Told your data is unrecoverable? Get a second opinion.
If an earlier attempt was unsuccessful, a second assessment can help explain what options remain. We review the findings and any work already done, then discuss whether a different approach could help. Some devices cannot be recovered, and the assessment needs to make that clear too.
What we usually find.
A store or repair counter said no
Most do not have clean-room or chip-level equipment.
Another lab opened the drive
We check what was replaced, moved or damaged before going further.
Parts were already swapped
Wrong donor parts or a board swapped without moving its data can sometimes be undone.
Only some files came back
A different method can often fill in what was missing.
The memory chip was removed and refitted
Heat and flux damage can be worked through, slowly.
How a second attempt works.
- 01
Agree the diagnostic
A device someone else has opened needs a paid diagnostic, because earlier work changes what can be safely assumed. We agree that fee with you in writing first.
- 02
Assess
We document what was changed and what state the data is in.
- 03
Quote, or a plain no
You get a written quote for what is still possible, or an honest answer that it is not.
- 04
Recover
If you approve, we recover and check your files.
From the bench.
One recent example: a 256 GB Lexar flash drive came in with a bent board and its memory chip already removed and re-soldered by another recovery company, which had returned it as unrecoverable. Heat from that earlier work had made the chip unreliable, so we read it again and again over eight months, keeping the best copy of each section. The first pass gave about 2,100 photos. The final count was 79,769.
Not every second attempt ends like that. If the platters are badly scored or the data has been overwritten, we will tell you, and you will not pay for a recovery that does not happen.
What to bring.
Helpful next steps
- Any paperwork or notes from the earlier attempt.
- Any parts the other company removed or replaced.
- A short account of exactly what was tried.
Best avoided for now
- Let anyone else try in the meantime.
- Run software on the device.
- Assume the first answer is final.
What clients said.
…they completed my data recovery when other companies told me that it was impossible to recover the data.
Our terms, in plain numbers.
- Who does the work
- iCube Development (Calgary) Ltd., recovering data since 2005.
- Where
- One address, and it is our lab: #610 - 11012 Macleod Trail SE. Recovery is done here by our own staff and is not outsourced. No drop-off depots, no appointment needed.
- Evaluation
- Free standard evaluation within 72 hours, for one device per client. Priority (24 hours) and same-day evaluations, multi-drive arrays and devices another company has opened are quoted before we start.
- Your quote
- In writing, before any recovery work. Nothing extra is done or billed without your approval.
- If we cannot recover your files
- You pay nothing for the recovery, parts included. Any exception, such as a paid diagnostic for a device another company has opened, is agreed with you in writing first.
- Success rate
- We do not publish one. A percentage cannot describe your device; your evaluation tells you what is actually recoverable.
- Your recovered files
- Returned on new media or, with your permission, by secure download. Our working copy is deleted seven days after completion unless you ask in writing to keep it longer.
- Privacy
- Your device and files are handled only by our own staff, who are bound by confidentiality, unless the law requires otherwise.
- Your device
- Please collect it within 30 days. Photo ID is required at pickup.
Questions we get asked.
Why is the diagnostic paid for opened devices?
Earlier work can change a device in ways that take time to find: swapped parts, heat damage or altered firmware. That time is quoted and agreed with you before we start.
What if you cannot recover it either?
Then you pay nothing for the recovery. The only cost is the diagnostic you agreed to in writing.
Is it worth bringing a drive that has been opened?
Often, yes. Opened is not the same as ruined. The diagnostic tells you which.
Do you charge more because someone else opened it?
The diagnostic is paid, because the earlier work has to be checked. Your recovery quote is based on what we find, and it is in writing before any work starts.
The first place referred me here. Do they get a cut?
No. We do not pay or accept referral commissions.
Tell us what happened.
Send the details or call (587) 387-2346. We will tell you what to do with the device in the meantime.
Drop-off: Southcentre Executive Tower, #610 - 11012 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary. Monday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.