FAQs

Everything you need to know about our evaluation and data recovery service. Can't find your answer? Email support@atpdataservices.com.

General Information

How do I contact ATP Data?

ATP handles all customer communication by email. While we have a phone number, our customer service team does not discuss our service over the phone. We respond to all emails within 8 business hours. Our support@atpdataservices.com inbox is monitored Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM CT.

What is Data Recovery?

Data Recovery is the process of obtaining usable data from inaccessible or corrupted storage media. ATP does not repair your damaged device. Our proprietary recovery process extracts data from the damaged device and copies your recovered files to new return media (per your quote), password protected for secure return.

What is the ATP Customer Promise?

Included with our Evaluation and Recoverability Report is a Quote for Service. Our quotes are firm and do not change during or after the recovery process. We never add hidden fees, and every quote includes our Customer Promise: a completion date and an honest assessment of the expected recovery of your data. If we fail to meet our promise, we issue a full refund of our recovery fees. Our VeriScan technology provides details about your recovery to support our Customer Promise.

ATP Recovery Process

How does the ATP Recovery service work?

Making the right decision starts with getting the best information. Our service uses an evaluate and quote model so you can decide the best course of action for your situation.

For a separate evaluation fee, you receive a customized Evaluation and Recoverability Report prepared by experienced recovery engineers. It covers the root cause of your data loss, recoverability (% chance of success), and our specific recovery plan. Reports are typically available 3 to 5 business days after we receive your media in our lab.

Included with the report is a firm Quote for Service. Quotes do not change during recovery, and we do not add hidden fees. Every quote includes our Customer Promise: an honest assessment of recovery and a completion date. If we fail to meet our Customer Promise, we issue a full refund of our recovery fees per the terms of your quote.

All Quotes for Service include a 10% discount on recovery fees for Seagate customers. The discount is applied automatically as a line item; you do not need a promo code. Discounts are not extended to replacement parts, return media, shipping, the Evaluation and Recoverability Report, or any upgrade offer.

After you approve the quote, we send a payment link for the full invoice amount. Recovery begins within 24 business hours of your paid invoice. When recovery is complete, we notify you and provide a VeriScan link to review results. After you approve your results, we ship your recovered data. Your recovered data is password protected; we send the password with your shipping confirmation.

How long will my recovery take?

Your Evaluation and Recoverability Report and Quote for Service include your Customer Promise completion date. Recovery begins within 24 business hours of your paid invoice. When recovery is complete, we email you a VeriScan link so you can review and approve or decline the results. After you approve, we ship your recovered data, password protected; we send the password with your shipping confirmation.

I purchased an Evaluation and Recoverability Report, now what?

Prepare your drive and send it to our lab:

ATP DATA SERVICES
611 Hundred Oaks Drive Suite 140
Edmond, OK 73013

Please include a copy of your evaluation confirmation email with your shipment. If possible, write your order number on the outside of your package.

We recommend a non-static wrapping material to protect your drive from ESD (electrostatic discharge) damage. Wrap the drive in bubble wrap or foam and place it in a box large enough to hold both the device and the packing material. It is very important that the packing eliminates all movement of your drive in transit.

Please do not include power supplies or cables; we keep an extensive inventory of both. If possible, remove the drive from the laptop, desktop or other device. We only need the storage device to perform recovery services.

What is the shipping address of the ATP lab?

ATP DATA SERVICES
611 Hundred Oaks Drive Suite 140
Edmond, OK 73013

Please include a copy of your evaluation confirmation email with your shipment. If possible, write your order number on the outside of your package.

Which shipping company should I use to send my device to ATP's lab?

Our preferred shipping partner is USPS, but you are free to use any carrier. We accept shipments from all carriers.

The Evaluation Process

How much does the Evaluation and Recoverability Report cost?

United States: 102.47 USD, which includes a 3.5% card processing fee. The card processing fee is never refunded.
European Union: 99 EUR. United Kingdom: 99 GBP. Rest of world: 99 USD. No card processing fee applies outside the United States.

