The order of work · call, bench, files home
Seven stages, and the decision at two of them is yours.
Whatever arrives goes through the same seven-stage run as every other unit. The run begins with a phone call and ends with you checking the returned media to see that it reads. Here are those seven stages, and the two points where the choice is yours alone.
Ask an engineer and the first look is free
0115 8220606
The sequence, start to finish.
One call, or the form
Ring, or use the online quote form. At this stage two things matter: what your device was actually doing when it stopped, and which folders you really need. What you get back is an honest assessment of the recovery prospects, plus detailed packing instructions, before the box is sealed.
Posting it to Manchester
Our intake lab is on Oxford Street; our contact page has the full address. Your parcel is insured and tracked, with a printed shipping form inside. When sending in a laptop, desktop or recorder, remove the drive first (soldered storage is not taken on; if you don't know which type you have, please ring us first). A single external drive travels whole, with its cable and power supply. A NAS can be sent as its individual disks, labelled by bay, if they come out; otherwise it should be sent whole. For a RAID set or server, send only the disks, loose, each one labelled by bay.
Booked in the day it arrives, and the first look is on us Free
Once it is received, the box is opened and the parcel gets a reference number of its own. Next comes the bench work: which component failed, the realistic chance of recovering your files, and how long that would take.
The decision is yours
We produce a single figure in writing, and it stays unchanged from then on. Approve it and bench work begins; reject it and everything comes back to you with the findings and nothing to pay. The diagnosis was free either way.
What happens at the bench
Before any repair is attempted, we make a complete sector-by-sector copy of your drive onto our own storage. Any work after that (array rebuilds, unlocking, firmware work and donor head swaps) is done against that stored copy, and your original drive is left in the condition it arrived in.
You check the file list
Before issuing any invoice, we send you the full list of what came off your drive, for you to check against the folders you named when you rang.
Posted back to you
All recovered data is returned on media we supply, and we pay the postage. We securely erase the working copies made here after thirty days. Your case stays open until you confirm the contents are correct.
How long each fault takes.
| Which fault | What is done | Time at the bench |
|---|---|---|
| Logical: deleted, formatted, corrupted | The file system rebuilt off the image | Around 2–3 working days |
| Mechanical: clicking, knocking, no spin | Donor parts matched, then a slow image | 3 to 5 working days |
| Multi-disk: RAID sets, NAS boxes, servers | All disks imaged, then the array rebuilt in software | 3–4 working days from arrival |
| Encrypted volumes, and work for court | Scope settled first, and the timing along with it | Named in the quote |
| Genuinely cannot wait | Priority goes to a business unable to trade, or to a court or audit date already fixed. | Mention it when you ring |
What ought to be in the parcel.
What people ask before anything else.
Do you keep me posted while it is on the bench?
Yes. At the end of each stage we send you a note. In between, feel free to ring: an engineer will answer, so you won't be stuck in a ticket queue waiting for someone to look at it.
Suppose none of it can be read?
You'll get a straightforward answer, once, rather than waiting around for weeks. If your files have gone, that is exactly what you will be told. If another lab may be able to help you more than we can, you'll be given its name and telephone number. In most cases you only pay if we recover your data.
Who actually works on the drive?
Our own engineers work on it, at a bench in our intake lab. None of the work is subcontracted, and none of it leaves the country. When the parcel is opened, your device is given a case number, which stays with it until we post it back to you.
How long do the working copies stay here?
Thirty days from the day your files reach you, which is ample time to spot any gaps and ask for a second pass. Once that period ends, we securely delete the working images, and nothing of yours remains here.
The whole thing starts with a phone call.
Just make one call or complete the form and your case begins. There is no charge for the diagnosis, and you are under no obligation after it.