Data Recovery
Crashed computer, dropped hard drive, or deleted files? Data loss can feel like a nightmare, and it’s often a matter of “when” rather than “if.” At Fix My Laptop Brisbane, we provide professional data recovery for broken computers, failed hard drives, corrupted SSDs, erased USB sticks, and damaged SD cards. With our expertise, you have a reliable chance to get your files back.
When You Might Need Data Recovery
Imagine your computer fails and suddenly family photos, documents, and music collections are gone. With data recovery, those files can be restored.
Data loss can happen to anyone, and it is usually a matter of “when” rather than “if.” If you have not experienced it yet, that is good news, but it also means now is the time to set up proper backups before it is too late.
The most common scenarios include crashed computers, dropped hard drives, corrupted USB sticks, damaged memory cards, and even natural disasters. Data can also be lost by accidentally deleting files, reformatting drives, or restoring a computer to factory settings without saving your information first.
In the worst cases, files become encrypted by ransomware. Without reliable backups, there is a strong chance those files will be gone for good.
Typical Warning Signs
Most people store their data on hard drives and fortunately, they will usually give you plenty of warnings before failing!
If your computer freezes or slows down over time, the cause is often a failing hard drive.
When a system will not boot and shows messages like “no bootable device” or “missing operating system,” it means the computer is trying to read the data but cannot.
In some cases, the machine may launch a diagnostics or self-repair routine. This can provide temporary relief, but it rarely solves the problem. Treat these issues as early warning signs.
Another common scenario is when you plug in a USB stick or portable hard drive and see the message “drive needs to be formatted.” Avoid formatting the drive, as it can make recovery much harder.
How to Recover Data – DIY Way
If you cannot risk losing data, contact a professional. Drives that click, fail to spin, or show physical damage need expert recovery. DIY attempts may make the problem worse.
If your hard drive is physically damaged, makes clicking noises, or refuses to spin, seek professional help right away. Acting quickly gives you the best chance of saving your files.
You can also run a hard drive diagnostic tool such as CrystalDiskInfo or GSmartControl. These programs are not always accurate, but they often provide a quick and free way to spot potential issues. When you see warnings or error messages, make a backup as soon as possible. Begin with your most important files, because the drive may fail at any moment.
For deleted files or a formatted drive, tools like Recuva can be useful. This affordable data recovery software can handle some simple cases. Always save recovered files to a separate drive or USB stick. Reusing the original device puts your remaining data at risk.
How We Recover Data
So far, we have been able to recover about 80% of the failing drives. 10% get sent to specialized data recovery labs. They are expensive but have a higher chance of success. The remaining 10%? Too bad!
If you need data recovery, visit us for fast and reliable help. In most cases we can diagnose the problem and provide an estimate the same day. When the data is extremely valuable and requires advanced treatment, we can refer you to a partner lab that uses clean rooms, spare parts, and specialised equipment to increase the chances of success.
With our own equipment and experience, we are able to recover data in the majority of cases. While no recovery can ever be guaranteed, we always put in our best effort. The process begins with a full sector-by-sector image of the drive, capturing the accessible data first. This approach allows us to recover the maximum amount of information in the shortest possible time.
Next, we address the slower areas with bad sectors, damaged blocks, or failing drive heads. Once no further data can be extracted at the physical level, we move on to logical recovery of the file systems. At this stage we check whether the files are readable and can be opened. Finally, the recovered data is copied to a new drive, which you can either purchase from us or supply yourself.
Typical Costs
Every data recovery case is different. Talk to us, bring your device and we can give you a quote. You can bring your own hard drive or USB stick or buy one from us.
|
Service |
Cost |
|
Diagnostics and evaluation (waived if recovery proceeds) |
$100 |
|
Data backup from a working computer |
$150 – $200 |
|
Corrupted USB stick or SD card |
$150+ |
|
Backup from broken computer |
$250+ |
|
Recovery from broken computer with failing hard drive or SSD |
$500+ |
|
Advanced recovery by specialist partner (physically damaged drives, logic board replacements, seized spindle motors, stuck heads) |
$1000 – $2000 |