Most data recovery labs won't put this in writing. We do, because our 96% success rate, our Tier 3 cleanroom, and 17 years of engineering depth mean we're confident enough to stand behind every qualifying case we take.
Which cases qualify. Clicking drives, dropped drives, drives that won't spin, drives that aren't detected, covered. Most of what comes through our lab is. A few categories are quoted case-by-case instead, because the work is harder to guarantee: fire damage, previously-opened drives, encrypted drives, forensic cases, phones, and a short list of end-of-life models. We'll tell you which category you're in on the first call, before you ship anything, before you pay anything. Full list →
Mechanical hard drive recovery is $2,500 CAD. Flash media (USB, SD, microSD) and SSD or NVMe are $1,500 CAD. Fixed, not an estimate. Includes the donor drive, your data back on a new drive, and UPS Express shipping. RAID, NAS and server: $450 CAD per drive to assess, credited in full. Full price list →
Usually, yes. Our success rate across all cases is 96%. The biggest risk is what happens between now and when it reaches us. Power it off, do not open it, do not run software, and call: an engineer will tell you where you stand in 15 minutes. More on outcomes →
Do not power it on again. Do not put it in the freezer. Do not open it. Do not run recovery software. Do not follow a YouTube fix. Every one of those can turn a recoverable device into an unrecoverable one. Unplug it and call us. Full list on the FAQ page →
Every case gets the same lab, the same engineers and the same guarantee. The only thing that changes is where your drive sits in the queue.
Most cases are back with the client inside a few days. Complex mechanical and RAID work can take two to three weeks. You get a specific timeline with your assessment results, before you approve anything.
Your systems are down and every hour is costing you. A crashed array, a production server offline, a court deadline this week. Your drive goes to the front of the queue and stays in production around the clock, nights and weekends included, until it is finished.
An engineer on the phone in 15 to 20 minutes, 24/7
Tier 3, ISO Class 100 cleanroom
PC-3000 imaging and firmware repair
Free UPS Express to our lab, fully insured
Written quote before any recovery work
No Data, No Charge on qualifying cases
Recovered files returned encrypted
Every copy deleted once you confirm receipt
From a bent USB thumb drive to a cracked microSD from a drone crash, we recover data from all flash-based storage media, regardless of brand, capacity, or damage type.
The most common flash media we recover. Broken connectors, bent plugs, dead controllers, corrupted file systems, and water damage. From cheap promotional drives to high-end encrypted models, we recover data from all USB flash drives regardless of brand or capacity.
Full-size SD cards used in DSLR cameras, camcorders, and laptops. Common failures include corrupt file tables, write-protection lock errors, and physically cracked housings. We recover photos, videos, and documents from all SD card brands including SanDisk, Samsung, Lexar, and Kingston.
Tiny but critical. MicroSD cards are used in smartphones, drones, action cameras, dashcams, and security systems. Their small size makes them especially vulnerable to physical damage. We use chip-off techniques to recover data from even the most severely damaged microSD cards.
Still widely used in professional photography and industrial equipment. CompactFlash cards use a parallel interface with a different controller architecture than SD cards. We recover data from CF cards experiencing pin damage, controller failure, and logical corruption, including professional RAW photo files.
Legacy format used primarily in Olympus and Fujifilm cameras. While no longer manufactured, many photographers still have irreplaceable photos stored on XD cards. We maintain the specialized readers and tools necessary to recover data from this older format.
Sony's proprietary flash format used in PlayStation Portable, older Sony cameras, and VAIO laptops. Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO Duo, and Memory Stick Micro (M2), we recover data from all Memory Stick variants using specialized readers and chip-off techniques when necessary.
Flash media stores your data on microscopic NAND cells smaller than a grain of sand. When the controller fails or the connector breaks, the data remains on the chip. Our engineers desolder the NAND memory, read it directly, and reconstruct your files, bit by bit.
Flash media carries some of the most irreplaceable data: wedding photos, drone footage, school projects, and professional work. Here is what we recover most often.
DJI, Autel, Skydio, and more. MicroSD cards from drone crashes, mid-flight failures, and formatting errors. We recover 4K video and flight logs.
Wedding shoots, family vacations, professional portfolios. JPEG, RAW (CR2, NEF, ARW), TIFF, we recover all photo formats from corrupted or damaged memory cards.
Security camera SD cards and DVR storage. Critical evidence for insurance claims, law enforcement, and investigations. We preserve chain of custody when required.
Commercial shoots, event photography, real estate photos. When a CF or SD card fails mid-session, we recover every frame, including RAW files with full metadata intact.
