How to choose a data recovery laboratory
In short
Choose a laboratory that handles your device in Portugal, in a physical laboratory with a cleanroom, that carries out a diagnosis and gives you the final quote before starting the recovery, that holds information security certification (ISO 27001) and that lets you speak to the technician handling your case. Also check the years of experience and the public reviews, on Google, Facebook and Trustpilot.
When a device fails, the rush leads many people to choose the first service that appears in the search results. But the choice of laboratory decides whether the data comes back, how long it takes and where it goes along the way. A badly done attempt can ruin a device that could have been recovered.
These are the criteria we use to explain to our customers what they should ask, whether to us or to any other laboratory.
The 8 criteria for choosing a data recovery laboratory
1. A physical laboratory in Portugal, not a drop-off point
Many services that operate in Portugal do not have a laboratory in the country. They receive the device at a drop-off point and send it to Spain or to another country. The device travels further, the case takes longer, and your data leaves the country without you knowing who handles it. Always ask where the work is done and whether you can visit the laboratory.
2. A cleanroom for opening drives
A mechanical hard drive can only be opened in a controlled environment. A single dust particle between the read head and the platter is enough to scratch the surface where the data is stored. A serious laboratory has a cleanroom; ours is ISO 5 (Class 100).
3. Diagnosis and final quote before you pay for the recovery
Before deciding, you need to know what failed, what can be recovered and how much it costs. Be wary of anyone who asks for payment for the recovery before seeing the device, or who only tells you the price at the end. At DataRecoveryLab, the Technical Diagnosis of hard drives (HDD) and SSDs is carried out within 2 hours, during opening hours, after the device arrives at the laboratory (for USB sticks and memory cards, within 12 hours), and we only go ahead with the recovery after the customer accepts the final quote, which they receive after the diagnosis. See the diagnosis timeframes and costs.
4. Quality and information security certifications
A device holds family photographs, company documents and customer data. ISO 27001:2022 certification ensures that the laboratory has audited rules to protect that information, and ISO 9001:2015 that the work follows a controlled quality process. DataRecoveryLab holds both, issued by Quality Evaluation Center and valid until August 2029: see the ISO 9001 certificate and the ISO 27001 certificate.
5. Speaking directly to the technician handling your case
In a laboratory with its own team, you can ask questions to the person working on your device, in European Portuguese, and follow every step. With an intermediary service, answers pass through several hands and arrive late.
6. Proven experience
Data recovery requires specialised tools, compatible donor parts and many solved cases. DataRecoveryLab has been working in data recovery since 2004, in Carcavelos, with a success rate above 98%.
7. Public reviews you can check
Testimonials on the company’s own website are not enough: look for reviews on independent platforms. DataRecoveryLab has more than 1,900 customer reviews: 1,042 on Google (4.9 stars), 833 on Facebook and 104 on Trustpilot (4.8 stars). You can also read our customer testimonials.
8. How the device gets to the laboratory
If you cannot come to us, sending the device has to be safe and simple. We offer free collection throughout mainland Portugal for hard drives (HDD), SSDs, RAID and NAS (USB sticks and memory cards do not have free collection, and the return has a cost for those who used the collection), and we explain how to pack the device. If you prefer, you can drop it off at the laboratory, at Estrada da Rebelva, n.º 1258, in Carcavelos.
Physical laboratory or drop-off point: the differences
| Physical laboratory in Portugal | Drop-off point | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the device is handled | At the laboratory, in Portugal | In another country, often in Spain |
| Who you speak to | The technician handling your case | An intermediary |
| Does your data leave the country? | No | Yes |
| Transport | Collection and delivery in Portugal | International shipping, there and back |
| Can you visit the laboratory? | Yes | No |
Warning signs before you hand over your device
- Promises “guaranteed recovery” before seeing the device.
- Does not tell you the price before starting the recovery.
- Has no laboratory address, only a drop-off point or a form.
- Does not let you speak to the person doing the work.
- Only shows reviews on its own website.
- Suggests you try recovery software without knowing what is wrong with the device: on a drive with a weak head or an SSD with damaged cells, each attempt can make its condition worse.
Why choose DataRecoveryLab
- Physical laboratory in Carcavelos, with a cleanroom, recovering data since 2004.
- ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2022 certifications.
- Diagnosis within 2 hours for hard drives (HDD) and SSDs, and a final quote before any recovery.
- More than 1,900 reviews on Google, Facebook and Trustpilot.
- Free collection of drives, SSDs, RAID and NAS in mainland Portugal.
- We recover hard drives (HDD), SSD drives, RAID and NAS, USB sticks and memory cards.
Learn about our processing method and our prices, or make your online request.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the diagnosis take?
For hard drives (HDD) and SSDs, the Technical Diagnosis is carried out within 2 hours, during opening hours, after the device arrives at the laboratory; for USB sticks and memory cards, within 12 hours. For RAID, it is 2 hours per drive. In some cases (for example, devices that have been opened before, encrypted devices or RAID that needs rebuilding) an Advanced Diagnosis, which has a cost, is needed before the final quote; we always tell you beforehand. After the diagnosis you receive the final quote, with a clear idea of the prices, and the recovery only starts if you accept it.
How do I send my device to the laboratory?
First make your online request: you receive a request number, we arrange the collection, free throughout mainland Portugal for hard drives (HDD), SSDs, RAID and NAS, and we explain how to pack the device. You can also drop it off at the laboratory, in Carcavelos, once the request has been made. For those who used the collection, the return has a cost: the device comes back with our courier and the shipping costs are paid by you.
Will my data remain confidential?
Yes. The work is done in our laboratory in Portugal, and the data does not leave the country. DataRecoveryLab is certified to ISO 27001:2022, the international information security standard.
What if I accept the quote and then the data cannot be recovered?
You do not pay for the recovery service nor anything else, and return shipping costs are separate. In some cases (when parts are needed, or for SSDs with a complex recovery) an initial amount is requested before starting, always stated in the quote: if the recovery succeeds, it is deducted from the price; if it does not, it covers the recovery attempt and is not refunded. The diagnosis identifies the fault, but it does not always make it possible to know in advance whether the recovery will succeed.
Should I try to recover the data myself first?
In most cases, no. It depends on what is happening to the device.
Hard drive (HDD) that is recognised, but copies very slowly, or alternates between fast and slow: this is a sign of a weak read head. Recovery software forces the drive to read the same area many times; the head heats up and can damage that area of the platter even further, which is where the data is.
Hard drive that has been dropped, makes noises or is not recognised: switch it off and do not switch it on again. Each time you switch it on, it can damage the platters further.
SSD drive: it may have damaged blocks of memory cells (NAND flash). Forcing it to read with software can damage those blocks further and compromise the device.
In any of these cases, switch off the device and make your online request: the diagnosis tells you what can be recovered.
Which devices do you recover?
Hard drives (HDD), SSD drives, RAID and NAS systems, USB sticks, memory cards and drives from Mac computers, with logical or mechanical faults.
