When a hospital RAID array drops offline or an EMR database drive fails, the recovery process is identical to any other drive. What changes is how we handle the media. We sign NDAs on request, keep all drives in our single Austin facility, and return recovered data on encrypted media. We do not sign BAAs and are not HIPAA certified.
We are not HIPAA certified and do not sign Business Associate Agreements. Our recovery process does implement physical and technical safeguards for media in transit and at rest in our lab: single-facility custody, encrypted return media, and documented chain of custody.
We sign an NDA on request and maintain documented chain of custody for all media from intake to return.
Recovered data is returned on AES-256 encrypted drives. Encryption keys are delivered separately.
Your media stays in our Austin lab from intake to return. No outsourcing, no subcontractors.
If we cannot recover your files, you pay $0. The same guarantee applies to every recovery we perform.
Picture Archiving and Communication Systems store DICOM imaging data (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans) on RAID arrays, typically RAID 5 or RAID 6 configurations. When multiple drives in the array fail or the RAID controller loses its configuration, the DICOM archive becomes inaccessible. We image each member drive individually using PC-3000, then reconstruct the RAID geometry and extract the DICOM file structure. The most common root cause is a degraded array running on a single failed member for months until a second drive fails.
Electronic medical record systems like Epic, Cerner, and Meditech store patient data in SQL Server or Oracle database files. When the underlying drive develops bad sectors or firmware issues, the database engine reports corruption errors. Software repair tools cannot fix corruption caused by physical media failure. We recover the raw drive image first using PC-3000 sector-by-sector imaging with multiple read passes on problem areas, then hand off the clean image for database repair.
Individual workstations in clinics and small practices often store local copies of patient records, scanned documents, and billing data. These are standard desktop or laptop drives (Seagate BarraCuda, WD Blue, Samsung 870 EVO) with no RAID redundancy. A single head failure or firmware lock takes the entire practice offline. Standard hard drive recovery or SSD recovery procedures apply, with the added PHI handling protocols.
HIPAA does not prohibit shipping drives containing PHI. The Security Rule requires "physical safeguards" for media in transit: tamper-evident packaging, tracking, and accountability for who handles the media.
Recommended shipping procedure
Review our shipping instructions for detailed packing guidance. For drives containing PHI, we recommend insured shipment with signature confirmation.
Healthcare recovery uses the same pricing as all other recoveries. There is no enterprise surcharge or compliance fee. The price depends on the physical condition of the drive, not the data on it.
| Service Tier | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Simple CopyLow complexity | $100 | Your drive works, you just need the data moved off it Functional drive; data transfer to new media Rush available: +$100 |
| File System RecoveryLow complexity | From $250 | Your drive isn't recognized by your computer, but it's not making unusual sounds File system corruption. Accessible with professional recovery software but not by the OS Starting price; final depends on complexity |
| Firmware RepairMedium complexity – PC-3000 required | $600–$900 | Your drive is completely inaccessible. It may be detected but shows the wrong size or won't respond Firmware corruption: ROM, modules, or translator tables corrupted; requires PC-3000 terminal access Standard drives at lower end; high-density drives at higher end |
| Head SwapHigh complexity – clean bench surgery50% deposit | $1,200–$1,500 | Your drive is clicking, beeping, or won't spin. The internal read/write heads have failed Head stack assembly failure. Transplanting heads from a matching donor drive on a clean bench 50% deposit required. Donor parts are consumed in the repair |
| Surface / Platter DamageHigh complexity – clean bench surgery50% deposit | $2,000 | Your drive was dropped, has visible damage, or a head crash scraped the platters Platter scoring or contamination. Requires platter cleaning and head swap 50% deposit required. Donor parts are consumed in the repair. Most difficult recovery type. |
Our "no data, no fee" policy applies to hardware recovery. We do not bill for unsuccessful physical repairs. If we replace a hard drive read/write head assembly or repair a liquid-damaged logic board to a bootable state, the hardware repair is complete and standard rates apply. If data remains inaccessible due to user-configured software locks, a forgotten passcode, or a remote wipe command, the physical repair is still billable. We cannot bypass user encryption or activation locks.
All tiers: Free evaluation and firm quote before any paid work. No data, no fee on simple copy, file system, and firmware tiers. Head swap and surface damage require a 50% deposit because donor parts are consumed in the attempt.
Target drive: The destination drive we copy recovered data onto. You can supply your own or we provide one at cost. For ultra-high-capacity drives (20TB and above), the target drive costs approximately $400+ due to the large media required. All prices are plus applicable tax.
Describe the failure and mention any PHI or HIPAA requirements. We will outline handling protocols before you ship.
