Open, and the first look is free · 9am–5:30pm, Mon to Fri Quicker to ring: 0800 6890668
RDR Reading Data Recovery 0800 6890668 Get it quoted
RDR / What you'll pay

Free diagnosis · then one fixed price

The fault first. Then one price, in writing, that does not move.

Answer two questions and the system will give you a possible reason why your problem is occurring, the one action you should avoid, as well as what price range you can expect. The form for doing this is below. Then an engineer will inspect your device at our intake lab at no cost, and the amount we quote you in writing is all you pay.

An engineer answers, and looking is free
0800 6890668

Two questions, and a probable cause.

How every job runs →
Free online check · nothing to pay RDR-2026-····

What is your data sitting on?

Pick whichever is nearest.

Two taps get you both an explanation of the issue and the one thing to do before looking into anything else. At no point is anyone diagnosing your drive; that needs the drive itself on a bench, in front of somebody. Consider it like the information you could get from the phone, available at three in the morning when the phone is not.

On to the detail.

Looking costs nothing. The figure we come up with is fixed and goes in writing, and no money moves until you have accepted the quotation. The form goes to our support team and is answered within the next working day. We are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm.

What comes next once it is sent.

01

You hear back inside a working day

The information you provide goes directly to a person (not a sorting program). Your reply will include an honest first assessment of the odds, guidance on what to leave well alone, and where to post it.

A person, not an auto-replyOften within the day
02

On the bench, the fault named Free

A reference number is issued for each device, and it goes straight to a bench. The fault is named at this point, along with the results of an assessment that shows how much of the platters (or flash) can still be read.

A case number per deviceWe start the day it arrives
03

Then the figure, and your decision

The figure is then sent to you in writing. If you agree, work on your device begins. If you decline, your device is returned to you, with the postage paid by us. Neither decision leaves you owing anything for the diagnosis, and no condition further down reverses that.

A fixed price, in writing

Where to send it, and what goes in with it.

Prefer a paper form? →

Post it here · tracked and insured · desk hours Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm

Oxford Data Recovery
John Eccles House
Science Park
Robert Robinson Ave
Littlemore
Oxford
OX4 4GP

Any small box or padded bag will do, as long as you add a copy of this form to the item; since nothing is collected, it either goes by tracked and insured post or you drop it off at the Oxford intake lab yourself (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, no appointment required).

The drive travels, while the unit stays at home: remove the drive from the unit (tower, laptop, Mac or DVR) and post it on its own. The majority of local computer repair shops will remove it for you. However, please note that we can't take storage soldered to the motherboard (T2 and Apple silicon Macs, soldered laptop flash). If you are unsure about the type of storage in your device, contact us before posting.

Two items can arrive in one piece. The single portable drive arrives as one package that includes its cable and power supply. A NAS will arrive whole as long as the disks are not removable (if they can be, remove all of the disks, and each should be labelled with its bay). External units with multiple disks send their disks, with labels showing the bay for each one. Only the disks are wanted for server and RAID systems. We don't take phones or tablets.

1Your name and address
2The equipment

The device — tick any that apply

RAID/server: the controller for either system will remain with you. Prior to disconnecting any cables, note down which bay each disk sits in and label each disk to match, using a sequence of numbers starting with 1, 2, 3 etc. NAS: each disk needs to be removed and labelled in the exact same manner as above. If the disks are not removable, post the entire NAS unit.

3What is wrong

Which symptoms have you seen? Tick all that apply

4What you want returned
Once the diagnosis is finished we will call you with the findings, and the same figure will be sent by email. 0800 6890668 · readingdatarecovery.co.uk Only pay if we recover your data, on most jobs
Record the information online, print a paper copy to include in the box (or do both), and post the hardware. If it's sent in advance, we will be able to open your case before the box arrives.

Whatever you type in online appears on the printed sheet. Regardless of whether you complete the form online or use the PDF shipping form download, please ensure that a completed version of the form is included in the parcel.

Packing the box.

Pack it like it is fragileThere is no better box than the one it arrived in. Failing that, fill each side completely, until there is no movement at all when you shake it. Memory cards and pen drives should have their own soft padding before they come into contact with cardboard.
Insure it for the data, not the diskTrack and insure your parcel, whichever carrier you use, and hold on to your receipt. The journey back is always paid for by us, regardless of what happens.
Label each disk with its bay numberEach bare disk removed from a server or RAID set must be marked with the bay it was located in; a NAS sends its disks the same way if they can be removed, and travels whole only when they can't. The sequence of the disks decides whether a RAID will go back together, and if the order has to be worked out from scratch, the time required to restore it is much longer.
Call first if it looks awkwardRing 0800 6890668 first to speak with an engineer about the safest way to move it, if you are unsure about how to remove the disks, or if you think the kit may be too heavy to lift yourself.

Run through this before you seal it

  • List all passwords used. The Windows login password, the FileVault password and the BitLocker recovery key all need to be listed on the shipping form. A lab cannot access encrypted data either. Therefore, if you do not include a valid recovery key, work will stop upon reaching that point.
  • Tell us what you cannot lose. Identify those files or folders that you cannot afford to lose, and they will be copied first.
  • Send the portable drive as one package, and include the cable and the power adaptor. A WD My Passport is built on a bridge board for use only with its own disk; therefore, you will need to send them as a pair.
  • Put your mains power adaptor in with a single external hard drive. If anything breaks off or comes apart, put it in a bag in the box with the hard drive. Don't throw anything away.

Remember this: don't turn the device on or plug it back in, whatever the checker says. Many devices sent to us were further damaged because someone decided to try one more time to see if it still worked.

The questions that come first.

Does the checker really diagnose the fault?

No. The first answer is made on the basis of which boxes were ticked. The second is that of an engineer sitting at their bench with your hardware in front of them, methodically working down the list of possible problems until they are able to name what is causing the problem. Only the second one sets a price. Let the checker tell you what not to do tonight, and let the bench tell you what it costs.

How much will this cost?

The cost for memory cards and USB sticks is £250 + VAT, while a single hard disk or SSD will cost £300 + VAT. A recorder or DVR is priced at £400 + VAT. When more than one disk is involved, such as NAS, RAID sets, servers etc., the price starts at £500 + VAT. The pricing band depends upon what you send, and the checker will tell you which band applies before you post. All of our pricing bands can be viewed on our pricing page, and the free diagnosis gives you a single written figure.

Do I only pay if you recover my data?

Most jobs, yes. In most cases you only pay if we recover your data. There are two types of work which fall outside this: (i) equipment which has taken a physical or electrical knock, or (ii) equipment which another lab has already been inside. If yours falls into either category, you are told at the start, before you have agreed to a penny.

How long before I get a reply?

Within one working day of receiving it. In most cases, if there is someone at the desk, you can expect an answer within 30 minutes. If it comes in overnight, we will be ready to respond from 9am. The diagnosis takes longer, about 48 hours from when a single disk gets put on the bench.

A couple of minutes, and you have a price.

Checker, form, parcel, bench: now it is completely up to you, with a price in front of you and no obligation to pay for the look.

0800 6890668

Get it looked at Posting it to Oxford