This is usually the least serious fault. It does not require cleanroom work, and we can recover your data using specialised software. As a result, it is usually the least expensive type of recovery. Logical faults are most often caused by mishandling, an accidental hard drive format, deleted files, a risky reinstall, downloading a virus by opening an email, for example… Data can sometimes also become corrupted during transfers or updates to our PC or NAS systems.
Don’t panic — since your media is not damaged, it will not need to be opened in a cleanroom. Your data is still there, but it is corrupted or inaccessible. Only its structure or organisation has been affected, so it is essential to avoid any write operation on your media, or you risk permanently erasing your files by overwriting them. We recommend stopping any use of your media so as not to damage it further.
This type of fault does not cause any unusual noises — the drive may still be recognised by the operating system, but some data or partitions become inaccessible. Your media may also fail to start up, your hard drive may no longer be detected, or you may see an error message such as “no boot device available”, depending on your system. Don’t despair in these situations. As long as your data has not been overwritten by other information, it can very likely still be recovered.
Data Recovery
We are recognised experts. Our engineers draw on more than 15 years of experience, proprietary tools and methods.
A reliable, simple and fast service
We handle all your media
We are able to offer data recovery for all your media, across all brands.
What is data recovery?
Step inside our laboratory. Our engineers explain the principles behind our work.
The stages of our service
We offer a service proven over 15 years, with clear stages and a simple process.
01
You contact us
02
You drop off your media or we arrange collection
03
We assess your fault free of charge
04
You approve the quote following the assessment
05
We carry out the data recovery
06
You receive the list of recovered files
07
You pay for the service
08
We return your data to you
Start a data recovery now
Request your free assessment and arrange a free collection of your media
We recover your data from all your IT media
Individuals or businesses, we can all be confronted one day with the loss of precious data: family photos, accounts, work documents, administrative paperwork, music, videos… Whether your lost data is personal or sensitive to your business, it can almost always be recovered.
While many things can lead to data loss, that loss is fortunately not irreversible. The cause can be human or accidental: formatting carried out without a prior backup, an accidental deletion or emptied recycle bin, a lost partition, a power surge, destruction of the device holding your data, and so on. The causes are many. Often, the loss or degradation of our data comes down to technical issues: hardware faults (or physical faults), logical faults… Our data recovery service can help whatever your problem.
Whatever your media, HDD and SSD hard drives, RAID or NAS servers, USB key, (micro-)SD memory card, smartphone or any other device, we have solutions suited to recovering your most valuable data (personal or professional). Our customer service is available Monday to Saturday and does everything possible to recover your lost data. In an emergency, businesses and organisations can also contact our crisis unit, which can respond in under 4 hours, 24/7/365.
What’s at stake in data recovery
For businesses, a substantial loss of data, whether malicious or accidental, can be extremely critical and lead to business interruption at considerable cost. It is therefore crucial to act as quickly as possible to limit the impact of this setback. The loss of a company’s entire IT data (accounting, business or customer databases, sales management, emails…) can significantly slow the business down, depending on how severe the damage is.
For individuals, the data stored on their computer or phone often carries mainly sentimental value, but its loss still affects them. All too often, businesses and individuals alike wrongly assume that their lost documents are gone for good. Our experience and track record have shown us that this is usually not the case. If you have lost your data, do not hesitate to call on our specialists — we will advise you on the recovery solutions best suited to your case. Bear in mind, however, that your media will often only allow for a single recovery attempt, so avoid taking any risks and stay optimistic! No storage media is infallible, and we generally have not made the backup that could have protected us from this problem. It is therefore quite likely that individuals and businesses alike will, at some point, face a dead hard drive or a failed storage device.
The main causes of data loss
Unfortunately, the reasons are many and varied: human error, mishandling, hardware failure or fault, software malfunction, hacking… None of us is immune to any of these causes, and we can find ourselves, overnight, facing inaccessible or corrupted files.
Whatever the media (HDD or SSD hard drive, NAS or RAID server, memory card, CD, DVD, USB key, phone…), there are two main types of fault:
— Logical fault (software or system fault): the hardware still works, but the files have disappeared or are corrupted.
— Physical fault: the hardware no longer works and the files can no longer be accessed.
Our advice
Never open a hard drive outside a cleanroom! Doing so will leave traces and damage the platters. Opening a hard drive is a delicate operation that must be carried out in a sterile room to prevent dust contamination. The slightest damage to the surface of the platters could cause irreversible loss of your precious data. That’s why, at Chronodisk, our laboratory is equipped with an ISO-5/Class 100 cleanroom, and our team of specialists has been dedicated to your data for 15 years. Our technicians can also, if needed, work directly on your company’s premises.
A physical fault can be mechanical or electronic — it is the most unforgiving type of fault, as it requires opening the media in a cleanroom and the involvement of specialist technicians. This is commonly known as a “hard drive crash”, and repair is often necessary (replacing read heads, repairing the circuit board or any other component, using parts from an equivalent model). The causes of a physical fault can vary widely: an impact or drop, accidental causes such as flooding or fire, a power surge, drive wear, warped platters, firmware failure… These faults are generally marked by the drive malfunctioning or even failing to start at all.
How do you recognise a physical fault? The symptoms are distinctive: drive not recognised by the BIOS, metallic noises (clicking) during operation, unusual vibrations, very slow transfer speeds, inability to boot the system, repeated powering on and off, burning smells…
In every case, you should stop using your media completely to avoid irreversible data loss. You will then need to consider bringing or sending your damaged equipment to a company that specialises in data recovery — the only one able to recover your precious files. We are here to help.
How do you recognise a physical fault? The symptoms are distinctive: drive not recognised by the BIOS, metallic noises (clicking) during operation, unusual vibrations, very slow transfer speeds, inability to boot the system, repeated powering on and off, burning smells…
In every case, you should stop using your media completely to avoid irreversible data loss. You will then need to consider bringing or sending your damaged equipment to a company that specialises in data recovery — the only one able to recover your precious files. We are here to help.
Start a data recovery now
Request your free assessment and arrange a free collection of your media
Recovering your lost data
Data loss doesn’t have to happen! The first step is to make regular backups of your media. If you do experience a loss, it is still best to call on specialists who can advise you professionally, and who are often the only ones able to recover your files, as they have the necessary equipment and skills. Chronodisk has more than 15 years of experience and keeps learning.
To maximise your chances of data recovery, it is essential to avoid any write operation on your media and to stop using it before the loss becomes permanent. Above all, never try to open your media yourself — you risk damaging it irreversibly. The best approach is to switch off your device and contact us for a free diagnosis.