Protect the original media
If a drive makes unusual mechanical sounds or becomes repeatedly unreadable, stop repeated power cycles and recovery scans. Where important data has no backup, ask a recovery specialist before placing more load on it.
Distinguish possible failure types
Deleted files, damaged file-system information, electronics faults and mechanical damage need different approaches. Symptoms alone do not establish the category. SSDs have no moving heads; their failures and recovery limitations differ from mechanical drives.
Understand the limits
Recovery is not guaranteed, including after accidental deletion. Encryption, overwritten data, SSD trimming and physical damage can restrict what is possible. A provider should explain the assessment, destination drive, cost and handling of private files.
Check usable backups first
A verified backup may be the safest route back to work. Keep the faulty drive unchanged while deciding. Plan future backups around how much newly created data you can afford to lose, and test restoring representative files.
What to tell the assessor
Say whether the missing files are unique, whether the drive was dropped and what you tried after the fault. Describe encryption and backup availability privately. This helps choose between restoring a backup and investigating the original media without promising a recovery percentage.
Questions about this guide
Should I run repair software before requesting data recovery?
If the files are irreplaceable, explain the symptoms before running tools that write to the drive. Further writes can complicate recovery; the safest next step depends on whether the failure is physical or logical.
What information should I provide about missing files?
Name the drive or device, what happened, whether it has been used since and which files matter most. Include any backup locations and disclose previous recovery attempts.