| Word to the wise: Don't be a data recovery victim. | | | | the data recovery industry. All legitimate data |
| Of all the industries and businesses out there, | | | | recovery companies have at least a clean bench. But |
| including used car salesman, carpet cleaning | | | | it is extremely over rated. The function of the clean |
| companies, unscrupulous lawyers, and get-rich-quick | | | | room is to keep environmental pollutants such as |
| schemes, there's one other group you can now add | | | | dust, airborne microbes, and chemical vapors at a |
| to the list: Data Recovery Companies. Not all of | | | | bare minimum so the disk drive does not become |
| them, but many of them are using unethical tricks to | | | | contaminated and put in a worse state then when it |
| get your money. | | | | came in. Because sometimes disk drives are prone to |
| Think about it: most people are not computer savvy, | | | | internal failure, these rooms need to be used to open |
| they use their PC's to check email, create | | | | up the disk drive and replace parts or do an |
| spreadsheets and surf the web. How many of us | | | | inspection. But, they could be the place where the |
| know what's going on inside our computer tower? | | | | most used trick is employed. |
| How many of us have opened it up, installed | | | | It's an easy one to pull off, and many consumers are |
| additional RAM, made adjustments or added a new | | | | getting hit with this one. And some data recovery |
| hard drive? Well, some of us have. But most of us | | | | companies are employing this scam on consumers |
| haven't. | | | | regardless of whether they recover the data or not! |
| And we are the ones that are the victims of scams | | | | They use the Clean Room to justify charging |
| from "so called" data recovery specialists. Couple this | | | | exorbitant rates. So how does it work and what |
| with the fact that the demand for storage devices | | | | should you look out for? |
| including hard disk drives, DVD's and CD's has | | | | Many data recovery companies advertise that they |
| skyrocketed, and you have a situation where things | | | | have "No Evaluation Charge". So you ship or bring |
| may go wrong. Storing such large amounts of data | | | | your hard disk drive there for the evaluation. But |
| creates an increased failure rate, and people turn to | | | | once they get your drive in their hands they then call |
| the experts when they need to recover lost data. | | | | you to let you know that the drive has to "go in the |
| Data recovery is becoming a major sub industry in | | | | clean room and it will cost $300.00 to $500.00 just |
| the computer world. It involves a unique set of | | | | for that clean room evaluation". Make sure you stop |
| problem solving, software, hardware and crisis | | | | them right there or better yet ask in advance if they |
| management skills. You really need someone who | | | | have clean room charges In many cases the |
| knows disk drives in and out. You don't want to be | | | | company already knows your data is unrecoverable |
| dealing with an un-ethical company at this time. Plus, | | | | but would still like to make a quick $300.00 to |
| the Data Recovery Specialist has to deal with highly | | | | $500.00 out of the deal. |
| frantic computer users. Losing data is an emotional | | | | There is even one provider we know who works out |
| experience; after all, we're dealing with people's time, | | | | of their apartment and still pulls this trick - they don't |
| talents, and intelligence not to mention their entire | | | | even have a cleanroom! And if a company tries to |
| businesses. | | | | justify cleanroom charges by saying that their clean |
| Before the age of computers, the only equivalent | | | | room filters cost $30,000.00, don't believe them - it's |
| experience would have to be losing important | | | | an absolute lie. |
| information, research, or other critical data to a fire | | | | High/Low Pricing Scheme |
| or some other natural disaster. | | | | Most data recovery companies employ a high/low |
| Luckily enough for people today, that lost data can in | | | | pricing scheme for data recovery which is OK if |
| fact be retrieved, at least 70-80% of the time. But | | | | followed honestly and not used as a setup. For |
| each case presents a challenge, especially if you are | | | | example if you have an 80 gig hard drive you may |
| dealing with an unscrupulous company. | | | | be quoted a price range of $400.00 to $2500.00 to |
| In addition, drive capacities keep increasing which | | | | recover the data. Of course the price will never ever |
| complicates the data recovery process. Different disk | | | | be in the low range. It will always be in the high |
| drive models have varying recovery rates. Clients | | | | range, something like $2495.00 or there abouts. |
| usually bring in complex issues and want them | | | | So what happens? You refuse to pay the high price |
| resolved quickly and cheaply. Unfortunately, that's not | | | | and the company in turn disables or destroys your |
| always realistic. Sometimes, they can be solved | | | | hard drive so no one else can recover your data. And |
| quickly, but data recovery isn't inexpensive. Dealing | | | | that's a really unfortunate situation. Actually they may |
| with faulty hard drives, corrupted software or human | | | | have a copy of your data to hold "hostage" in case |
| error all have a tendency for being complex data | | | | you come back looking for it again. If you do choose |
| problems. | | | | a company that uses high/low pricing be prepared to |
| It is very difficult to select a reliable data recovery | | | | pay the high price right off the bat. Don't send it in |
| company because there are so many, especially on | | | | and then decide you don't want to pay the high price. |
| the Internet. So what are the scams? How do you | | | | Your data may be lost forever. |
| know you're dealing with an upstanding company? | | | | Whatever you do, don't be a victim! Shop around, |
| Here are a couple of things to beware of: | | | | get referrals from others. Check them out with the |
| The Clean Room Scam | | | | Better Business Bureau to see if they have any |
| A clean room or a clean bench is a necessary tool in | | | | complaints. It all will pay off in the end. |