If you’re faced with a data loss emergency, you might be considering DIY recovery software v. a data recovery service provider. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this important choice.

Note: If your hard drive is making clicking, whirring, or grinding sounds, or refuses to boot up, power down your computer immediately. Repeated attempts to turn on the computer or reboot it could cause permanent data loss.

Once your computer is off, it’s time to consider your best course of action for recovering the lost data

Using DIY Data Recovery Options: Pros

Even professionals will admit there are a few benefits to DIY data recovery.

It’s free or cheap – People looking to save money often turn to DIY options first. 

It’s fast – If it works, you could have your data back in just a few minutes, without your computer ever leaving your desk. 

It’s convenient – No phone calls to make, nothing to ship. If you have basic computer knowledge you can run DIY data recovery software. But will it work? That brings us to the drawbacks.

Using DIY Data Recovery Options: Cons

DIY data recovery is complicated – Most computer users understand the applications they use regularly. Maybe you’re a whiz with Excel spreadsheets. Or maybe you can format Word documents like a boss. That doesn’t mean you’ll know how to execute data recovery software without further damaging your lost files.

You risk losing your valuable data permanently – As hard drives increase in capacity, the amount and value of the data stored increases, too. How would you feel if you lost your entire music or movie collection, potentially thousands of dollars’ worth of media? Irreplaceable family photos? Mission critical work files? If you don’t want to take chances, don’t think about using DIY data recovery options.

DIY data recovery will not work on a physically damaged hard drive – Do-it-yourself software cannot retrieve files from a physically damaged drive. If your hard drive is making clicking or whirring sounds, physical damage is imminent.

If your hard drive has already been damaged by fire, flood, power surges or shock damage (dropping the hard drive), DIY software won’t work. The hard drive must be opened in a certified clean room environment, damaged sectors repaired, if possible, and mission critical data transferred immediately to new storage media.

No guarantees with DIY data recovery – When you attempt using DIY options, there’s no guarantee you’ll get your data back, or that you won’t lose additional data in the process. You can also void the warranties and hinder your ability to get help from a professional.

Using a Data Recovery Service Provider: Cons

The cost – It’s true that hiring a best-in-class data recovery service provider with a proven track record isn’t cheap. As you think about options, always consider the value of your data – either in real cost or sentimental value. Can your business stand to be without mission critical data? Can your family photos ever be replaced?

Using a Data Recovery Service Provider: Pros

It’s more convenient than you think – 

We know people may turn to DIY solutions to save time or money. But with 24 Hour Data’s round-the-clock service, there’s no reason not to call us first, at any time of the day or night. We have multiple locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and across the U.S., making our service more convenient than you might think. You can even start the process online.

Better chances of retrieving your lost data fast – 

With state-of-the-art data recovery methods, an experienced service provider can retrieve your lost data in less than 48 hours in most cases, with rush service available.

Successfully retrieves data from physically damaged hard drives – You’d be surprised at the data a professional can retrieve from mechanically damaged hard disk drives. Even if you’ve rendered your files unreadable by using DIY options, or if you suspect your hard disk is damaged beyond help, give us a call.

No data, no charge guarantee – Using DIY options v. a professional offers no guarantees. 24 Hour Data’s recovery specialists have an industry-high success rate with hard disk data recovery, and are experts in physical recovery of lost data. If we try our best and still can’t get your data back, there’s no charge for our service. There’s no risk of calling.

What’s Your Data Worth? 

When most people weigh the risks of using DIY options v. a data recovery service provider, they recognize the true value of their data and call a best-in-class team with a certified clean room environment and a rock-solid, no data, no charge guarantee.