Data Recovery: How Much Does It Cost? How Does It Work?

Data recovery, frequently asked questions:

How much does data recovery cost? How can I diagnose my hard drive failure myself? Can I repair my hard drive myself? Why are quotes free at Chronodisk? What are the timeframes for getting a quote?

We will try to provide answers to all these questions you may have, always in the interest of transparency. This article complements our offer presentation page.

• How can I identify the failure of my hard drive or Raid server?

There are 2 main types of failures: logical failures, physical failures. Some are harmless to your data but others can damage it or destroy it permanently.

We have set up a 100% free, no-obligation quote that lets you have your media (hard drive, SSD, RAID, USB drive…) diagnosed within a few hours. Take advantage of this service to find out the type of failure, the timeframe, and the best price for recovering your data.

• Why are quotes free at Chronodisk?

Chronodisk was one of the first data recovery labs to offer a free, no-obligation quote to all its clients. We were also among the first to significantly lower the cost of recoveries from electromechanical failures in a cleanroom. 10 years ago, you had to budget between €2500 and €5000 per drive to get your data back.

• My media is encrypted / protected, what happens in that case?

To recover encrypted data, it is essential to know the password, and to have the encryption key, certificate, or token.

If you have lost the encryption keys, or if you have forgotten the password, we will not attempt to recover your data, as it would be unreadable in any case. However, we can bypass ATA passwords for hard drive access or passwords on Microsoft Office documents. These protect your documents without encrypting them. If you are unsure about the protection installed on your drive, contact us.

File testing is only possible if the files are decrypted.

• What are the timeframes for getting a quote?

You receive the results of the diagnostic quote within 2 to 6 hours after dropping off your media with us or sending it to us. We can offer free pickup within mainland France.

Instructions for accepting this quote will be provided in the email

• What are the success rates?

100% when the internal platters are perfectly sound.

In any case, the recovery fee is not charged when recovery is impossible

• Will I recover all of my data?

No lab can guarantee you 100% that your data will be fully recovered and in good working condition without having carried out the recovery work.

We have several processes and tools that allow us to try multiple extraction methods when the files are not in a satisfactory state.

As soon as file extraction is complete, our technicians check the priority files you indicated to us. And a listing is immediately sent to you by email. There you will find all the folder and file names organized in a tree structure, just like in your file explorer. After you review and approve this listing, we will start a copy onto a healthy drive or provide you with a download link.

• Why is data recovery sometimes so costly?

We do everything we can to offer quality services at fair prices. We use the most advanced technologies and costly equipment that must be renewed regularly.

We take no risks with your media. A drive handled outside a lab by people who are not skilled in data extraction can be fatal and cause irreversible damage, thereby making any future recovery impossible.