A-I Computer Solutions 605-753-1337

Data Recovery & Backup

When the drive with twenty years of photos or the farm's record books starts failing, stop using it and call. Then let's make sure it never happens again.

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First: Stop Using the Drive

If a hard drive is clicking, grinding, beeping, or suddenly not showing up, every additional minute it runs can make recovery harder. Power the machine off and leave it off. Don't run "repair" utilities, don't try DIY freezer tricks, and don't let a well-meaning relative "have a look." Bring it to us and we'll assess what's still possible — the assessment is honest, and if we can't get your data back, you don't pay a recovery fee.

What We Recover

We recover photos, documents, spreadsheets, tax records, farm and ranch books, business files and email archives. Files are returned on a new external drive or transferred directly to your replacement computer, organized the way they were.

An Honest Limitation

Some failures are beyond bench-level recovery — a drive with physically damaged heads or platters needs a cleanroom lab, and those services cost many hundreds to thousands of dollars. We'll tell you straight if your drive is in that category and, if the data justifies it, can help you weigh whether a lab referral makes sense. Many times it doesn't, and we won't pretend otherwise.

Backup: The Cheaper Half of This Page

Recovery is the expensive way to get files back. Backup is how you never need it. We set up backup systems that actually run themselves:

A proper setup for a home machine is usually a one-time service plus an inexpensive drive. For a business, we fold backup monitoring into managed support so someone is actually watching that it runs every night.

Price Guidelines

ServiceTypical Cost
Drive assessment (no recovery fee if nothing is recoverable)from $45
Standard recovery from readable failing drive$150 – $350
Full failing-drive image & rebuild to new drive$250 – $450
Deleted file / reformatted card recovery$90 – $200
Home backup setup (external drive + automation + test restore)$90 – $150
Business backup design & setupquoted per site

You'll always know the ceiling before we start. Recovered data is returned on media you provide or media we supply at cost.

Common Questions

Is my data private while you have it?

Yes. We look at directory structures and file integrity, not your files' contents, unless you ask us to verify specific data. Recovered data is handled confidentially, and working copies are securely wiped after the job. See our privacy policy.

How long does recovery take?

A straightforward transfer or deleted-file job is often done in a day or two. Imaging a badly failing drive can take longer — drives like that need to be read slowly and gently. We'll give you a realistic estimate after the assessment.

What backup do you actually recommend?

The 3-2-1 idea in plain terms: your files in three places, on two different kinds of storage, with one copy somewhere else. For most home customers that's the computer itself, an external drive, and a cloud account. Simple, cheap, and it survives nearly everything except neglect.

Drive Acting Up? Don't Keep Trying It.

Power it off and call — the assessment will tell you exactly where you stand.

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