We do not charge sales tax or VAT. If you cancel your order, see "Do I get any money back if I choose secure destruction?" for what we refund.

What is included in my Evaluation and Recoverability Report?

Our customized Evaluation and Recoverability Reports are in-depth diagnostic reports composed by recovery engineers with decades of experience recovering lost data on all brands and formats of storage media.

We do not attempt to repair the drive or recover data at the evaluation stage. Our evaluation includes a full diagnostic assessment of your device, which is necessary to determine the recovery strategy and resources required for a successful outcome.

Our reports contain findings from a proprietary suite of tests that include VMI, Electrical (CPOT), Device Initialization and SMART Analysis. If physical damage is observed or suspected during evaluation, the drive is moved to our cleanroom for a full internal examination of the heads and media. All findings are documented and photographed as part of your report.

View a sample Evaluation and Recoverability Report.

How long will it take to complete my Evaluation and Recoverability Report?

Within 24 business hours of receiving your drive in our lab, our team begins assessing the damage to your device and determining the best course of action for recovering your data. We strive to deliver your Evaluation and Recoverability Report within 3 to 5 business days from receipt of your drive. We will contact you with our evaluation results and a firm Quote for Service.

Why do you ask for my approval before opening a sealed drive or sealed enclosure?

Some devices require an irreversible or enclosure damaging step before we can continue evaluation or recovery. We never take that step without your clear permission.

Sealed or helium drives: Some modern drives, including helium filled models, are sealed at the factory. To reach the parts that hold your data, our engineers may need to open that sealed enclosure in our cleanroom. Once opened, the drive cannot be resealed the way it left the factory. We can close the drive afterward, but it will no longer be factory sealed. This step cannot be undone.

USB or plastic enclosures: Some devices arrive in an external plastic enclosure that must be removed to access the drive inside. Removing the enclosure often damages the plastic shell only, not the storage device itself or your data. We still ask first.

If we need your OK, we email you with Approve and Decline options (you can also reply APPROVE or DECLINE). If you approve, we continue your evaluation or recovery, and your schedule picks up from the date of your approval. If you decline, we will not take that step and cannot continue that work. Tell us whether to return your device or securely destroy it. Return shipping is 25 USD by USPS in the United States and 90 USD by DHL Express outside the United States; we invoice it and ship once it is paid. Secure destruction is free, includes a certificate of destruction, and we refund 25 USD of your evaluation fee.

Questions: support@atpdataservices.com

What happens if I don't respond about my order?

If we are waiting on you (for example, to answer a quote, approve opening a sealed drive, review your results, pay a return shipping invoice, or give us a correct address after a return could not be delivered), we email you a reminder after 15 days. After 30 days we email you a written notice that shows any amount you owe, your options, and the date after which we may securely destroy your device. We send a final email after 37 days. Time we spend working on your order never counts toward these dates, and the count starts over whenever you reply.

The same process applies to every customer, wherever you are. If your return shipping is paid, or already included in a quote you paid, we ship your device back. If your return shipping is unpaid and we still have not heard from you, no earlier than 60 days after we started waiting (3 months for UK customers owing money), we may securely destroy the device and email you a certificate of destruction. No $25 refund applies to abandoned orders. We pause all of these steps while a payment dispute is open.

Quotes remain good for 30 calendar days. Reply to our emails or contact support@atpdataservices.com at any time to continue your order or arrange the return of your device.

Full details: Refund and Decline Policy.

What if my return package comes back undelivered?

If it came back because of our mistake, for example we used the wrong address, we reship for free. If the address you gave us was wrong or incomplete, or the package was refused, unclaimed or held for unpaid customs charges, we invoice you for the second shipment.

We contact you for an updated address and arrange the reship. The schedule starts again from the day the package is back at our lab: a reminder after 15 days, a written notice by email after 30 days (any amount owed, your options and the destruction date), and a final email after 37 days. We reship once we have a valid address and any reship charge is paid. If we do not receive a valid address and payment, then, no earlier than 60 days after the package came back (3 months for UK customers owing money), we may securely destroy the device, email you a certificate of destruction, and delete any recovered copy. No $25 refund applies.