Flash media fails in ways that are unique to its construction. Tiny connectors, fragile housings, and NAND controllers that can fail without warning. Here are the most common scenarios we handle.
The most common USB drive failure: the connector snaps from the circuit board due to leverage, a fall, or being bumped while plugged in. The NAND chip is almost always undamaged. Our engineers repair the connection or desolder the NAND chip and read it directly using chip-off recovery. Do not attempt to solder it yourself. Improper heat application can destroy the NAND.
USB drives and SD cards that have been through the washing machine, dropped in water, or exposed to humidity. Water corrodes circuit traces and connector pins, but the NAND flash chip is often undamaged. We clean, dry, and assess the damage, then repair the electronics or perform chip-off recovery. The critical rule: do not plug in a water-damaged device. Let it dry naturally and send it to us.
Your device is recognized by your computer but the files are inaccessible, show errors, or the card demands formatting. This is typically a logical failure. The file allocation table or directory structure has been corrupted. Causes include improper ejection, power loss during a write, or file system bugs. We image the device and reconstruct the file system to recover your data intact.
You formatted the wrong SD card, or your camera reformatted the card unexpectedly. When flash media is formatted, the file system metadata is erased but the actual data blocks remain on the NAND. If no new data has been written since the format, recovery success rates are very high. Stop using the device immediately and contact us.
Flash drives connected to an infected computer can have their files encrypted by ransomware. Do not pay the ransom. In many cases, our engineers can recover the original unencrypted data from the NAND flash, especially if the ransomware only encrypted the file headers or if the original data was not fully overwritten. We assess every ransomware case individually.
When a flash device is too damaged for conventional recovery (the connector is ripped off, the circuit board is cracked, or the controller chip is fried) we turn to chip-off recovery. This is one of the most advanced data recovery techniques available, and it is what separates a professional lab from a software-only recovery service.
Here is how chip-off works: our engineers carefully desolder the NAND flash memory chip from the damaged circuit board using precision hot-air rework equipment. The chip is then placed in a specialized NAND programmer, a device that communicates directly with the raw silicon, bypassing the need for a working controller or circuit board entirely.
The raw data from the NAND chip is a scrambled, compressed, and error-coded stream of bits. Our engineers use proprietary algorithms to reconstruct the original data, unscrambling the bit order, applying ECC (error correction codes), and rebuilding the file system structure. The result is your files, photos, and videos, recovered from a device that appeared completely destroyed.
Chip-off recovery requires specialized equipment that costs tens of thousands of dollars, extensive training, and deep knowledge of NAND flash architectures from dozens of manufacturers. It is not something you can do at home or at a general computer repair shop. Our London, ON lab has been performing chip-off recovery for over 17 years, recovering data from thousands of flash devices that other labs have declared unrecoverable.
When a damaged flash device arrives at our lab, the first step is a thorough visual inspection under high-powered magnification. We examine the circuit board traces, solder joints, connector pins, and the NAND chip itself for signs of physical damage, corrosion, or heat exposure.
For microSD cards, which are barely larger than a fingernail, this inspection requires surgical precision. The image to the left shows a microSD card mounted on our pin-out board, with individual pins connected to our diagnostic equipment. This allows us to communicate with the NAND flash chip at the electrical level, determining the exact failure mode before we decide on the best recovery approach.
Whether the failure is a broken trace, a corroded pin, or a dead controller, our engineers have seen it thousands of times over 17 years. We know exactly how to handle each failure type to maximize your chances of a successful recovery.
Call 1-888-749-3786 or submit your case online. Describe what happened (broken connector, water damage, format error) and we will advise you on safe handling and shipping. A real engineer responds in 15 to 20 minutes.
We send you a free prepaid UPS shipping label. Pack your flash device securely, we provide specific instructions for small media like SD cards and USB drives. Fully insured both directions. Most devices arrive at our London, ON lab within 1 to 2 business days.
Our engineers inspect your device under magnification, test the electronics, and determine whether the failure is logical or physical. You receive a detailed diagnostic report, a list of recoverable data, and a complete quote, no surprises.
Once approved, we execute the recovery. For logical failures, we image the device and reconstruct the file system. For physical damage, we perform chip-off recovery, desoldering the NAND and reading it directly. You are updated at every stage.
We send you a full recovered file list for verification. Your data is returned on an encrypted external drive or via secure digital transfer, whichever you prefer. All copies are deleted from our systems upon your confirmation of receipt. Your photos, videos, and files, back in your hands.
If your device is clicking, not detected, or physically damaged. Power it off and step away from it. Every second of power-on can make recovery harder. You don't need to diagnose it yourself. One call to a real engineer, 15 to 20 minutes, and you'll know exactly where you stand.
