frequently asked questions
how much does data recovery cost?
The price of a data recovery case depends on many factors: type of storage device, failure type, file system type, encryption, age of device, material and spare parts used during the process, utilization of equipment and licenses, hours spent, solutions used, and previous data recovery attempts.
We always need to examine the individual storage device in order to see:
what exactly is the damage to the device
whether the data is still recoverable or not
what needs to be done in order to get the data back in the safest way and with the best possible success rate
We are committed to fair and competitive pricing.
Our prices are all-inclusive: all labor and spare parts are included.
There are no hidden or additional fees.
does the amount of data recovered influence the price?
No, the price is determined solely by the problem and not by the amount of missing data.
The work that has to be done to recover any data from a damaged storage device is very complex. The effort and amount of time the engineers spend on the job is the same if you need one file or all files, therefore we aim to recover all data.
what is the data recovery process like?
Our data recovery process is simple:
You bring in or send us your device.
We thoroughly check your device and give you a free professional estimate within 2 hours.
We start the data recovery process only after your order confirmation.
You can choose between the Regular or Express data recovery option.
You choose where we put your recovered data.
You can pick-up the recovered data in person or we can send it to you via UPS.
You review and confirm the recovered data.
We delete your recovered data from our servers for safety and security purposes.
do you offer live technical support?
Yes, you can call us at 408-455-4310 to talk to an experienced data recovery expert 24/7.
do you perform data recovery work in-house?
All data recovery work is performed 100% in-house in San Jose, CA.
Our data recovery lab is equipped with the latest data recovery tools from the world’s leading manufacturers and a Class 100 Clean Room Environment, along with custom in-house built and developed tools and proprietary solutions.
We never outsource our data recovery work or send your hardware to another company and expose it to the risk of additional damage.
Your data always stays safe and secure in our lab.
do you offer free estimates?
Yes, after a detailed examination, we provide a free estimate which includes:
the final exact cost of the data recovery (we have no hidden fees and we never change the price even if we need to spend more time/material than originally estimated - we absorb all additional costs)
an estimated time for the process to be completed (the ETA)
someone else has looked at my drive and said it is badly damaged. do you offer free second opinions?
Yes, our free second opinion comes with an exact price estimate.
We examine all possibilities before we deem the data unrecoverable and lost forever and we regularly successfully recover severely damaged hard drives deemed unrecoverable by other companies.
do you offer free shipping?
Yes, we offer free UPS shipping labels.
If you can’t come to our lab, you can order a free UPS shipping label at restore@kotar.us or fill out the form on our website HERE.
After we receive your order, we'll send you a confirmation with the label attachment that you need to print out, stick on the package (you can print it on a plain piece of paper), and drop off the package at your nearest UPS store.
We recommend you place the drive in a cardboard box with heavy foam padding completely surrounding the drive (don't just use a padded envelope).
do you offer a "no data, no charge" guarantee?
Yes, in case the data is not recoverable, we cover all costs of the work, including spare parts, and the customer pays absolutely nothing.
how long does the data recovery process take?
We offer Regular and Express data recovery options.
Regular: on average, data recovery takes up to 10-15 business days and is performed during regular business hours
Express: data recovery takes up to 72 hours. It starts immediately after we receive the broken device and is performed 24/7 until we recover the data.
how will the recovered data be returned to me?
Once your data has been successfully recovered, you have three options for how to get it:
you can bring/send us your hard drive
you can buy a hard drive from us
we can lend you one of our loaner external hard drives free of charge for up to 15 days (if you use this option, you need to place a deposit for the loaner drive - it’s returned in full after we get the drive back).
If you can not pick up the recovered data in person, we can send it to you by UPS for free.
what about the security / privacy of data - is my data safe with you?
Yes, absolutely, your data stays safe and secure in our data recovery lab at all times. We are committed to total client confidentiality. All the data we recover is personal or company confidential and as such, it is always handled very carefully. We carry out work for Fortune 500 companies, health, educational and government institutions. We are bound by our Non-Disclosure Agreement or, if needed, we are happy to review and sign customer-specific agreements.
how long have you been in the data recovery business?