Recovery and Pricing

How much does ATP data recovery cost?

Our recovery fees depend on the type of device and the severity of the damage. Most HDD recovery fees are around $500 (including the Seagate discount) and typically fall between $300 and $1,000. Recovery fees are fully refundable if we are unsuccessful in recovering your data per the terms of the quote. If your recovery requires replacement parts, the cost of those parts is added as a separate line item. Parts costs are not refundable.

Taxes, duties and fees

We do not charge sales tax or VAT. You are responsible for any carrier fees, tariffs or import charges on your shipment to our lab. We cannot accept the shipment and complete the evaluation of your order until those charges are paid. If they remain unpaid for 48 business hours, we will ask the carrier to return the package to sender. Import duties and taxes in your country on a return shipment are your responsibility. Please let us know if you have questions.

How long do I have to decide on my price quote for service?

Your quote is good for 30 calendar days from the date of your report. If you decline the quote, the evaluation report is yours to keep. For what happens if we do not hear from you, see "What happens if I don't respond about my order?"

What happens if I decline my quote for service?

Tell us whether you want your device returned or securely destroyed. The evaluation report is yours to keep.

• Return in the United States: 25 USD return shipping by USPS.
• Return outside the United States: 90 USD return shipping by DHL Express.
• We send you an invoice for return shipping and ship once it is paid, within 24 to 48 business hours, with tracking as soon as it is available. Import duties and taxes in your country are your responsibility.
• Secure destruction: there is nothing to pay, you receive a certificate of destruction, and we refund 25 USD of your evaluation fee when you choose it before your order closes.

Full details: Refund and Decline Policy. Questions: support@atpdataservices.com.

How much does it cost to return my device?

If no recovery is paid (for example, you decline the quote, decline opening a sealed drive, the device is unrecoverable, or the order is canceled), return shipping is 25 USD by USPS in the United States and 90 USD by DHL Express outside the United States, always invoiced in US dollars (USD). We invoice it and ship once it is paid. Import duties and taxes in your country are your responsibility.

If you would rather not pay for return shipping, choose secure destruction instead. There is nothing to pay, and we refund 25 USD of your evaluation fee (except on canceled orders; see "Do I get any money back if I choose secure destruction?"). You receive a certificate of destruction.

When you have approved and paid a recovery quote, return shipping is included as a line on that quote, so there is no separate charge.

Full details: Refund and Decline Policy.

What is the ATP Refund Policy?

If you are not satisfied with your recovery, you may request a full refund of your recovery fees within 30 days from the date your order is closed, per the terms of your quote. Return our equipment undamaged with your recovered files, and we will review the drive's data logs. If your files have not been copied or moved to another device, we will refund your recovery fees in full. We cannot issue a refund if recovered files have been copied or moved off our equipment, and items your approved quote marks as not refundable are not included. In the United States, the 3.5% card processing fee is never refunded. For canceled orders, see "Do I get any money back if I choose secure destruction?"

Does ATP offer a payment plan?

Yes. Shop Pay and PayPal Pay Later offer several term options for you to consider. More information: https://www.paypal.com/us/digital-wallet/ways-to-pay/buy-now-pay-later

After Recovery

How does ATP return my recovered data?

Your Quote for Service includes return media with a copy of your recovered files and return shipping. Capacity is based on the size of the original media. Upgrade options for return media and shipping priority are listed on your Evaluation and Recoverability Report and Quote for Service. Shipping details and tracking are sent when your package ships after you approve your VeriScan results.

What happens to my original drive when ATP has finished with my order?

Tell us whether you want your original device returned or securely destroyed. If you paid for a recovery, return shipping is included in your quote. If no recovery was paid, return shipping is 25 USD by USPS in the United States and 90 USD by DHL Express outside the United States, always in US dollars, invoiced and paid before we ship.

Secure destruction is always free and comes with a certificate of destruction. If you choose it before your order closes, we refund 25 USD of your evaluation fee (see "Do I get any money back if I choose secure destruction?"). If you approve your results, ask for destruction at the time you approve. Email support@atpdataservices.com to choose.