No sales pressure. No obligation. Just a trained cleanroom engineer on the phone, 24/7, walking you through exactly what to do next.
Independent data recovery laboratory. Data Recovery Group is not affiliated with SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston, Lexar, Sony, DJI, GoPro, or any other device manufacturer or OEM. All brand names, product names, and trademarks referenced on this page are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for identification purposes. References to these brands do not imply endorsement or affiliation.
You are probably holding a drive with something on it you cannot replace. Here is every answer, so the only thing left to do is pick up the phone.
Fixed, not an estimate. Includes the donor drive, your data back on a new drive, and UPS Express shipping. RAID, NAS and server: $450 CAD per drive to assess, credited in full. Full price list →
And on qualifying cases, if we cannot recover your data the recovery fee is refunded in full. Clicking, dropped, won't spin, not detected: all covered.
You get a specific timeline with your assessment results, before you approve anything. Cannot wait? Emergency service is +$500 CAD and keeps your case in production around the clock. Emergency service →
Every extra minute a failing drive spends powered on can turn a recoverable case into an unrecoverable one. Unplug it and pick up the phone.
Unplug the device and leave it alone.
Call 1-888-749-3786. An engineer answers, 24/7.
In 15 minutes you will know whether your case is likely recoverable, what it costs, and whether it qualifies for No Data, No Charge.
We email a free UPS Express label. Insured, next-day, from any province or territory, and it costs you nothing.
Nothing is charged until you approve the price.
Clicking drives, dropped drives, drives that won't spin, drives that aren't detected: all covered. Most of what comes through our lab is. A few categories are quoted case-by-case instead, because the work is harder to guarantee: fire damage, previously-opened drives, encrypted drives, forensic cases, phones, and a short list of end-of-life models. We'll tell you which category you're in on the first call, before you ship anything, before you pay anything. Full list →
See what our clients say about getting their data back.
Great to work with, Paul kept me updated throughout the entire process and they were able to recover all of our data from a failed RAID array on our NAS. They worked with us every step of they way without being patronizing like a lot of tech places tend to be.
Great service. Great results recovering photos I had deemed lost
Data recovery team really helped with my clicking hard drive! Got all my work and pictures back!! Plus my UWO discount was appreciated!!!
The support that the team gave me was thorough and timely! My data was recovered in a single interaction. Awesome !
Data Recovery Group was an amazing help!! They were fast, professional and able to recovery all our data!! Customer Service was fantastic! Would 100% recommend. - Jim & Melanie
Amazing help fixed a drive that was dead for me and saved my school semester! Thanks guys !
Amazing help was able to Quickly recover a dead harddrive that I thought was a gonner. Amazing service
My External Hard Drive With all my clients files Crashed, Nine years of records could not be accessed, I could not work without those records. DRG recovered them in 24 hrs getting me back in business by Monday morning. They were responsive and understanding. Thank goodness I called them.
Pat and Data Recovery Group helped retrieve my parents photos from a crashed hard drive over the holidays in an incredibly quick and safe manner. Highly recommend if you find yourself In this unfortunate situation. Thanks Pat!
Highly recommend Data Recovery Group. Very professional & extremely helpful, all of my data was recovered and I was kept informed throughout the whole process. Don't think twice if you have a dead drive with lost information. Thank you once again for the recovery of my data.
Though a broken external hard drive is a horrible thing to happen, the team (especially Paul) at Data Recovery group made it the most positive experience. They were exceptional fast and responsive, and recovered data that I was sure was gone forever. Compared to the big box stores, I believe I wound up paying less and had my files back in 2 days vs. the 4 to 8 weeks I was quoted from the other guys. I hope I never encounter a broken hard drive situation again, but if lightning strikes twice I know who to call right away!
I am extremely happy with the service I received with Data Recovery Group. My laptop dropped from just a foot high and wouldn't turn on completely. It just kept saying "repairing". I called Asus and they recommended I have my data backed up before attempting to fix anything. I was very fearful of losing my children's pictures (foolishly not backed up) and I wouldn't trust just any company to help me out. After chatting with Paul I felt reassured I had called the right place with the best ability to help me out. My hard drive was damaged and they were successful in recovering most of my pictures which I am beyond thankful for! Paul has great communication skills and kept in contact with me throughout the process and helped me to copy my pictures from my new external hard drive he made me onto my new computer. He took the time to educate me on how to keep my pictures regularly backed up going forward. If you have anything very important to you I say don't take a chance going anywhere else!!
Tell the engineer what happened. You will know in 15 minutes what it costs, whether it is recoverable, and what to do with the drive tonight.
100% Canadian owned · one lab in London, Ontario · your data never leaves Canada
