How long will it take TLSI to recover my data?

On average, the data recovery process takes from 1 to 3 working days. The exact time needed will depend on the condition of the disk or hard drive, the operating system, resident software, and other extenuating circumstances. Since we charge by the project rather than by the hour, it is to our advantage to recover your data as quickly as possible.

What do I need to provide TLSI to start the data recovery process?

  • Your disk or hard drive
  • Occasionally your controller card and, on rare occasions, your CPU if it is proprietary
  • Your boot disk if you are using a less common operating system
  • Pertinent information, including the circumstances under which the drive crashed. Also, a history of previous problems with your hard drive or system will be helpful. For instance:
    • Was the drive being optimized?
    • Did the drive not power-up after the last shutdown?
    • Was processing in progress?
    • Did you just download something from somewhere?

What will TLSI’s services cost?

All data recovery prices are determined by the size of the drive. There are additional set-up fees when proprietary partitioning schemes have been used, and when compression software such as Stacker, DriveSpace or DblSpace or any data recovery software has been used.

While TLSI cannot guarantee the recovery of your data, our 96%-98% success rate is one of the highest in the industry. If your data is not recoverable, you pay only the $100 set-up fee plus any applicable taxes and shipping costs.

All data recovery work is billed COD. Other arrangements for payment must be made prior to the recovery process beginning.

For maximum protection of your data, TLSI ships all recovered data on CD-ROM (along with your hard drive or original disk). To ensure that your data is not lost in transit, TLSI retains a copy of your data on its servers until you have verified receipt.

How can I safeguard myself against data loss?

  • Backup your data regularly. Use at least two backups. Numerous systems come to TLSI because of bad backups. Make sure that you do a compare every time and a restore every other time. Even though the data was compared and backups look good, without doing a physical restore, you can't be sure.
  • Run de-fragmenting or an optimizing program at least once a week as long as your drive has no problems. This will help increase the performance of your system and keep your data organized in case your drive goes down.
  • Keep your system cool. Use mobile drive docs that are available inexpensively to help keep drives cool.
  • Clean your system internally every quarter. Use an air hose or other compressed air source to blow out your power supply and floppy drives. This will keep dirt and dust from building up and creating a cooling problem.
  • Be sure to protect the fans from the high-pressure air.
  • Protect your machine. Keep your computer in a cool, safe area where it will not get accidentally bumped or damaged, or where it will overheat. Good airflow is critical!
  • If you run any type of data recovery software, make the undo disks. These are critical to the data recovery process if the software fails to recover your data.

What should I avoid doing after data loss?

  • Do not run defragmenting software or any type of optimizing software on a drive with problems. This could move your data around and overwrite otherwise recoverable data files that have been lost.
  • Do not use data recovery software on an unstable drive. There is always the chance that the software could scramble or destroy valuable data files.
  • Do not hit the drive with anything. Sounds crazy, but some people may advise you to hit or tap the drive to unstick it. In fact, most newer drives do not suffer from stiction (when the read/write heads adhere to the platters) and hitting them will cause the heads to twist and possibly groove the platters, causing the possible loss of some or all of your data.
  • Do not turn the power on and off repeatedly. If your drive is making unusual noises, shut the system down immediately. You could be causing irreparable damage to the media and read/write heads.
  • Do not ship a drive via UPS or U.S. Mail. We recommend using Federal Express or a private courier company, they have the best shipping records with TLSI and with our clients.
  • Do not FDISK or FORMAT a drive to cure a problem. Your data will disappear.
  • If you accidentally format or delete files on your drive, do not install, copy or move software or data on the formatted drive. This can overwrite your old data and make recovery hard or impossible.
  • Do not run the system with the cover off. This will cause thermal problems within the drive and possibly the system and may result in a partial or complete loss of data.
  • Do not open the drive. The smallest particle could ruin the drive. The clearance level for most read/write heads is 1/10 micron and the average fingerprint is 13 microns high.
  • Do not remove any warranty seals on your drive. This will void your warranty.