Can't I just send the drive out to an outsourced company that promises the lowest costs and free pickup or delivery fees?

There are a few large American companies that have been doing business using virtual offices (drop off locations) for many years and new inexperienced companies popping up every year advertising false promises and practicing with your drive. Eliminate all the confusion and give your data the best odds of recovery by making the right decision the first time. By choosing Tri-State Data Recovery you will avoid inflated time frames, ballooning quotes, mishandling by middle men, destruction from inexperienced techs, or even loss by improper shipping just by dealing with a reputable source. At Tri-State Data Recovery you will always have the opportunity to speak with the engineer working on your case and get the answers you're looking for!

In order for us to provide you with a firm quote and no surprises on the cost of recovering your damaged storage device, we must first perform a diagnostic using state of the art professional equipment like the European PC3000 combined with over a decade of world class training and expertise.  To us a diagnostic is not a simple software scan using downloadable recovery programs like your local computer shop would do in hopes that the drive is not physically damaged.  We will provide a thorough examination in a certified class 10 clean room by a data recovery engineer on all physically damaged cases.

Data Recovery is broken down into three levels of complexity explained below in detail. Once the diagnostic has been completed, then we can provide you with a no obligation firm quote based off the complexity of the problems, cost of parts, and time involved.  If you agree to the quote, then the work will proceed and you will  be responsible for payment upon a successful recovery of your requested (noted on agreement form) data.  If the data cannot be recovered for any reason, then no further charges other than the diagnostic fee and cost of parts (if agreed upon) will be due.  There are cases where parts must be ordered and odds of success are low due to tampering, opening, banging, or running software on a damaged drive, etc…

In the event parts must be ordered and odds are low either from previous recovery attempts or previously opening and contaminated the platters, you may be required pay for the cost of parts regardless of the outcome before the remaining work can be completed.  This will become clear upon completing the diagnostics.  View the table below for the diagnostics rates and time frames before we can provide you with a firm quote.  Please note the time frame begins when the drive is received by our lab.

Why is there a diagnostic fee when other companies offer free evaluations?

At Tri-State Data Recovery we offer world-class advanced data recovery. Each case is diagnosed meticulously by a data recovery engineer using state-of-the-art technology and proprietary engineering, not a computer technician with software you can download yourself. All diagnostics on physically damaged drives are examined in a class 10 clean room thoroughly providing you with the most accurate assessment on your case. You will know what is wrong with your drive, the extent of the damage, probability of success, and the costs and time involved in recovering your priceless data. You will receive a no obligation firm quote with a realistic time frame upon completion of the diagnostic testing.

Taking your hard drive to a local repair shop that advertises data recovery along with a list of other services may seem like a logical and cost effective decision, but be warned that in the wrong hands and after further damage caused by negligence your recovery may no longer be possible.  By using improper tools, running software on a damaged hard drive or physically opening the hard drive outside of a proper class 10 clean room  will yield irrevocable damage causing lost data or complete destruction of your storage device.  Nearly all multi service shops ship out your drive after damaging it further by running software on it to a third party in another state while tacking on middle man fees.

Standard diagnostic fee

$65 + tax per drive
  • 48 hour diagnostics turnaround
  • Includes all types of hard drives and flash drives including SSD
  • A firm quote will be provided within 24 hours upon receipt of drive

Expedited diagnostic fee

$100 + tax per drive
  • 12 hour diagnostics turnaround
  • Includes all types of hard drives and flash drives including SSD
  • A firm quote will be provided within 12 hours upon receipt of drive

Standard RAID drive diagnostic fee

$100+ tax per drive
  • 48 hour diagnostics turnaround
  • Includes IDE, SATA, SCSI, SSD and SAS drives
  • A firm quote will be provided within 48 hours upon receipt of drive

Expedited RAID drive diagnostic fee

$200+ tax per drive
  • 24 hour diagnostics turnaround
  • Includes IDE, SATA, SCSI, SSD and SAS drive
  • A firm quote will be provided within 24 hours upon receipt of drive

The cost involved in recovering your data.

