilyOriginal packaging is best. If you cannot use the original packaging, then make sure it does not move when shaken. Cards and pen drives should have some cushioning of their own before they go into the box.
Put a value on the data, not the hardwareMake sure that whatever carrier you choose tracks and insures the parcel, and keep the receipt. We pay for return postage whether the job succeeds or not.
Write the bay number on each diskServer or RAID set: bare disks, each disk labelled with the bay number it came from. NAS: the same if the disks come out. If the disks stay inside the NAS, it is sent whole. Sequence matters: an array put back together in the wrong order will not assemble, and working out the order from scratch adds hours to the job.
Awkward to get at? Ring firstIf the disks look difficult to get at, or the kit is too heavy for one person to lift, ring us first on 0115 8220606. An engineer will talk you through moving it safely.

Go through this list before you tape it

  • Passwords belong on the form: the Windows sign-in, a FileVault password, a BitLocker recovery key. There is no way round encryption for a lab either; keep the recovery key to yourself and this bench stops exactly where you stopped.
  • Identify what you cannot afford to lose: list those folders and the copying starts there.
  • Send a portable drive fully assembled: the enclosure, cable and power supply must be sent as part of the unit. The WD My Passport has a bridge board which is locked to that particular hard disk, therefore they must both travel together.
  • Keep hold of the mains adaptor unless it belongs to an external drive, or the engineer tells you otherwise. If there are any broken or snapped-off parts, put them in a bag, and they should be sent along with the rest. Do not dispose of anything.

Worth repeating: regardless of what the checker says to you, please make sure everything stays switched off and unplugged. Unfortunately many of the units we receive were damaged further due to someone attempting to get them working again.

What people ask before anything else.

Is the online checker a diagnosis?

No. The checker can make an educated guess based on what options you ticked; however, an engineer uses a methodical approach (elimination) with the physical equipment in front of them. Only the engineer determines the cost. Trust the checker's instruction about things not to do tonight, and the bench for the price.

What will it cost me?

A memory card or pen drive is £250 + VAT; a single hard disk or SSD is £300 + VAT; a DVR or recorder is £400 + VAT; if a second disk is involved (a NAS, server or RAID set), the minimum is £500 + VAT. Which band you are in is decided by what you send, and the checker names it before anything goes in the post. Every band is set out on the pricing page, and one written figure comes back to you from the free diagnosis.

Is no recovery, no fee actually true?

On most jobs, yes: in most cases you only pay if we recover your data. Two types of work are excluded: a device another lab has already worked on, and hardware that has suffered electrical or physical damage. If yours is one of them, you will know at the start, well before you agree to any money.

How quickly does an answer come back?

As soon as possible, within one working day maximum. Half an hour is typical while the desk is staffed, and if you send something overnight, you can expect an answer after nine am. Diagnosis can take longer: typically 48 hours once one disk is on our bench.

A price in about two minutes.

Check, then form, then box, then bench... And then it's up to you whether to go ahead, with no charge for the look.

0115 8220606

Get a quote, then send it Posting it to Manchester