✓ What you should do
- Switch the device off immediately and leave it off
- Do not save or install anything else on the drive
- Write down what happened (a drop? noises? an error message?)
- Call me, you reach me directly: +49 711 3588558
Can’t call right now? Describe your case →
✗ Never do this
- Open the hard drive, even the smallest dust particles destroy the data surface
- Freeze the drive, a stubborn myth that does more harm than good
- Repeatedly power on a clicking drive, every start attempt can cost data
- Run recovery software on the original drive
Your data back in your hands
Your data is gone? Don't panic, I'll help you. I have been a business owner in Stuttgart since 2004 and have been recovering data in my own specialist workshop since 2014 – today in Stuttgart-Sillenbuch: personally, locally and transparently. You hand your hard drive to me in person, and you know at all times where it is, who is working on it and what it costs. No drop-off point for a distant large lab, no call-center queue.
What I recover
- Hard drives (HDD)internal & external hard drives, also after a drop or head crash – the diagnosis shows the chances
- SSDseven when the drive is suddenly no longer recognized (controller, firmware)
- RAID & NASDedicated page →
- USB flash driveseven with a broken-off connector
- SD cards & memory cardsphoto and video recovery, even when physically damaged
- Apple / MacMacBook and iMac, even with a soldered-in SSD, as well as Time Machine drives
Whether it is important business data, your thesis or the family photo collection: I have recovered cases like these many times, for companies just as much as for students and families.
Logical or physical damage?
The right diagnosis decides how to proceed. And whether a do-it-yourself attempt would put your data at risk:
Logical damage
The drive is mechanically sound, but data was deleted or accidentally formatted, or the drive's table of contents is damaged – for example when Windows suddenly asks you to format the disk. Good prospects, as long as nothing more is written to the drive.
Physical damage
Mechanical or electronic defects: head crash, defective circuit board, motor damage, water damage. This is where the drive belongs in the specialist workshop. Every further attempt to run it makes the damage worse.
How a data recovery works
From the first phone call through the appointment in person to the handover of your data: everything from one person. I guide you through the whole process and remain your contact, even if a special case needs a colleague. I discuss that with you before you commission the work.
- Free initial consultation by phone. I clarify the symptoms and how urgent it is.
- Diagnosis. The drive is examined and you receive an honest assessment.
- Cost estimate. You decide before any costs for the recovery arise.
- Recovery. I work on an exact copy of your drive; I spare the original as much as I can.
- Handover. Your verified data on a new drive, with backup advice on request. Check it yourself beforehand: backup and security check.
What does data recovery cost?
- Initial consultation and preliminary diagnosis free of charge
- Recovery at a fixed price after the diagnosis
- No job without your go-ahead
Trying it yourself: yes or no?
With purely logical damage, experienced users can risk an attempt with tools such as PhotoRec or TestDisk, but only ever on a copy of the drive, never on the original. As soon as the drive makes unusual noises, is no longer recognized or a recovery attempt has already failed: hands off and call me. A second "attempt" often costs you the last chance of recovery.
On site in Stuttgart, no shipping required
My specialist workshop for data recovery is in Stuttgart-Sillenbuch: Gosheimer Weg 11, 70619 Stuttgart – with free parking right outside, easy to reach by the U7 light rail line (Sillenbuch stop) and quickly accessible via the A8 autobahn. You hand your drive to me personally, whether you come from any Stuttgart district such as Bad Cannstatt, Degerloch or Vaihingen, or from Esslingen, Fellbach, Ludwigsburg, Leonberg, Waiblingen or Sindelfingen. If you live further away, use the mail-in service: give me a quick call first, then pack the drive with plenty of padding and send it in. After the diagnosis you receive a transparent cost estimate before the recovery begins.
English spoken: many of my customers come from the international community in Stuttgart – the U.S. garrison, international companies and students. You are welcome to call me in English; the whole process, from the first call to the handover of your data, runs in English if you prefer.
Discreet and confidential: I handle around eight in ten cases entirely myself in my workshop. If a case needs specialist equipment that a colleague masters better, I tell you before you commission anything: who, where and what it costs. Your drive never leaves my workshop without your consent. With a confidentiality agreement on request, especially for medical practices, law firms and companies.
"Very reliable, honest and straightforward. After a hard drive failure on my business laptop, Mr. Riedel was able to recover 100% of my data. In less than 24 hours I had an appointment in person, and after a few days my data was back. Riedel IT is my personal recommendation when it comes to data recovery in Stuttgart. Thank you." (translated from German)
Tobias F., customer after a hard drive failure
Frequently asked questions about data recovery
What does a data recovery cost?
That depends on the type of damage. Logical damage is considerably cheaper than a head crash that requires elaborate workshop work. That is why there is a diagnosis first and then a binding cost estimate. You decide before any costs for the recovery arise; the initial consultation by phone is free of charge.
What are the chances that my data can be recovered?
That can only be answered honestly after the diagnosis. As a rule: the less has been "tried out" on the drive after the data loss, the better the prospects. During the initial consultation I give you an honest first assessment, even when it turns out to be an unfavorable one.
How long does a data recovery take?
Logical recoveries often take a few days; physical damage requiring workshop work takes correspondingly longer, depending on the availability of spare parts. If it is urgent (business data, a deadline), I will discuss prioritized handling with you directly on the phone.
I deleted files by accident, is that bad?
Usually not, provided you stop using the drive immediately. Deleted files are often still physically present until they are overwritten. So: save nothing more, switch the device off, call me.
Does this apply to SSDs as well?
Only to a limited extent: SSDs often clean up deleted areas for good within minutes (TRIM). So switch the device off immediately and call me. With defects of the SSD electronics or firmware, on the other hand, the chances are often good. Here too: do not keep running it.
Does my data stay confidential?
Yes. Your drive stays in my specialist workshop in Stuttgart. It only goes to a specialised colleague if your case requires it and you have agreed beforehand. On request I sign a confidentiality agreement, a matter of course for medical practices, law firms and companies.
A stranger got into my computer or my website. What do I do first?
Don't delete anything – secure it first. It's the same rule I follow with every failing drive in my workshop: copy first, then work on the original. If you clean up or reinstall right away, you lose the traces and often your way back. After a call from a fake support agent, or if your files are suddenly encrypted, here is what to do now. If your website is affected, here is a guide to backing it up and making it update-free.