Hi all. I am currently looking for UK work in the data recovery field. I have applied at the big companies, Fields and Ontrack but I think I am out of my depth with them.

Can anyone give me info on smaller outfits that are recruiting. The following seemed interesting

datarecoverydirect.co.uk
DataTrack Labs
datarecoverycorp
diskdoctorsdatarecovery.co.uk

All info appreciated

Wow - great choice of companies! Right.....

To be honest - in all likelihood they may well be out of their depth with you.

We're about to open a new DR centre / company in Wales. (Near Cardiff.)

PM me if the area suits.

Accommodation for the initial three months and relevant expenses paid, plus a sensible salary / results-based income offered. (Exceptionally generous package - if you cannot justify an annual salary of at least £85K, then you are probably not right for us.)

Don't even think about it unless you can really do it - we want the best.

Because of the nature of some of the work we do, you would have to agree to undertake full police / credit checks.


Duncan

In six months there may be more data recovery companies than gas stations.

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Buy your friends Toshiba\Hitachi and your enemies Seagate.

MANDR - I would take what Duncan says with a pinch of salt as we are stilling waiting for System P. Ex - "which will ship first quarter 2008"

Why do you judge these other companies? what actually makes you any different from them?



85k? How do you justify 85k? Judging from your website your only a small company, probably got limited engineers working there. Your engineers double up as receptionist and sales also? Surely that is a waste of a valuable resource?

I dont doubt that you are a clever guy, but being clever dont make you better than everyone else.

Sounds like a virtual office to me. I have researched the companies I mentioned and did not even consider Retro Data because everything looked so below par and not too professional.

hddguys words have enforced my fellings. £85K smells a bit like an untruth to me. Having been in talks with the largest recovery companies in Europe this wage is more than double of the norm.

What does a technician have to do for you to earn this grand sum of wonga

I agree with you - the original claims and the actual time scale look highly dubious.

However, what I originally perceived to be a nearly-impossible mission has been reinforced by the precision engineers working on it. Yes - it is still being worked on, tested, calibrated, etc.

This is not a plastic device that may or may not work - it is an incredibly finely-machined tool, designed with sufficient adaptability and precision to work with all current hard drives. "Adaptability" and "precision" - when combined - are generally high-end, costly, and take time to develop.

Obviously I very much regret the delays - but the chances of my releasing something only half decent into the public domain are slim.


Duncan

I don't quite grasp your misunderstanding of what is quite a simple equation.

If a DR engineer performs 100 successful recoveries a month, and receives an average remuneration of £50 - £100 per recovery, over a year that adds up.

With a basic salary on top, £85K is realistic, realisable, achievable, and feasible.

Duncan

If your not releasing it then why are you doing it? I don't need 75KG of machines to swap platters, surely this is an expensive waste of your time? It sounds like healthy propaganda for Retrodata. I've noticed you haven't updated all the newsgroups and forums with the latest information. If you are developing this equipment, it sounds like a very expensive web marketing gimmick.

On another note, have Seagate put a contract out on you yet? Any news with the 'busting Seagate wide open'?

So its actually a basic salary, and the potential bonus from successful recoveries assuming you are able to get a large volume of work every month? How many engineers you want to employ? Including yourself you must need to be recieving anywhere between 300-400 a month! I recieve a very large ammount of disks, currently this month I have taken on 89 jobs, and so far have 78 successful recoveries. What would this earn me if i was employed with you?

Just out of curiosity, and as the large salary offered is dependant on it, how much work do you recieve at the moment?

Where I was born they say 'money is on the mouth of MANY people and in the pockets of FEW. 'nuff said.

Totally agree

Spaz,

Believe you me, I am "not releasing it" because it simply is not ready. It is very, very close - but not quite there. The complications have surprised me - and I hold my hand up.

As regards "healthy propaganda" - I see where you're coming from. But if you've spent three intensive years developing a product that will make previously-impossible tasks quite simple, don't you want to let people know?

Perhaps I'm being a bit transparent here. Judge me as you wish - but I run a very, very clean organisation.

Regarding the Seagate issue - sometimes it's best not to do certain things. I don't like to run the competition down - it's unprofessional. This was (as far as my proof can determine) a one-off and I've decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

'Nuff said.

Just to add some spice : do anyone of you attended lessons in "mechanical drawing" or similar at the university ? I did (faculty of Engineering) . To design my own PE tool, I only had to get my book back (I passed the exam 20 years ago...), re-read some info on materials and tooling, get a precision measurements on drives, design it and send the drawings (hand made, nothing precise neither CAD drawn, only the quotes were precise) to a factory.
There, with a common CNC machine with 1/100 mm precision, they made the prototype. Some other machining needed, polishing, welding etc. but the overall process took only 3 weeks because they were busy.
It works. Had to practice somewhat, but works. What's exceptional in it ?
With only some common sense, imagination (I had never seen a commercial PE tool before I designed my own) , a little bit of intuition and some processiing after making it, I have my own tool. What's exceptional ?
P.S. I won't sell it. It's another "capital asset" .

Another story : seized motors. What if I say that there is a solution WITHOUT platter swap? (This I am pressed to sell it, I don't want at present). Obviously if the axis is not bent or mechanical collapse.

Instead of waiting what the marketing geniuses will bring you, why not make some serious R&D ? Could make MORE money than with DR.

Extracting only the platters is one thing. Designing a tool that will extract platters *and* inserts from *any* current drive is another beast altogether. Believe me.

Duncan

You will only be able to check potential employees if their UK nationals at the moment. You may be able to request info from their native country.. By the sounds of it MANDR is UK national?

BlackST I agree with... If you REALLY want something and you PUT energy into project you can make nice PE tool. Also for stuck spindle you can make a "Simple" tool to fix the problem to get data back without the need to exchange platters ;o)

And no ...no pictures LOL

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All went well until I plugged the drive in.

Spindle siezure is my preferred failure, on disks with and without spacers. I have a technique that seems to work almost every time. I would not share this as if everyone could do the platter swaps I would in turn recieve less of them, and this would affect the volume of work I recieve.

Besides, why would you want to design a tool that can remove platters and spacers, creating a simple solution for a difficult problem, then make it comercially available? Surely the ability to develop these solutions would be what differentiates you from competition?

People need to just spend less time coming up with over priced, over designed "tools" and start getting back to grass roots. The data recovery game concentrates on retrieving data at the base level. some "old fashioned" techniques have been lost and forgotten over the years but they are fine.

I am still using techniques I learned (and in some instances created) from years and years ago and they still serve me well

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The last I heard of God he was worshiping me

I agree. Why do you need a 75KG tool to move platters when my own tools are a few grams and can move any platter from any drive.

Mine are not even a few grams. You have to weigh them using very sensitive scales. The dont even break a pico-ounce

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The last I heard of God he was worshiping me