Data recovery FAQ: answers to your questions
Find answers from our specialists to the most frequently asked questions about data recovery: hard drive failures, SSD, RAID, USB drives, pricing, turnaround times and process. SOS Data Recovery (Tesweb SA), Swiss specialist since 2006 with over 10,000 cases handled, answers your questions.
Why consult our data recovery FAQ?
Our technicians answer the most frequently asked questions about hard drive, SSD, RAID, NAS, USB drive and memory card failures. Each answer is based on over 10,000 cases handled since 2006 and regularly updated. If you cannot find the answer to your question, contact us — free diagnosis within 3 hours.
Which DLT standards do you recover?
We recover all DLT standards: DLT-III, DLT-IIIXT, DLT-IV, DLT-VS (DLT1) and DLT-V4. Our laboratory has the compatible streamers for each generation.
Which LTO tape generations do you recover?
We recover all generations of LTO tapes, from LTO-1 (100 GB native) to LTO-9 (18 TB native). Our laboratory has the compatible readers for each generation.
Who are we?
We are a company specializing in data recovery from defective media, a technical discipline that involves extracting and restoring inaccessible files from damaged, corrupted, or failed storage devices.
We work on a wide range of media: HDDs and SSDs, RAID systems (levels 0 to 6), USB sticks, memory cards (SD, microSD, CF), mobile phones and other digital media. Each intervention is carried out with professional, state-of-the-art tools, in a controlled environment guaranteeing the integrity of the recovered data.
Why is laminar flow necessary for data recovery?
The read head of a hard drive floats over the platters at only 7 nanometers. An ordinary dust particle measures 6,000 nanometers, or 860 times that distance. Without laminar flow, any opening of a hard drive would cause an immediate head crash and permanent data destruction.
Why must the data recovery lab be based in Switzerland?
Most Swiss insurance companies require that data recovery be performed by a provider based in Switzerland to ensure legal compliance, data protection (LPD), and process traceability. SOS Data Recovery, located in Ins, fully meets this criterion.
Why not use data recovery software at home?
Data recovery software may be suitable for accidental deletion on a healthy storage device. However, if the drive is making abnormal noises, is no longer detected, or has bad sectors, software will force repeated reads that worsen the physical damage. Each additional attempt further deteriorates the read/write heads and scratches the platters. A professional first performs a bit-by-bit copy in protected mode before any analysis.
Why should I trust your service to recover my data?
Our data recovery service is based on four fundamental pillars that guarantee reliable and secure results:
- Certified technical expertise – Our specialized engineers handle over 95% of data loss cases, including mechanical failures, software corruptions, and accidental deletions.
- State-of-the-art cleanroom equipment – Our ISO Class 5 certified laboratories allow us to work on physically damaged media without the risk of further deterioration.
- Strict and certified confidentiality – Each intervention is covered by a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Your data is never shared, copied, or stored without your explicit consent.
- Human support at every stage – A dedicated expert informs you of the progress in real-time, from the initial diagnosis to the restitution of your data.
Will my data remain confidential during the process?
SOS Data Recovery is CyberSafe certified and a CyberSafe partner (a label awarded by the cyber-safe.ch association after a comprehensive audit) and authorized to process confidential data for federal institutions. The entire process complies with the new Federal Data Protection Act (nLPD, RS 235.1). Our premises are secured by surveillance cameras, access badges, and alarms. Unused media are stored in a safe.
Windows / Mac OS Doesn't Recognize My Hard Drive: Causes and Solutions
A hard drive not recognized by Windows or Mac OS is a problem that can stem from two distinct origins: a physical failure of the drive itself (damaged sectors, mechanical failure) or a software malfunction related to the operating system or file system. Identifying the exact cause is essential before any data recovery attempt.
Windows / Mac OS no longer fully boots from my hard drive
An operating system (Windows or Mac OS) that stops during startup is generally a sign of operating system corruption or a physical hard drive failure, particularly damaged disk surface or faulty read/write heads.
Two main causes explain this symptom:
- Software corruption — Critical system files are damaged due to a failed update, power outage, or malware infection.
- Physical hard drive failure — The magnetic surface of the disk (bad sectors) or the read/write heads are degraded, preventing the system from loading completely.
Your SSD is no longer visible in Windows / Mac OS
An SSD not detected by the operating system can have two distinct origins:
- Physical problem – The SSD is damaged (shock, overheating, wear of NAND cells) or the connection cable (SATA, M.2, NVMe) is defective or poorly connected.
- Software problem – The operating system itself is corrupted, or the SSD partition is damaged, preventing Windows or Mac OS from mounting the volume correctly.