tempestuously | (no subject)

Wow, when I have bad luck, I have BAD LUCK. Geek Squad says my hard drive is too damaged for them to back it up. The only option I have left is sending it in for Data Recovery, which will cost $60 just to ship. I'm already out $30 just for having the Geek Squad ATTEMPT to recovery my hard drive. Once I sent it out, the Data Recovery Group will get back to me with an estimate within 5 days. They warned it can be between $250 and $1,700.

I think I have pretty much lost my hard drive because while I could absorb $100 to back it up, I don't think I can absorb $250 or higher.

This means I have lost EVERYTHING: icons, fanart, video files (all my sound files/picture dramas), personal writing, pictures. EVERYTHING.

I bought my new GPS for $139, but I might spend the rest of my time after baseball with Tom letting it sink in that my data is not coming back.

I just don't know what to do. Please advise if anyone has suggestions. What I don't want right now is sympathy. I want advice on whether I should take my loss and be screwed or go through with the ridiculously expensive recovery process. :(

In the meantime, I will be... punching things. A lot.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Thank you.

Do you have any idea around how much the data recovery costs?

The price range they gave you sounds about right, but it all depends on whether it is a software or hardware problem. Mine was a particularly nasty software problem so it was $400. The big prices come up if the head has dropped and damaged the hard drive disk. Then they have to open it up in a clean room and start piecing things together. Those start at $600 and go to the $1,000+ if it's seriously jacked up.

If you haven't heard any screaching or scratching noises, it could just be the weird software problem like mine, but the fact that it was dropped recently makes me a bit worried that somethings come lose and they'll have to open it up.