Frequently-asked Customer Questions

General Service Questions

A: The most common cause of data loss is physical media damage, whereby the hard disk drive receives a physical shock causing the head to hit the platter or damage one of the moving parts. This condition will not always cause a failure straight away but the condition of the platter and internal parts will probably deteriorate and then the failure will occur. This will potentially cause the most damage if a laptop or mobile device is dropped at the same time the HDD is reading or writing data.

It is important to note that all disk drives fail eventually and these failures will significantly be influenced by the environmental conditions to which the HDD has been exposed.

Q: What is your average turn-around time for a hard drive recovery?
A: The turn-around time depends on the nature and complexity of the data loss problem. For cases in which the hardware is functioning normally, the remote service is the quickest solution. This service performs lab quality recovery in as little as one hour. It also depends on the service level you have selected. The average recovery on a standard service level is 3-5 days (including evaluation, recovery and return of data). If no additional parts are required, then this can be reduced to 2-3 days. Learn more about your service level options.

Q: What does the data recovery process entail?
A: View our data recovery process from start to finish in an easy to read format.

Q: How do you charge for your service and what are the typical costs?
A: We try to make our pricing structure as transparent as possible. After an initial consultation, you will receive a fixed price range for the recovery. The next step is the evaluation, for which there is a nominal charge to cover the costs of engineering resources, necessary equipment, parts procurement, and comprehensive reporting tools.

A key feature of our evaluation service is Ontrack Verifile™ data reports, which allow you to determine which files can be recovered before committing to full recovery fees. This enables you to make an informed decision about your recovery and only request the files you need. Beware of companies that offer "free" evaluations since, in many cases, these evaluations do not produce sufficient information for customers to make an educated decision - basically you pay for what you get! After the evaluation you will be given an exact price for the full recovery.

Q: Where can I get the pricelist?
A: Actual pricing will vary based on the media capacity, system type, nature and severity of the data loss, as well as the service level and resources required. Get a quote and a free consultation.

Q: What type of media and operating system can you recover from?
A: We have the tools, capabilities and expertise to recover data from ANY storage media, operating system or file type - no matter how extreme the cause.

Q: The Service Partner service automatically upgrades to express: Does that mean that deciding to pay for Express level won't make it faster?
A: Yes and no. They jump the queue to Partner Service level which puts them ahead of all Standard service level jobs. The only difference between Express and Partner service level is that we work Saturdays on Express and hence there is sometimes a benefit of taking the Express service over Partner service. The Emergency Service level is the one to choose for cases where the data is extremely-time critical.

Technical Service Questions

Q: What about RAID arrays? Can data be recovered from dual disk failures?
A: Although RAID arrays serve as one option for safeguarding data they are not totally fault tolerant. We have the most advanced RAID recovery tools in the industry with the most experienced engineers. In cases where more than one disk has failed, we have the tools and capabilities to repair and rebuild the RAID structure. We can perform all types of RAID recoveries both in-lab and remotely. For a remote RAID 5 recovery we need to see all the drives visible - i.e. though a SCSI card.

Q: Does the software package allow for RAID recovery services?
A: Due to the complexity of RAID, we do not recommend using software for data recovery in this instance. The data from RAID is often critical in nature and failed recovery attempts can lead to permanent data loss.

Q: Is recovery from SRAM possible?
A: The best advice is to consult a data recovery specialist for advice on a case-by-case basis.

Q: Have you ever recovered any data for Microsoft?
A: Yes, we have performed countless recoveries for Microsoft, the world's leading operating system. Kroll Ontrack works closely with Microsoft to ensure its tools are compatible with system updates - eg Vista. In fact, Kroll Ontrack has been recognised for its expertise with Microsoft technologies by attaining Gold Certified status in the Microsoft Partner Programme.

Q: Do you support disk families on large systems?
A: Yes, we do. In fact, we have the tools and capabilities to recover data from any system, media or storage device.

Q: Why isn't recovered data delivered in the same directory structure?
A: Sometimes when the directory structure is damaged we are able to bring files back but we have to create a new path. There are lots of reasons a directory structure can be damaged and these vary from situation to situation.

Q: In general should we move 'my documents' to another partition or drive?
A: We have a strong preference for working on the original media. If you would like to copy your files to a new location in order to try and access the files this is fine. We advise you don't make any changes to the original location and don't let CHKDSK run. If you end up sending the drive in, send us your original drive as it is often not possible to get good recoveries from copies.

Q: Can you restore a partition damaged as a result of viruses, wrong action of user partition creation with several hard disk partition manager software?
A: As far as partitioning software is concerned, generally we are successful, but each case needs to be treated individually - the more the user does, the harder it generally gets for us.

Remote Service Questions

Q: What is remote data recovery?
A: Remote data recovery services is a patented technology, allowing Ontrack Data Recovery service engineers to perform lab-quality recoveries right on your server, desktop or laptop through a secure modem or Internet connection.

Q: How is the initial evaluation handled for remote recoveries?
A: In very much the same way as an In-Lab - just remotely! The tools for a remote recovery are the same tools as used in lab.

Q: I am worried about the security of the data or my network, how is the security of my data managed via Ontrack Data Recovery services?
A: Your data's security is assured thanks to the proprietary communication protocol, encrypted packets and secure facilities offered as part of the Ontrack Data Recovery services.

Q: Does it take a long time to establish the connection to RDR?
A: No. Many customers get connected in less than 10 minutes.

Q: Can I use RDR if I have a proxy server or firewall?
A: Yes - the RDR software has been specifically designed to work with most Proxy and Firewall configurations.

Ontrack® Data Recovery Software Questions

Q: My hard drive/server/RAID system is working properly, but some files have disappeared or are inaccessible, what should I do?
A: Ontrack® Data Recovery software was designed to solve any data loss situation caused by logical failure on a storage unit/device.

Q: I made a mistake and deleted some of my important files and folders, is it possible to recover them?
A: Yes, the Ontrack EasyRecovery^™ software allows you to recover, restore and repair a wide range of files.

Q: Can I repair a hard drive with Ontrack^® Data Recovery software?
A: If your drive suffers from physical failure, then a In-lab data recovery services will be the best option. Ontrack Data Recovery software can only work with functioning drives.

Q: Are there software tools for flash disk data recovery?
A: Yes, assuming the data loss was caused by logical failure, software such as Ontrack EasyRecovery^™ which has FAT32 recovery capabilities will be a suitable recovery option.

Q: Can Ontrack EasyRecovery^™ potentially do all that remote data recovery services can, and if not, what can it not do?
A: Although Ontrack EasyRecovery^® is an effective tool for most cases of data loss, remote data recovery or In-lab services may be more suitable for complex data loss disasters.

Q: My exchange server is down, how can I recover/restore existing data?
A: Ontrack® PowerControls^™ is the solution you need. It is a simple, yet powerful tool for copying, searching, recovering and analysing data directly from Microsoft^® Exchange Server backups, un-mounted databases (EDB) and Information Store files.