Your kids pictures. Your updated resume. The last 7 years of taxes. All your client information. All this and more is possibly on your computer. Hopefully you have saved these files and photos on the cloud or on an external drive. If not, what happens when your computer dies?
Do You Have A Reliable Back-up For Your Files?
The fear is real, especially if you don't have a recent backup for your files and photos. Are the pictures of little Johnny's kindergarten graduation with him posed in front of the Medina Gazebo gone forever? Are you convinced this will be the year the IRS calls and your taxes are lost on a dead computer? Are you due in court next week and need to access your case files?
That's when you learn the phrase Data Recovery. Data Recovery is a process of salvaging (retrieving) inaccessible, lost, corrupted, damaged or formatted data when the data stored in them cannot be accessed in a normal way.
And the price tag can be hefty. Most recovery companies charge $1 per GB, which means a 3TB drive would cost $3000 to recover. Some companies charge less and there are even free programs out there that promise to help you do it yourself. There are risks; what if you try it yourself and make it worse? Failed or inept recovery attempts can make valuable information permanently irretrievable. How do you figure out what you need?
Did you know the first recovery attempt is the crucial one?
First, you need a company or individual you can trust to look at your device and tell you how dire the situation is. Often times, initial attempts at data recovery can actually further corrupt the data and make the chances of getting your information back nearly impossible. If your hard disk drive has failed and your data is important, don't take chances. Avoid permanently losing your data and use a professional because statistically the chances of retrieving your lost data AT THE TIME OF DRIVE FAILURE are well over 90%.
Once you find somewhere to take your computer, ask if they charge you to just look at it, a diagnostic fee? Will they apply that diagnostic fee toward the cost of the repair/recovery? If they can't get the files and photos, what is their next step to help you save your memories?
What should you expect? The recovery and transfer of your files and photos to a new external drive should not take more than 1 week and for easier cases this can sometimes be accomplished within 1 working day (some places may charge a small fee to move your repair to the front of the line). If there is an unusual amount of recovery work to be done, that should be made clear to you.
Can your computer also be saved? Maybe!
Some important things to note. If your computer is able to be repaired, your hard drive will be reformatted and your operating system will be reinstalled. During this process, all programs loaded onto your computer will be lost. For example, let's say 300 of your Microsoft Word files are recovered and reloaded onto your computer. Your Microsoft Word PROGRAM will ALSO need to be reinstalled; you will need to provide your license information for Word to be reinstalled. That information is usually a simple code found on the original packaging or was given to you when you registered and can easily be resent to you from Microsoft.
If you live in or near Medina Square in Ohio you have a trusted place to take your computer to, RizTech. At RizTech, they will look at your device for a nominal $49.98 diagnostic fee (at the time of writing this blog diagnostics are free). RizTech has the tools and talent to evaluate how much of your data can be saved or tell you simply if it can be done. (It usually can be done.) If you proceed with the necessary repairs, the diagnostic fee will be applied to the cost of your repairs.
Contact Us HERE