Data Recovery Intake & Handling

Scope of service

Ellwood Data Works currently offers light logical recovery work such as:

• recovering deleted files where possible
• copying accessible data from unstable or failing media
• recovering data from damaged file systems
• identifying recoverable partitions or file structures
• transferring readable files to customer-provided or separately approved replacement media

Work not performed

Ellwood Data Works is not a clean-room recovery laboratory and does not currently perform:

• clean-room recovery or opening sealed hard drives
• internal mechanical repair or platter replacement
• controller reconstruction
• NAND or chip-off recovery
• chip-level SSD repair
• work requiring destructive disassembly

If the problem appears to require this work, evaluation should stop and the customer should be told that a specialist recovery laboratory may be required.

Authorization and intake

Before a device is accepted, the customer must confirm that they own it or are authorized to request recovery from it.

Intake should record:

• customer name and contact information
• device type, storage capacity, and make and model when known
• symptoms and failure history
• which data is most important
• whether the device was dropped, wet, opened, reformatted, encrypted, or used after failure
• whether another recovery attempt has already been made

Initial evaluation and pricing

A device may require an initial evaluation. No recovery result is guaranteed. Success depends on device condition, previous use or recovery attempts, and whether data has been overwritten.

The customer should receive a scope and price before substantial work begins. Work outside the approved scope requires customer approval. A device may be declined if continuing would create an unreasonable risk of additional damage.

Simple transfers start at $100. Recovery work is quoted after evaluation.

Handling and custody

Devices should be labeled and associated with the customer’s intake record. Reasonable care should be used while a device is in custody, and it should not be left accessible to unrelated people.

The customer should retain any available backup or original copy. Ellwood Data Works does not claim a formal forensic chain of custody and is not a clean-room recovery laboratory.

Recovered data

Recovered files may be copied to customer-provided or separately approved media. The customer is responsible for verifying important recovered files.

Recovered data may be incomplete, corrupted, duplicated, renamed, or missing its original folder structure.

Temporary working copies may be created when necessary. They should be deleted after the customer confirms receipt or after a reasonable project-close period. The expected timing should be agreed for the project when sensitive data or a particular retention need is involved.

Device return and disposal

Arrangements for pickup, shipping, return, or disposal must be agreed with the customer. No abandonment deadline, disposal authority, shipping-liability term, or related fee is established on this page.

Questions about a recovery situation can be sent through the contact form. Describe the device and symptoms, but do not attach or submit sensitive files.