performed on the duplicate disk so that the recovery team can go back to the original device(s) if necessary). Typically, hardware engineers are responsible for extracting the raw data from the failed or damaged device and making the duplicate disk. Then, it is the software engineers that go to work on the duplicate disk to try to extract the data from the file system. The extracted files are then exported into the same directory structure that had existed on the original drive (whenever possible). The recovered data is then copied onto the customer's choice of media and format and sent back to the customer.

Depending on your point of view, data recovery services are either quite expensive or a great bargain. Your particular evaluation of the relative worth of data recovery services will depend to a large degree on the value of the data that you have lost. If you are a casual home computer user and your disk crashed, it might seem outrageous to have to pay several hundred dollars to have your computer restored. However, if you use your computer for work and have weeks, months or even years worth of work on your hard drive, a few hundred dollars or even a few thousand dollars will seem paltry compared to the time and effort that would be required to reproduce your work. The good news is that there are options for all needs and budgets; you just need to do your due diligence in finding the right data recovery company.

Important features and functions of data recovery companies
If your computer device has failed and you need data recovery services, there are several features to compare among data recovery companies. One of the most important items to understand is the different ways that companies price their data recovery services. Some data recovery companies use flat rate pricing, where they will charge you a preset price, which is based on the type of device that needs to be restored. For example, if you have a laptop with a 10G hard drive, you will be charged one rate; a laptop with a 30G hard drive would cost more.

Other data recovery companies offer different levels of pricing based on the services they will perform. Often, these will be a 'simple' recovery (for things like bad partitions, formats, and logic boards) for a lower cost, and then an 'advanced' recovery (rebuild hard drives, corruptions, viruses, etc.) for a higher cost.

Finally, many data recovery companies will only give you a specific quote once they know the nature of the data recovery required. Typically, you would need to call a toll-free number to speak with a representative who will analyze your case and give you a quote. Sometimes, you will need to send the computer and/or disk in before you get the firm quote. Once the situation has been analyzed, they will tell you the amount and details of data recoverable from the device, information about any problems with the data, a prognosis for successful recovery of the data, and a firm quote to complete the project. Once the quote has been approved, work begins.