Last night, the four of us gathered around the computer and we watched a slideshow that compiled memories from Sophia’s first year of life. This slideshow contained pictures and videos of events that I don’t want to ever forget: her first words, her first steps, her first foods, her Baptism, her first bath time, her first Birthday, and many more! This video was created three years ago (when Sophia was one), and a few weeks ago, I was almost certain that I had completely lost lost this video forever, along with ALL the pictures of my kids for the last 4 years. How scary is that! What happened is my external hard drive failed, but thanks to Data Savers, LLC, I got all my data back, and I can now relive so many beautiful, precious memories of my kids’ early years!

This is how it all went down. About three weeks ago, I tried hooking up my external hard drive to my computer (the same way I had done dozens of times in the past). However, this time was different- the hard drive was not being recognized by my computer! I tried some basic DIY troubleshooting:
1. Restart the computer. Unplug and re-connect the drive.
2. Replace the power cable. (Apparently, sometimes these cables can fail and I had a spare!)
I tried a few more things and even some basic recovery software, but my hard drive wasn’t spinning on at all!

After I had tried a few DIY troubleshooting methods, I knew I had to get some professional help to recover my data. I originally found Data Savers, LLC, because they’re listed as a Partner to Western Digital (the manufacturer of my failed drive). I am so grateful they were able to get all my data back to me, and I’m so impressed by how easy & convenient they make the whole process!

The Value of Precious Memories

See that picture up there? Yep, it’s a file they recovered for me- and it’s one of my favorite pictures ever of Sophia and my husband!

If you ever find yourself needing data recovery services from Data Savers, LLC, here’s how the whole process works:
1. You visit their website and Start A Recovery. This will open a ticket for your case and will let the technicians know that your drive is on its way.
2. Ship your drive to them. I used USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation. Make sure you use plenty of compressible packing materials to keep your drive safe during transport.
3. Once they receive your drive, you will get an email, notifying you that they will begin their FREE diagnosis! I shipped them my drive on a Friday, and by Monday morning, I got an email letting me know they began diagnosis!!
4. After they have had a chance to diagnose the drive, they will then send you a quote for the cost to recover your data. This price is based upon the size of the drive and the nature of the failure. You can even get a free estimated quote online; just fill out the fields on their form here! They gave me my quote only hours after they received the drive! Things were moving quickly, and I was so happy when they confirmed that they would be able to recover all my data!
(In case you’re curious, my quote was $849 for a Level B recovery of a 2TB drive. When it comes to placing a value on my most precious memories/pictures/videos/documents, $850 is definitely worth getting all those files back!)
5. Once they give you a quote for the recovery, they then wait for your authorization to proceed forward. If you don’t want to move forward, you can let them know and you’ll get your drive back. If you are ready to move forward, simply let them know that you want to proceed with the recovery. It took them less than 24 hours to fully recover all my data!
6. Once the recovery is complete, you will get an email that will update you on the status. They then put the recovered data onto a new target drive- either one you supply to them or one you can purchase from them at a reasonable price.
7. Once the recovery is complete, you will get an invoice. After it’s paid, they will ship the drive with the recovered data back to you. The time from when I shipped my failed drive (a Friday) to the time I received my new one (the next Thursday), was only 6 calendar days! Amazing turnaround!

Here are the reasons I am a satisfied customer and will use them again if I ever need data recovery services:

Customer Service

They actually were a 2010 Stevie Award finalist for Outstanding Customer Service- and I experienced it! From the receptionist who handled my initial call to the technician who answered some detailed questions about my particular case, I received exceptional customer service!

Flat Affordable Fees

They have a flat fee for recovering data, and that fee is really low (when it comes to data recovery). I had called at least four other companies for data recovery quotes, and I can say that Data Savers, LLC gave me the best price- by a lot! Also, other companies sometimes charge by the hour (or charge based on potential complications during recovery), but Data Savers, LLC charges a flat fee! That’s something I really appreciate!

Transparency

They kept me updated at every step of the process. I love their CustomTrak™ portal that makes it super easy to communicate directly with the technician who is handling your drive!

Quick turnaround time

For me, the whole process was so quick and painless. In general, the turnaround time depends upon the size of the drive, the reason for the failure, & their workload at the time. Keep in mind that they do offer optional priority and weekend service for those that need things expedited!

Here’s my new drive, and it now contains all the files that were recovered. I will be keeping it safe, and backing up all my files in multiple places from now on!

If you’re interested in learning more about the company, Data Savers, LLC was started in 2005, and since then, they have recovered data for thousands of clients worldwide! They have seen it all: drives that were in floods, drives that were in fires, drives with data that had been deleted or formatted, etc. They can recover data from many different devices, including Apple, PC, Linux, Digital Cameras, External Drives, USB flash drives, and many more. They are also the only WD-authorized recovery depot in the region, and they’re one of the few companies recommended by AppleCare!

I always considered myself fairly savvy when it comes to technology and data, but I never realized I needed to back-up my backups! I knew computers fail and I thought I was being proactive by backing things up on my external drive. Little did I know that you have to back up your backups! Yes, even your back-up hard drive can fail!

I know I don’t talk about technology every day here on the blog, but it is something we all depend on! We all count on our phones, computers & tablets every day, and we don’t think too much about them…. that is, until they no longer respond to us! Don’t forget that all hard drives inevitably fail, and if you’re not prepared with backups of your backups, you will want to explore data recovery to get all your precious files back! So if you’re ever looking for a transparent data recovery company who will offer fixed, low fees and exceptional customer service, you will want to check out Data Savers, LLC!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Data Savers, LLC, but I am a satisfied customer who has used their services. All content expressed in this post is exclusively my own.

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