We have been specializing in recovering data since 1999.
Through the good and challenging times, our single most important goal has been using our expertise and technology to help people who lost their precious data.
how are you different from other data recovery companies?
We combine cutting edge data recovery technology and expertise with genuine passion for restoring people's precious data.
Our in-house research & development team is constantly looking for new solutions and developing new techniques and tools that are safe and effective.
This gives us a competitive advantage of being able to offer fast, reliable, and secure data recovery services.
my hard drive stopped working and started to make unusual noises like clicking or grinding - can you still recover the data?
Yes, most likely we can recover data from any physically damaged hard drive, including from drives with damaged heads (clicking), seized spindle motors (buzzing), damaged PCB (not spinning), firmware/system area problems, bad sectors/read errors, or any other issues.
It is important that you power the hard drive off and stop using it immediately. If the data on it is of great significance or value to you, do not use any software or attempt a DIY data recovery. This will greatly improve the chances of your data being recovered successfully.
I can't access data on my SSD - can you recover my files?
Yes, most likely we can get your data back, whether your SSD suddenly became inaccessible, was damaged due to a liquid spill, power surge, firmware corruption, or has suddenly failed.
SSDs come with complex and distinctly proprietary features which require unique techniques and in-depth engineering knowledge.
Our data recovery lab uses the latest technology and highly specialized skills to work with tiny components of specific types of memory chips and complicated translator algorithms to successfully recover data from SSDs.
my external drive fell and it’s now not recognized by my computer / laptop - can the data be recovered?
Yes, most likely we can recover the data. We recommend that you power off the device and do not attempt to restart the drive - every attempt at that increases the risk of further damaging the drive and thus reducing the chances of full data recovery.
can you recover data from an encrypted drive?
Yes, most likely we can. The encrypted hard drive offers you the utmost security and protection of data. But this benefit comes with a drawback - if you forget the password, you will not be able to access the data. Although encryption adds complexity to the recovery process, in most cases, we can recover the data in its entirety.
can you recover data from RAID, NAS, SAN, and server devices?
Yes, most likely we can. RAID, NAS, SAN and server devices configurations are complex systems that require advanced data recovery knowledge. Our experienced data recovery engineers need to analyze and reconstruct the system in order to recover data. Whether you are an individual, a small business owner with a small network-attached storage device or a corporation with massive enterprise-class servers, we can help you get back data that has been deleted, corrupted or become inaccessible.
can you recover data from my smartphone?
Yes, most likely we can recover precious photos and videos, or important contacts and messages from your smartphone.
We are equipped with the technology, expertise and unique solutions needed to access and successfully recover data from any brand and model of smartphone.
can you recover data from Apple devices?
Yes, most likely. We specialize in Apple data recovery.
We have extensive experience in recovering lost data from any situation and from all Apple devices.
Our data recovery work will not void your Apple product warranty.
can you recover data from memory cards of professional photographers?
Yes, most likely. We offer fast and efficient data recovery services for all cameras and camera cards, for all operating and file systems.
Using advanced technology and proprietary solutions, we can handle any data loss situation, from simple to the most complex.
While recovering data, we pay special attention to privacy, safety and security.
I accidentally deleted photos from my camera’s memory card - can they be recovered?
Yes, most likely we can get them back. SDs, XDs and other memory cards' files are not always completely deleted until that information has been overwritten. Therefore, it is crucial to stop taking any more photos. If you haven’t saved any more photos to it, you are much more likely to get all your erased photos back.
I connected my USB key and was prompted to format it. Now I can’t access the files. Can you help?
Yes, most likely we can. First of all, absolutely do NOT format the USB key as this can reduce the chances of recovering the data. We also recommend that you do not use a data recovery software as this can damage the USB further. If the USB key has not been interfered with since the failure, our success rate in recovering data from these devices is very high.
what devices can you recover data from?
We have the equipment, expertise and experience to recover data from any storage device, including HDDs, SSDs, laptops, desktops, servers, external hard drives, mobile phones, SD cards, NAS, RAID; from any make, model, brand or operating system; and from all types of data loss, including deletion, reformatting, electronics failure, malware, physical damage, water and fire damage.