The estimated ranges are determined by time involved and cost of parts.  Professional data recovery is broken down into three levels of complexity for a single hard drive depending on the extent of damages.  A description and rough price range is described below to help you understand the potential costs.  If we cannot recover your data, then it isn’t possible. Period.

We have the fastest turnaround time in the industry!

The average time frame for recovery varies from case to case depending on the amount of damage.  Most cases can be completed within a week depending on parts availability and the extent of damage.  This will become clear upon completion of the diagnostic.  Emergency rush service can be provided for an additional fee.

What would make my drive unrecoverable?

False promises and exaggerated success rates are found on most "data recovery" websites and advertisements of the industry. The strategy is simple. To lure you in with a false understanding of the process. Promising the lowest rates with the highest probability of success. Annual world-class training, updates on equipment, and years of experience are required for cases that involve advanced practice and professional data recovery.

Tampering from your local computer shop, big box store, or an inexperienced data recovery company can render your drive unrecoverable in many ways.  A drive that has been continuously powered on after a head failure will cause media damage (microscopic scratches on the surfaces of the platters).  The heads read the data by floating above and below each platter, but never actually touching.  If the platters become scratched, contaminated from opening, or nicked from banging, then partial or full data loss is inevitable.

USB Flash Sticks

$300+
  • Advanced “Chip off”
  • i.e.-NAND degradation, physically damaged or bent boards
Learn more…

SSD

$1000+
  • Advanced “Chip off” or PCB repair
  • i.e.-corrosion from liquid damage or NAND degradation
Learn more…

Servers or NAS devices

Contact us
  • Rebuilding failed RAID arrays
  • i.e.-damaged drives or a controller failure
Learn more…

Level 1 HDD Data Recovery

$300-700
  • Logical data recovery
  • i.e.-accidental format or virus corruption
Learn more…

Level 2 HDD Data Recovery

$700-1000
  • Minor physical damage
  • i.e.-bad sectors, firmware corruption or weak heads
Learn more…

Level 3 HDD Data Recovery

$1000-5000
  • Major physical damage
  • i.e.-bad heads, platter damage or seized motors
Learn more…

Verify the recovered data upon completion

Once the quote has been approved and the data recovery has been completed you will have the opportunity to verify the recovered data upon completion to ensure complete satisfaction in our services.

Shipping?

We will send you a file list upon approval and after completion.  Once the data has been verified by you the final payment can be made via a credit card online via our invoicing system.  You will know exactly what has been recovered before making the final payment.  Once the payment has been made we will ship back your data on a good storage device in it’s original format.

Local?

We love working with the local community!  If you are in the greater Philadelphia region you can schedule an appointment to drop off and pick up your storage device in person.  We can give you a personal tour of our facility and you can verify the recovered data in person in our facility.

Partial recoveries

In some cases the damage is severe and a full recovery is not possible.  It’s important to target the most important data first before attempting the less important or redundant data.  If the quote has been approved and only a partial recovery is possible, then we will reduce the price accordingly.  The results of the partial recovery will be explained thoroughly to ensure satisfaction and a fair price.

What is considered a partial recovery?

We consider a full recovery 98% or better of the vital data you had noted in the beginning of the process.  You will have the opportunity to note the most important data needed on our authorization form when starting the process and submitting a case.

How long do you hold my data?

We have a very strict insurance policy involving HIPAA and confidentiality.  We do not hold your storage device longer than our policy allows.  We will keep a copy of your data for two weeks after the completion date to give you time to create a back up of the recovered data unless special arrangements have been made in writing.  Any items left over 30 days from start date will become property of Tri-State Data Recovery & Forensics, LLC and be disposed of securely.

When is the payment due?

The diagnostic fee is due up front before the process starts.  The final payment is due upon completion of the recovery.  Any items left over thirty days from the start of the process become property of Tri-State Data Recovery & Forensics, LLC and will be disposed of securely.