Falls Technology ServicesLosing files is stressful. The good news: often they're recoverable. The honest news: not always, and what you do in the first hour matters most.
Stop using the device
Deleted files usually stay on a drive until something new is written over them. Every minute of use, every download and update, can overwrite what you're trying to save. If a drive is clicking, grinding or not showing up, turn it off: running a failing drive can make it worse.
Often recoverable
- Files deleted recently, if the device hasn't been used much since
- A drive that was accidentally formatted
- A computer that won't start, where the drive itself is fine
- An external drive or memory card that "needs formatting" (don't click format)
Harder, sometimes impossible
- A drive with physical damage (clicking, not spinning): this needs a specialist clean-room lab and can be expensive
- Modern solid-state drives (SSDs) after files are deleted: the drive often wipes deleted space automatically
- Phones: they're encrypted, so recovery usually depends on the phone starting up or a backup existing
- Files that have been overwritten by new data
- Encrypted drives without the password or recovery key
Don't
- Install recovery software onto the same drive you're recovering from
- Open the drive or put it in the freezer (an old myth)
- Keep restarting a failing computer over and over
The real fix: a backup
Recovery is a rescue, not a plan. Once your files are back, set up an automatic backup so next time it's a non-event.
We'll tell you honestly what's likely to be recoverable. For physically damaged drives we'll explain the options, including specialist labs, before you spend anything.
Need a hand?
More about our data recovery help. Or tell us what's going on and we'll get back to you.
Send us a message or call (208) 745-2981, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.