Request a Data Recovery Quote
A useful quotation is tied to the fault and the data you need, not just the capacity printed on a drive. Give us the case history so the assessment can define a realistic scope, cost and timescale.
Case facts
Build the request around the failed system
The request should make the technical context visible before anyone tries to attach a price to it.
Identify the storage and explain the failure sequence in plain terms. A quotation request for one deleted folder is different from a request involving a dropped hard drive, a silent SSD, a degraded RAID array or a server that no longer mounts its volume.
State the make, model, capacity, operating system and connection where known. For arrays and virtual platforms, add the disk count, original order, RAID level or hypervisor details rather than treating each component as an unrelated device.
- Storage type and system configuration
- Incident, symptoms and their order
- Utilities, repairs, rebuilds or swaps already attempted
For a single storage device
Mention impact, unusual sound, heat, intermittent recognition and whether the device asks to be initialised. These observations influence the safe assessment route.
For RAID, NAS and servers
Provide the failure chronology and preserve drive order. Parity, controller metadata and later rebuild activity can be as important as the condition of any individual disk.
Estimate
A symptom-based estimate is only a starting point
Early pricing remains provisional because a visible symptom can conceal a more serious or a much simpler cause.
Capacity alone does not determine recovery cost. Two identical drives may require very different work if one has a damaged file system and the other needs compatible parts, controlled opening and progressive imaging.
An initial range can help with planning, but it should not be presented as a confirmed total before the media have been assessed. The final quotation must reflect the observed fault, handling risk and recoverable objective.
- Logical work focuses on structures, metadata and file validation
- Electronic work may involve firmware, connectors or board-level faults
- Mechanical work can require parts and a controlled clean environment
Why a remote figure has limits
The same clicking, non-detection or formatting prompt may result from several faults. Until the source is examined, the required tools and time remain uncertain.
What can be stated early
The intake can identify the likely risk class, information still needed and whether the device should remain unpowered. It cannot certify a recovery result.
Evidence
Diagnostic evidence turns an estimate into a quotation
A laboratory quotation should follow technical findings that are specific to the submitted device or system.
The diagnostic assessment establishes what work is justified and what data appear accessible. Depending on the media, it may examine stability, electronic behaviour, read errors, file-system metadata, array geometry, guest volumes or encryption.
Where the evidence allows, the resulting report can describe folder structures or representative files. That gives the client something concrete to evaluate instead of relying on a percentage with no connection to the required data.
- Fault class and proposed recovery method
- Known readable areas and priority-file evidence
- Parts, laboratory stages and unresolved risks
When clean-room handling is relevant
A mechanical hard-drive fault may require opening in a suitable clean environment and sourcing compatible components. That work is considered only when the symptoms and examination justify it.
When recovery may remain partial
Overwritten blocks, damaged flash memory, missing metadata or unavailable encryption keys can leave gaps even when other files are recoverable. The quotation should not hide those limits.
Recovery scope
Scope, priority and turnaround belong in the price
Price makes sense only when the target data, service level and delivery arrangement are understood together.
Specify the outcome you actually need. A targeted extraction of current accounts, a complete photo archive, an operational database and several terabytes of virtual machines have different verification and delivery requirements.
Urgency should be explained through the real deadline and impact. A faster handling request may change scheduling, but it cannot make unstable media safe to read aggressively or bypass the steps needed to protect the source.
- Name critical folders, databases, date ranges or file types
- Separate a hard deadline from a general preference for speed
- State the expected recovered volume and preferred delivery method
Targeted recovery
Prioritising a defined dataset can focus verification and, on fragile media, guide the read sequence. Feasibility depends on where those files are stored and which structures survive.
Full-volume recovery
A broad scope may require more imaging, reconstruction, checking and output capacity. The quotation should account for those practical stages rather than charging by capacity alone.
Decision
Approval defines the work that may begin
The quotation is the point at which technical evidence becomes a client-controlled commercial choice.
Review the price alongside the technical method, target data, timescale and stated limitations. Approval should refer to a clear scope so that a preliminary enquiry cannot be mistaken for permission to start chargeable recovery.
If the findings do not justify proceeding, the case can stop under the conditions already communicated. If approval is given, work continues within the agreed boundaries and any material change should be explained before the scope expands.
- Confirm the quoted total and what it includes
- Check whether parts, transport and output media are covered
- Understand partial-result and return arrangements
If you proceed
The recovery follows the accepted plan, with priority data used to guide extraction and validation where technically possible.
If you decline
The private round-trip transport is included. No standard intervention, transport, customs or return-media charge is due when the client declines; only a rare part approved separately at a stated price remains non-refundable.
Request
Submit the case without changing its condition
A careful submission preserves technical evidence while giving the assessment team the context needed to plan handling.
Do not run another scan, repair, format or rebuild merely to complete the form. Report the last known symptoms and leave unstable media disconnected; missing information can be clarified without risking another write or power cycle.
If the incident is unusual or you are unsure what should be included, contact Datastrophe first. For straightforward cases, provide the facts, priorities and authorised contact so the quotation route can begin efficiently.
- Keep original drives, adapters and configuration notes together
- Photograph RAID bay order before removing any component
- Wait for packing or collection instructions before dispatch
Information can be updated
You can add model numbers, configuration details or a refined priority list after the initial request. Do not delay source protection while trying to make the description perfect.
One request per incident
Keep unrelated failures separate. A distinct case history prevents devices, priorities and approvals from becoming confused during assessment and quotation.
Quote
From a free quote to an informed decision
Submitting the request does not start chargeable recovery; it prepares the diagnosis, evidence and decision.
The quote, free laboratory diagnosis and private round-trip courier service are included at no charge. A private courier transports the sealed parcel only and does not process its data; Datastrophe performs the diagnosis, recovery and file checks directly in its laboratory.
Before payment, the client receives the price and checked file list. Entries are marked recoverable_verified, partial, detected_unverified or unrecoverable, and only recoverable_verified is presented as recoverable. Final recovery, result preparation and return begin after the client accepts the list and price and pays.
If no usable data are found, recovery fails or the client declines, no standard fee applies to intervention, transport, customs or return media. Only a rare, costly part can be ordered with separate, explicit, priced approval and remains non-refundable. The request can cover tablets and iPads as well as the listed storage systems.
- Free request and diagnosis
- Checked file list before payment
- Final work only after acceptance
Your free, no-obligation quote
About you
Your request has been recorded
Our team will review the information submitted and get back to you as soon as possible.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I receive an exact quote from the symptoms alone?
Submitting the form provides the details needed for a free quote and laboratory diagnosis; it does not authorise chargeable recovery.
What should a data recovery quotation include?
It should identify the proposed work, price, expected timescale, target data, known technical limits and practical arrangements for recovered files and the original media.
Why do you ask which files are most important?
Priorities help define the useful outcome and can guide extraction or validation on fragile storage. They do not remove the need to stabilise or image areas required to reach those files.
Does accepting the quote guarantee complete recovery?
No. Acceptance authorises the assessed recovery scope. Files may still be partial or unavailable because of physical damage, overwritten blocks, corrupted metadata or inaccessible encryption.
Should I try recovery software before requesting a quote?
The checked file list and price are presented before payment. Final recovery begins after acceptance and payment, with no standard charge if there is no usable or accepted result.