Do I get any money back if I choose secure destruction?

Yes, in most cases. Secure destruction is always free, and if you choose it before your order closes, we refund 25 USD of your evaluation fee after any of these outcomes: you decline our quote, you decline opening a sealed drive, our recovery attempt is unsuccessful, the device is unrecoverable, or you decline or approve your recovered results. If you approve your results, you must ask for destruction at the time you approve.

If your order was canceled, we refund your evaluation fee (the 3.5% card processing fee on US orders is never refunded). If you want your device back, we email you an invoice for return shipping (25 USD by USPS in the United States, 90 USD by DHL Express outside the United States, always in US dollars) and ship once it is paid. Return shipping is never taken out of your refund.

No 25 USD refund applies to abandoned orders, returns that cannot be delivered and are later destroyed, or any request made after your order is closed.

The refund goes to your original payment method. Full details: Refund and Decline Policy.

What is VeriScan?

VeriScan is ATP's proprietary software that lets you review the results of your recovery. It provides statistical analysis of our results and verifies them against the Customer Promise included in every Evaluation and Recoverability Report. VeriScan reports show "Good" and "Bad" files in a browsable format like Windows Explorer or Mac Finder, highlight "Bad" files in red, and show a total file count and other statistics in an easy to read format.

View a sample VeriScan report.

How do I interpret my VeriScan Report?

VeriScan reports show the files we recovered, with "Bad" files marked in red and file count and size statistics at the bottom.

A file marked "Bad" means we detected read errors in that file during imaging: part of the file was stored in an area of the drive affected by uncorrectable errors or physical damage, so we could not read the original data completely. In some cases the damage is minor, and a "Bad" file may still open or appear mostly intact.

To provide the most accurate and transparent results, we use a strict good or bad method rather than relying on whether a file happens to open. A "Bad" designation reflects confirmed read errors at the storage level, and a "Good" file is certified as error free and fully recovered.

What should I expect once my recovery attempt is complete?

When recovery is complete, we email you a VeriScan link to review your results. VeriScan is listing only: you approve or decline before we ship. If you approve, we ship your recovered data on password protected return media within 24 to 48 business hours and send tracking when available; the password arrives in a separate email with the shipping confirmation. If you decline before we ship, we refund refundable items per your quote (we process within 48 business hours; the payment processor can take up to 10 business days) and ask whether to return or securely destroy your original device. Items your approved quote marks as not refundable (such as replacement parts) are not included.

If you decline after we have shipped the return drive with your recovered data, please return that drive to us undamaged so we can complete your refund. Do not copy or move files off the drive; copying makes the refund unavailable under our Refund Policy. After we receive the drive, we review its data logs. If the recovered files have not been copied or moved, we process your refund of refundable items per your quote within 48 business hours. It can take up to 10 business days for the payment processor to return the funds to your original payment method. We will email return instructions separately.

Data Access and Security

How do I enter my password to access my recovered data on macOS and Windows?

Windows (BitLocker)

1. Insert the drive into a USB port on your PC.
2. Open the Start menu and search for Control Panel.
3. Go to System and Security, then BitLocker Drive Encryption.
4. Select your drive and click Unlock drive.
5. Enter your password and confirm.

Mac (FileVault)

1. Insert the drive into a USB port on your Mac.
2. Open Finder and locate the drive in the sidebar.
3. Control click the drive and select Decrypt.
4. Enter your password and confirm.

The encryption is only compatible with the operating system you selected when you submitted your order (Windows or Apple).

Can ATP recover encrypted data?

Yes. You can either give us the password so we can verify results at the end of the recovery, or we can recover the data in encrypted form and you access the recovered files with your password after we return them to the address on file.

I can't remember my password; can ATP still recover my data?

Yes. ATP can recover your data in an encrypted format and return it to you, and you can decrypt it when you find the password. These recoveries are called "Image Recoveries". Image recoveries are not eligible for a VeriScan Report, but ATP still honors the refund terms in the Quote for Service.

