Frequently Asked Questions


What causes data loss?
What is Data Recovery?
How does Data Recovery happen?
How long does data recovery take?
How much does data recovery cost?
What is the success rate of data recovery?
Is there anything I can do to recover my data?
What is the data recovery confidentiality policy?
Do you recover laptop hard drives?
What types of media can you recover data from?
Can you recover data if I've had a virus attack?
From what operating systems can you recover data?
What can I do to protect my data?
How do I pack my drive for transportation to Invision, Inc.?

What causes data loss?
Data recovery may become necessary for a wide variety of reasons, but generally the failure can be categorized as resulting from physical damage or logical corruption.

Physical Damage
Moisture contact or penetration
Exposure to extreme temperatures
Variations in humidity
Shock or force sustained
Defective mechanical or electronic components
Spike or surge in power source
Degrading read/write heads
Logical Corruption
File System formatted
Operating System reinstalled
Files deleted or recycled
Software (ScanDisk, CheckDisk, Defrag)
Virus intrusion
Broken or corrupted RAID array configuration

What is data recovery?
Data recovery is the process of recovering data from storage media when it cannot be accessed normally. Hard drives are among the most common types of storage media requiring data recovery. However, there are many other forms of electronic, optical, and magnetic storage media that can become damaged or corrupted. Data recovery is generally considered to be the last resort when all other attempts to retrieve the data have been exhausted.

How does data recovery happen?
The data recovery process depends on the type of recovery necessary for your particular situation. Our specialists begin with a diagnostic process to determine which solution fits your needs and then you are contacted to discuss your quote.

How long does data recovery take?
We have three data recovery service options:
Emergency Service - 24 hour turn around time
Priority Service - three day turn around time
Standard Service - two week turn around time

If necessary, a diagnosis and price quote can be obtained within 4 business days.

How much does data recovery cost?
Data recovery costs can vary depending on the type of storage media, severity of damage, specialty parts, and turn around time required. We have a starting attempt rate at $60.00. From there we will Quote you cost to recover your data.

What is the success rate of data recovery?
The good news is, although there is no guarantee that data can be recovered, our team of specialists have years of success recovering data from all types of media. If it can be recovered, Invision, Inc will do it!

The success of data recovery depends on the nature of the damage to the storage media. Unfortunately, chances for successful recovery decrease if there is physical damage to a hard drive's platters or magnetic layer. Severe physical failure can cause irreversible damage to any kind of magnetic storage media.

Is there anything I can do to recover my data?
Users inexperienced in data recovery can cause more damage to their storage media when attempting to recover data themselves. If you are in already in a data loss situation, contact our Data Recovery Specialists right away to discuss your options for safe data recovery.

What is the data recovery confidentiality policy?
Our Data Recovery Lab is a secure environment. All customer data is kept private and access is controlled to ensure only appropriate specialists handle sensitive information. We are regularly contracted to recover classified data for private organizations. Invision, Inc is accustomed to the level of privacy and protection that classified materials require. We provide the same level of protection to all of our customers.

Do you recover laptop hard drives?
Yes, laptop hard drive recovery uses the same methods as desktop hard drives.

What types of media can you recover data from?
Listed below are commonly used types of storage media that may require data recovery:

Magnetic Disks — Used to temporarily store or transfer small amounts of data. Media examples: 3.5?, 5.25? Floppy Diskettes, and Jaz, SyQuest and Zip Cartridges

Optical Discs — Used to store files from several megabytes to several gigabytes in size. Media examples: CDs, DVDs and Minidiscs

Flash Cards — Used to store photos in digital cameras, music in MP3 players, PDAs and files for many types of applications. Media examples: CompactFlash, MemoryStick, SD, SmartMedia and xD cards

Can you recover data if I've had a virus attack?
Most viruses attack files that the computer uses to function normally. A security breach can result in noticeable performance changes, random rebooting, adware, spyware and even missing files. The majority of these issues can be addressed with our Comprehensive Service. In the event the virus deletes or corrupts files, Invision, Inc is experienced in repairing this type of damage.

From what operating systems can you recover data?
We recover data from a variety of operating systems. The most common platform in use today is Microsoft Windows. Other widely used operating systems include: OSX, RedHat and FreeBSD.

Here is a breakdown of different operating and corresponding file systems:

Windows 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP & Vista, NT Server, 2000 Server and 2003 Server
Common file systems: FAT12, FAT 16, FAT 32 and NTFS

Macintosh OS9 and OSX
Common file systems: MFS, HFS, HFS+ and HSFX

UNIX
Common file systems: UFS, UFS2, JFS and BSD

Linux RedHat
Common file systems: Ext, Ext2, Ext3 and VxFS

Novell Netware
Common file system: NSS

What can I do to protect my data?
The best protection against data loss is a proper backup system. Invision, Inc provides many data backup solutions and can tailor one to meet your needs.

How do I pack my drive for transportation for recovery ?
Call us, and we wil advise you as to HOW to pack the drive for safe transit. Best practice is to personally bring it to us at our location.

All storage media, especially hard drives, should be packaged with extreme care. Wrap your storage device with packing foam or bubble wrap to protect the media while in transit.

Send your packaged media, including the completed recovery forms, to:
Invision, Inc.
N8W22520 Johnson Drive STE-D
Waukesha, WI, 53186

For more information, contact a Invision, Inc. Specialist directly.
To start the data recovery process, or if you have any other questions.