Preparing Your PC or Server for Data Recovery
Getting your device ready for data recovery the right way helps ensure the highest chance of success - especially when dealing with damaged drives, RAID arrays, or encrypted systems.
Desktop PC & Servers
Most desktop PCs are equipped with traditional hard drives that can be easily removed and sent for data recovery.
Desktop Servers typically contain multiple hard drives configured in RAID arrays.
Before removing multiple drives from the computer and sending them to the lab,
be sure to follow the same guidelines that apply to any RAID system:
• Take photos of all installed drives, drive slots (with drives in place), and the entire unit.
• Label each drive with a number to preserve their original order.
This will expedite the recovery process if the drives are shipped separately from the system.
Modern desktops often use a small SSD for booting the operating system, alongside a larger HDD for storing user data.
We recommend sending all installed drives, including the OS drive, since important files may reside on any drive, even if it wasn't intentionally used for data storage.
Read more about drive removal from desktop computers
Laptop PC
Most Windows and Linux laptops contain a removable hard drive or SSD.
However, accessing and removing these drives can be tricky and may require specialized tools and experience to avoid damaging the device.
In some rare cases - especially with encrypted drives - the entire laptop may be required to unlock the data.
Read more about HDD or SSD removal from laptops