Can ATP recover data from encrypted devices?

Yes. ATP can recover data and return it to you in an encrypted format. These recoveries are not eligible for a VeriScan Report, but ATP honors the refund terms in the Quote for Service. You are responsible for decrypting the data after recovery.

Technical Questions

Can ATP recover data from SSDs or NVMe drives?

Yes. ATP can recover data from all brands and formats of storage devices. We specialize in Seagate and Western Digital devices, but we can recover data from any type of device, including phones, tablets, storage tape, zip drives and many others.

Can ATP recover data from gaming consoles or DVRs?

Yes. ATP can recover data from gaming consoles and DVRs and return it to you in an encrypted format. These recoveries are not eligible for a VeriScan Report, but ATP honors the refund terms in the Quote for Service. You are responsible for decrypting the data after recovery.

What is an image recovery?

ATP recovers an image of your data and returns it to you. You can then decrypt the data when you find the password, or by connecting the device to the DVR or console that holds the encryption key. Image recoveries are not eligible for a VeriScan Report, but ATP still honors the refund terms in the Quote for Service.

What is a RAW Recovery or RAW results?

Operating systems use a file system to store metadata and track which parts of a disk are used. Windows defaults to NTFS but also uses FAT, exFAT and ReFS; Apple currently defaults to APFS and previously used HFS+. Each file system keeps a file table (the Master File Table on Windows, the Catalog on Mac) holding each file's name, folder location, time stamps, permissions and, most importantly, the location of its data.

Data recovery focuses on imaging data from a failing device to a new one. Sometimes unreadable sectors are located where the file system is stored. Each error in the file system can cause 1 to 4 files to lose their attributes and location information. Many such errors can break the folder structure, orphaning parts of a folder chain from the root directory. In some cases most or all of the file structure and file names are lost.

Raw results are not ideal, but they are the only way to recover these orphaned files. We organize them to make them easier to browse. Fully orphaned files are sorted by file type, for example "Extra Found Files\Graphics and Pictures\JPEG Digital Camera\0000023.jpg". Other categories include Archive, Documents, Spreadsheets, Audio and Video, each with folders per file extension.

In other cases, partial folder structure and file metadata are preserved. These files also appear under Extra Found Files, in their own folder chain rather than a file category. They are complete files with their names, dates and other attributes intact. A mix of orphaned files and broken folder structure is expected for a recovery with many read errors. We avoid raw results when possible, but we always present all of the data recovered and let you decide what to keep.

Why was my data recovery unsuccessful?

Hard disk drives (HDDs) store data on spinning platters. Mechanical failures such as scratches, corrosion or physical damage to the platters can make data unrecoverable. A head crash, where the read/write heads contact the platters, can damage both and make recovery impossible depending on its severity.

Non-mechanical issues can also prevent a successful recovery:

• New data written to the device after the loss can overwrite the sectors holding the lost data.
• File corruption means sections of data were overwritten with incorrect data, due to software issues, power outages, unstable write heads or other causes.
• Encrypted data requires the correct keys, and corruption can damage areas needed to decrypt it.
• Damage to the file system structure, such as the NTFS master file table, can make files difficult or impossible to locate, especially heavily fragmented files.
• Firmware problems can stop a drive from working correctly or cause it to misread data.
• On flash storage (SSDs, SD cards, USB drives), physical damage to the memory chips, such as cracking or severe overheating, can sever tiny internal connections that cannot be accessed after manufacturing.

What if recovery is unsuccessful?

If recovery is unsuccessful, we refund refundable items per your quote. We process that refund within 48 business hours. It can take up to 10 business days for the payment processor to return the funds to your original payment method. Items your approved quote marks as not refundable (such as replacement parts) are not included.

Return shipping is included in your recovery quote, and we ship your original media within 24 to 48 business hours with tracking as soon as it is available. If you prefer, we securely destroy your media at no cost, send you a certificate of destruction, and refund 25 USD of your evaluation fee.

Questions: email support@atpdataservices.com.