FAQ's

Devices covered

We recover data from internal and external single hard drives, solid state devices, USB devices, SD Cards of all sizes and types, RAID Configoration Drives and Multiple Disk Arrays running any Operating System. Including NVR and DVR systems for CCTV footage recovery.

The Geeks Quality of service guarantee

Once you have purchased a service form us -  our geeks will work to recover the maximum amount of data in the safest way possible. If our geeks are unable to recover all of your data , we will advise how much data we have successfully recovered and give you access to view the recovered files and ask you to decide if you want to accept a “partial “ recovery . If you do not wish to proceed, we will return your original device at no cost. Data is considered as all user files (such as documents, photos, videos and music), but excludes system files such as software programs and operating systems as they are often deemed not to be important. When we set to work on your drive we focus solely on your data and nothing else surrounding that. Unless otherwise required by the customer.

The Geeks act as a 1st and 2nd Line Data Recovery Company.  This means we use the same tools and systems as others to safely get data back and go that extra bit further by offering a physical repair service carried out by experienced professionals.  We operate in high quality cleanroom conditions and we are fully insured to work on hard drives that can contain sensitive data.   However, in certain situations, 3rd Line recovery might be the only means to recover data and this involves something we describe as forensic level recovery.  The tools required for this level are extremely expensive and therefore, in order to offer a service suitable for the majority, at a suitable price point, we decided not to expand into this level of the industry for now.  Less than 5% of cases have needed to be escalated, so we do have our limits, but we pride ourselves in being a small company with incredible success rates in recovering data.   

Free data recovery evaluation and quotation

Q: How do I request an evaluation and how long does it take?

A: Either fill in our online form, send us an email, speak with us on our live chat with all relevant information to the best of your knowledge. Once your request has been received we will contact you if we require any more information and to let you know where and when to ship the device. Once we have received the device it may take up to 4 days for us to investigate and asses what can be recovered. Time is dependent on the type of drive e.g. if it is a solid state drive or hard disk drive, and is also dependent on the circumstances of the recovery. No matter what the geeks will offer you full transparency on the status of your drive by giving you live updates on our portal.

We advise that you let us know if you have a spare "donor" drive. This will be a drive of the same type, make and model that we can use to take parts from in the event of physical recovery. We will take this action if we cannot gain any data from your drive without replacing parts.

Any parts that have to be purchased will be purchased with written/signed agreement from the customer.

Currently any shipping costs are liable to the customer. Although to make up for this our pricing has been made very competitive.

Q: What does the free evaluation offer me?

A: Our geeks will determine whether your device requires a Logical or Physical recovery service. This assessment will allow us to detemine likelihood of recovery and the costs associated with that.  In many cases, we can extract the data from the disk without being invasive, this means the recovery is handled entirely by software and no components are swapped or changed.  This is what we call a logical recovery.  In this instance it is very rare our cost will change from the original estimate. You can find this cost on our prices page under logical recovery.   If we need to get more invasive then this likely involves swapping out parts and physically fixing the drive, hence the term "physical recovery".  

Our costs provided to you from the assessment will include any associated cost for donor parts and then the flat fee of recovery depending on the recovery type (physical or logical).  There are no other costs associated after this stage.   This evaluation comes with no obligation and if you do not wish to continue, we'll ship the drive back to you free of charge.

Q: Do your prices depend on the capacity of the drive to be recovered?

A: Certainly not -  However, for RAID or Multiple Hard Drive Arrays , the recovery charge will be applied to each individual drive. This is due to us having to work on each drive - even though they are working as one. All drives will need individual attention for data recovery to take place.

Q: How long do I have to accept the quote?

A: The email quote is valid for 30 Days. If you choose not to go ahead for any reason we will return your device to your chosen pick-up point if requested. If not and we do not hear back from you. We will keep your drives for 60 days and then dispose of them automatically.

Q: Can you collect my drive(s) from me on the same day?

A: Depending on where you are located we may be able to come and collect any drives from you for an additional charge to cover any mileage. The benefit you will get from this service is that we will start working on your drives sooner than awaiting them to come back in the post or via mail service. We will even drop your drives back to you if you decide not to proceed with the recovery if needed. Please ask a geek if you require collection and we will see if you are eligible.

Data recovery

Q: How long will the recovery take?

A: The recovery time will depend on the severity of the damage to the drive or data lost. Especially if your recovery falls under the physical recovery category. It will require additional work such as opening the drive and replacing the faulty parts. For Physical recoveries please allow up to 30 days dependent on the avalabilty of parts. This will be confirmed with you when we decide that a part is required. Standard logical recoveries are usually completed within 5 days. If addtional parts are required then we will put the project on hold and await approval for purchase of the drives from the customer via a quotation of additional work. E.g. a donor drive is required to get the drive up and running and to get the data off of it.

Q: Do you offer faster recovery options?

A: We treat every data-recovery project as a priority for the customer. In most cases we await drives to complete tasks. So while one customers drive is completing a task we will get to work on another customers drive using our specialist equipment.

Q: When will I hear from you and can I track my order?

A: You can track your order via our online portal. When you book your recovery you will be provided with access credentials. Giving you a full transparent view on the current status of your drive. - if agreed by the customer we will also record the recovery process of your drive for our social media content. The video may be posted on websites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn providing customer permission. During this process no data of the customers will be seen during the video.

Q: How will I get my data back?

A: We will upload your data to our secure online portal. There you will be able to download your data in your own time. However if you would like your data shipped back to you on a drive, please let us know and we can arrange this for you. If you would like to purchase a new drive for the data to be shipped back to you on. Let us know and we can provide you with a quotation.

We never recommend re-using a failed drive. This is the worst idea.

Q: Can I send an external drive for the recovered data, instead of purchasing one from you?

A: Yes, provided the drive you send us is a new (boxed) USB 3.0 external hard drive with sufficient capacity for all the data on the drive you send us for recovery.  We regret that we cannot accept slower (USB 2.0 or lower) or used drives, or any media with data already written to it. Please note that we do not encrypt (password protect) customer-supplied drives. If a hard drive recovery is not successful and the customer would like this drive back. This will be at the customers expense.

Q: Do you also send back my drive?

A: If you do not accept our recovery quote and wish to receive the drive you sent us, you have 60 days to request its return. In other cases your drive will automatically be returned, provided you did not choose the secure disposal option when requesting a quote. For secure disposal we will ensure that the drive is destroyed with no risk of anyone getting anything from it in the future.

Q: What happens if you can’t get any data back?

A: An inconvenient truth in our industry is that some cases are so severe that data recovery is not possible. It all comes down to drive type, failure type and the severity of the failure. If data cannot be recovered we will make no charge, If you have already paid us, you will be refunded in full. However if we cannot get your data back. This doesn't mean that someone else may not be able to. We will offer to recommend some other recovery companies. However they may have a considerably higher cost than ours.