Taking the plunge into Professional Data Recovery - SalvationData Products

[Simmy]

I've dabbled in data recovery for a while and learnt what I can online but when it comes to firmware/hardware problems, I have to outsource it to another company.

With the end of the financial year looming, it makes sense for me to spend some dorrar to get my tax bill down so I'm looking into some data recovery kit. The main contenders being Acelabs PC3000 and Salvationdata Data Compass.

I'm going with Salvationdata's head platter exchange tools (£410 + vat!) and most likely Data Compass (£1535 + vat) to start with, which will allow me to fix firmware issues and damaged head stacks.

Has anyone on here got experience with either bit of kit? It's alot of money to spend so I want to get it right!

I've got 10-15 dead hard drives with me, from work done in the past, which will allow me to get to grips with the equipment. It seems like alot of money, but I figure I only need 20 jobs to recoup the money and break even. Data recovery is also something I'm really interested in.

 

[Simmy]

To initially get to grips with swapping platters/heads on some test drives, I won't have a cleanroom no. Once I'm confident and I start to attempt real life jobs, I will be getting a clean cabinet.

 

[seedubya]

Go Simmy. Big undertaking. Once you get up and running I'll be very happy to send drives to you, rather than one of the big guys - I'm already sending them to London anyway. It's something I'd be interested in doing myself in the medium term but since you're the first person I know of to actually start doing it I'd be very interested in your experiences.

 

[joe3k]

Don't have much experience other than the software data recovery methods or changing the hdd board. However am I right in deducting you will be charging £100 per recovery or are you factoring in other costs such as your time on the break even?

£100 per recovery is dead cheap, a large company I used to work for years back charged £300 for us to simply look at a hdd. If we recovered your data great - you got it cheap... if we didn't that's unlucky because you still had to pay the £300... and simply got referred to our specialist branch who could do it for a few thousand... ouch! Up to the customer if they wanted to proceed. Most when faced with the £300 went for it, but when faced with thousands, only the ones who seriously needed their data went for it.

So in summary, if you're only charging £100 per recovery you are underpricing yourself, although I guess you may potentially open your services upto the ordinary home user at that rate. All depends how long it takes you I suppose and whether you feel it is profitable. It is an area where people can make some easy money, as if you get the data recovered, even at a very expensive price the customer is delighted and will praise you. The more expensive you were, the more they value what you did for them. Nice.

Edit:
On a sidenote, if you are charging £100 per drive, I too will send my drives to you for recovery

 

[nudone]

i think you'll be able to count me in on sending drives too. good luck with it. in the long run - it must be a winner.

 

[Andyuk2007]

oh its that kind of data recovery involving a clean room still a service I would send any hard drives that need that kind of treatment to simmy anyday

Best of luck with it mate, tell us how it goes for you.

 

[reesk92]

http://www.pc-hospital.net/html/En/2008/0923/5362.html

simmy found this when googling the platter tool seems like its got some bad reviews.