Data Recovery help urgently required!

[Chuckster]

My USB stick, when plugged into a computer, is no longer being recognised. When I load Disk Management it wants me to 'initialise' the disk. I've tried it under Ubuntu, Linux Mint and a Mac to no avail

 

I am now in a paniced state where I desperately need to recover the entire contents from the stick.

 

Is there a highly reputable company you guys can suggest that I use?

 

So far I have come across these two that seem reputable enough.

 

Data Recovery, Computer Forensics & E-Disclosure - Kroll Ontrack UK

Data Recovery, Hard Disk Drive Repair & Retrieval, Server RAID Data Recovery

[plexer]

Kroll is one of the biggest.

 

Ben

[Dataq]

Was the USB broken physically or just stopped working? Also does it see the real capacity?

[rush_tech]

initialise the disk and then scan it with something like http://www.piriform.com/recuva

[Chuckster]

Was the USB broken physically or just stopped working? Also does it see the real capacity?

 

The USB suddenly stopped working. No indication of failure whatsoever. It was working fine last night and what happened between then and this morning I don't know. Oh, and it doesn't see its capacity.

 

 

initialise the disk and then scan it with something like http://www.piriform.com/recuva

 

I'm a bit worried in doing that in case I reduce my chances of recovery, and also won't it require formatting thereafter?

[Dataq]

If it doesn't see the capacity then you won't be able to scan it with anything. More than likely a physical / electronic problem.

[Chuckster]

Just an update, I've sent this off to a Data Recovery company. I don't care how much it costs, but I do need the data recovered.

 

It's my own fault for not keeping copies in several different locations, and words fail to express just how much I am kicking myself for this.

[Dataq]

Hope they get it sorted for you. Keep us updated on progress / results.

[Chuckster]

Certainly will do, as it was sent off today to the data recovery company, and I'll probably know all the details by the end of the week.

[Abaddon]

Who have you sent it to, out of interest?

[Chuckster]

Who have you sent it to, out of interest?

 

I sent it to the first company that was listed in my first post when I started created this thread.

[Chuckster]

At least half of the drivers I repair is from changing the crystal (metal tube on legs), they they are easily damaged. I would suggest 75% of faults to be crystal related.

I used to work in electronics and could not bare to see them go in the bin !!

 

I sure hope that this is the case. I don't know what I will do if they say they can't retrieve anything off of it

[cpjitservices]

Linux system use testdisk to find the partitions and photorec to recover the files... works every time!!

[plexer]

I sure hope that this is the case. I don't know what I will do if they say they can't retrieve anything off of it

 

If needed they will be able to dump the flash chip allthough that means that data recontruction could take longer but I'd guess they have all the tools and s/w to do it.

 

Ben