What does data recovery cost?
The diagnostic costs $49 CAD and gives you a complete failure assessment and firm quote. Logical recovery (deleted files, accidental format, corrupted partition on a mechanically healthy drive) is $349. Mechanical failure recovery (clicking drive, PCB failure, stuck read heads, firmware corruption) is $799. Complex cases involving head crash, platter damage, or multiple simultaneous failures are $1,499. No-data-no-pay applies: if we recover nothing, you pay only the $49 diagnostic.
How much does iPhone data recovery cost?
iPhone data recovery starts with the $49 diagnostic. Logical recovery (corrupted iOS, failed update, accidental deletion from a physically intact phone) is $349. Physical chip-level recovery (broken screen with logic board damage, water damage, dropped iPhone) is $799. We recover photos, contacts, messages, WhatsApp, Notes, and app data. No-data-no-pay applies to all iPhone recovery cases.
Can I recover data for free?
For recently deleted files from a logically healthy drive, free tools like Recuva (Windows), PhotoRec, or TestDisk can sometimes work — but only if the drive is mechanically sound and you stop using it immediately after the loss. If your drive is clicking, grinding, or not detected, do NOT use DIY software — it can cause permanent damage. For any mechanical failure, professional recovery is the only safe option. Our $49 diagnostic tells you exactly where you stand before you commit to anything.
Where can I get hard drive data recovered in Montreal?
IT Cares is located on Rue Richmond, Montreal QC H3J 0C4. We accept walk-ins, drop-offs, and scheduled appointments 7 days a week. We also offer a secure mail-in service for clients outside Greater Montreal. Book online at
itcares.ca/en/book.html or call 1 (888) 711-9428. We serve all Montreal neighborhoods and the surrounding area within a 50km radius including Laval, Longueuil, Brossard, and the West Island.
Is it possible to recover data from an external hard drive?
Yes — external hard drive recovery is one of our most common cases. Whether your WD Passport, Seagate Backup Plus, LaCie, or Toshiba drive stopped being recognized, was accidentally formatted, fell off a desk and is now clicking, or was corrupted after an unsafe ejection — we can assess and recover it. Our $49 diagnostic determines whether the failure is logical ($349) or mechanical ($799). Success rate for logical external drive failures exceeds 95%.
How to recover data from an external hard drive that won’t boot?
Step 1: Stop using it — do not plug it in again. Step 2: Call 1 (888) 711-9428 or book at itcares.ca/en/book.html. Step 3: Bring the drive to our Rue Richmond, Montreal H3J 0C4 workshop. Step 4: We run the $49 diagnostic to classify the failure (logical vs. mechanical). Step 5: With your approval, we recover the data and deliver it on a new drive or via secure cloud. If the drive is physically failing, running DIY tools will likely make the data unrecoverable.
How long does data recovery take?
Logical recovery (deleted files, format, corrupted partition): 24–72 hours. Firmware or PCB repair: 3–7 business days. Mechanical failure involving head replacement: 5–14 business days. Complex cases (head crash, platter damage): 10–21 business days. We offer an Express <24h diagnostic for $119.99 for urgent logical cases. We provide a realistic timeline estimate during the $49 diagnostic.
My hard drive is clicking — what should I do?
Power off the drive immediately. The clicking sound (click of death) means the read heads are failing and resetting repeatedly. Each spin-up attempt risks scoring the magnetic platters, making data permanently unrecoverable. Do not run chkdsk, do not try to copy files, do not install recovery software. Call 1 (888) 711-9428 — the sooner you reach us with an undamaged drive, the better our chances of successful recovery.
Do you recover RAID arrays and NAS servers?
Yes — we recover RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 arrays from Synology, QNAP, Buffalo, Drobo, NetGear ReadyNAS, and custom servers. RAID recovery involves reconstructing the stripe geometry and parity data before any file-level extraction can begin. Pricing starts at $799 for simple RAID 1 (mirrored) and reaches $1,499+ for degraded RAID 5/6 with multiple failed drives.
Can you recover data from a water-damaged hard drive?
Often yes — do NOT power it on. Bring the drive to us exactly as-is. Many water damage cases are recoverable if the platters have not been contaminated. The most important thing is to not let the drive dry out while still contaminated — do not use a hairdryer, rice, or silica gel on the drive internals. We’ll assess it as part of the $49 diagnostic.
What is the no-data-no-pay guarantee exactly?
If IT Cares cannot recover any of your files, you pay only the $49 diagnostic fee — not the $349, $799, or $1,499 recovery cost. Before you pay the recovery fee, we show you a complete file listing of what was recovered. You verify the files are there. Only then is the recovery fee charged. This guarantee applies to all tiers and all media types.
Can you recover data from a ransomware-encrypted drive?
Sometimes — it depends on the ransomware variant and whether decryption keys have been publicly released. For LockBit 2.0/3.0, BlackCat/ALPHV, Conti, and Dharma/CrySIS variants, we first check known key databases (e.g., NoMoreRansom.org). We also attempt shadow copy (VSS) extraction if not deleted. In some cases, partial file carving on unencrypted sectors is possible. We charge only the $49 diagnostic regardless of the outcome assessment.
Do you offer data recovery services across Canada?
Yes — while our physical workshop is in Montreal QC, we accept secure mail-in from anywhere in Canada. We’ve served clients in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Halifax, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. We provide a prepaid shipping label and insured packaging instructions. All work is performed at our Montreal workshop.
Ransomware recovery and logical recovery are available to all Canadian clients.
Is IT Cares available on weekends?
Yes — IT Cares is available 7 days a week. Our workshop accepts drop-offs Monday through Friday 9am–6pm and Saturday–Sunday 10am–5pm. For urgent cases (server crashes, business-critical data), emergency availability extends to evenings. Call 1 (888) 711-9428 even outside business hours for an urgent data loss situation.
Can IT Cares recover Mac data from APFS or Fusion Drive?
Yes — we fully support APFS (macOS Catalina and later), HFS+ (older Mac drives), and Fusion Drive configurations (hybrid HDD+SSD). We also handle T2-chip and Apple Silicon MacBook NVMe recovery, as well as Time Machine backup drive recovery. Mac recovery is priced identically to PC drives: $49 diagnostic + $349/$799/$1,499 depending on failure type.
