Seagate takes a dip in data recovery

Seagate's sonic screwdriver: Technical.

Seagate has opened up a data recovery wing down under for those moments when your 750GB porn collection hangs in the balance.

It says it's expanding the current "global" Seagate Recovery Service.

"Corporations and consumers ... cannot afford the risk of losing digital data that has become such an integral part of them," says Seagate's Executive Director, Kevin Lee.

"Seagate Recovery Services provide the last line of defense to recover the loss of these invaluable data quickly and accurately."

It says the technology it uses is "... drive-independent and allows for data recovery from media that cannot be addressed by traditional in-lab recovery methods."

By "media," it apparently really does mean anything at all that can or once did store data.

The service, says Seagate, can recover data from all forms of storage media "... regardless of brands or formats - that have undergone severe physical damage, liquid damage, fire damage, software corruption, system sabotage and accidental file deletion."

The "Festplattenlaufwerk": Certifiably rickety. (Credit: Appaloosa)

So if you have an old 500MB rickety rattletrap drive lying around, and you've stashed it away for 'when Seagate performs data recoveries in Australia,' here's your chance.

What's the damage? Unfortunately, we were only supplied US pricing, but it costs a shedload, basically.

Aside from the US$50 "evaluation fee," should you choose the economy package, "... the price range is typically between US$700-US$1900 for single hard drive recoveries."

Priority service can fetch up to US$2900 on average. You also must weather the initial shipping costs.

"The recovered data is typically stored onto a DVD and returned to the customer," although its website states that data is returned on a Seagate hard drive with a priority service, so your money mileage will vary.

You can fire your dead miscellaneous media right on in to the below address, but it probably wouldn't hurt to first give them a buzz.

Seagate Recovery Services
Suite V4, Seabridge House
377 Kent Street
Sydney NSW 2000

In terms of privacy, Seagate assures us that its "established processes, facilities, and equipment guarantee the privacy and confidentiality of the clients' data."

"Each of the technicians is trained to protect the clients' privacy while ensuring the structural integrity of recovered files, and Seagate has a corporate security team dedicated to continually auditing security processes."

So, what happens to your old dead media? It offers a disposal service through "partners," but generally it'll just send it back to you.

A really cheap alternative is to back up your data, but we both know that won't happen. Better start saving.