Data Recovery Guides

When important data suddenly becomes inaccessible, swift and considered action is critical. On this overview page you will find detailed guides for every relevant area of data recovery – from failed hard drives and SSDs to crashed RAID arrays and NAS systems, plus damaged USB sticks, SD cards, and ransomware-encrypted servers.

When does professional data recovery make sense?

DIY recovery with software can work for purely logical damage – accidentally deleted files, formatting errors, partition issues. As soon as physical damage is involved (clicking noises on a hard drive, an SSD that is not detected, water or drop damage, or a RAID crash), recovery must take place in a certified cleanroom laboratory. Every additional attempt to power on the device reduces the success rate.

What does professional data recovery cost?

Reputable labs work on a No Recovery, No Pay basis: a professional analysis with a fixed-price quote is transparent. Logical damage starts at around €300, mechanical hard drive damage typically ranges from €500 to €1,500, and RAID/NAS recovery starts at approximately €800. A full breakdown is in the guide on data recovery costs.

Why TÜV certification and a cleanroom matter

An ISO 5 cleanroom is a prerequisite for opening hard drives without dust particles causing further damage. TÜV certification documents compliance with statutory data protection and quality standards. Both are hard criteria for identifying reputable providers – see how to spot a reputable lab.

Which storage media can be recovered?

Practically every common medium is recoverable today – HDDs, SSDs (including hardware-encrypted), NVMe drives, all RAID levels, NAS systems from Synology, QNAP or Buffalo, USB sticks, SD and microSD cards, mobile devices, and server drives. For ransomware encryption or proprietary crypto mechanisms, forensic procedures apply.