If you are reading this post you are probably in need of data recovery services. This article should help you figure out your next steps.
First thing you should do after getting your data back is to set up a reliable backup. Read my previous post for more information.
Data recovery for smartphones and tablets
Years ago I worked as a cellphone repair technician for Sprint. This was the pre-iPhone time when Blackberry and Palm OS ruled the “smartphone” market. Repairs were fairly simple as they usually involved swapping bad parts for good ones.
Data recovery options were limited and required your phone to power on and your data port to not be damaged. This is still important if trying to recover data from your smartphone. If your device doesn’t power on you will have to either try an repair it or send it to a professional data recovery service for recovery.
If your smartphone or tablet is damaged but it powers on, try and back it up. This is the simplest way to save and recover that data. If your screen is broken you might not be able to get this done. Software like FoneDog can come in handy but make sure to choose the correct software option for your situation and expect to spend $50-$100.
If you’re ready to spend $100 you should call your local smartphone repair shop and see what they charge. It shouldn’t cost you anything to get an estimate.
Data recovery for your computer
If you don’t have a good backup and your computer crashed you will need to get your data recovered or your computer repaired. Depending on the issue, repairing might not be the best choice. It might not be worth spending money on it if the repair costs more than a replacement computer.
Unless your computer crashed due to hard drive issues, you should be able to recover the data yourself. All you need is a SATA/IDE to USB Adapter. This one costs around $30.
You will need to take the hard drive out of your computer and connect it to another computer using the adapter. If your drive came from a Mac computer you should connect it to another Mac computer for best results. If you were on a PC then another PC is your best bet.
The drive from your old computer should show up as an external hard drive and you will be able to copy files from it to your working computer. If you’re borrowing a computer then you can copy all your recovered files onto an external hard drive if you have one. Amazon currently has a 2TB USB 3 drive for $60.
Conclusion
Data recovery is not for everyone.
This whole process can be stressful if you’re not a computer expert or don’t have someone to guide you through the process and deal with all the little unexpected obstacles. Also keep in mind that if the hard drive is actually faulty you might be damaging it further by trying to recover data from it yourself.
Your last option would be a true data recovery service like Drive Savers. It will be costly but they offer a guarantee and free estimates.
