The most common models of the now-discontinued Intel Optane series of solid state drives (SSDs) look like a typical m.2 NVMe SSD, but as Kyle wrote previously about what an Intel Optane drive is, they are specialty drives combining a high-capacity NAND memory part and a high-speed (but lower-capacity, typically 16GB or 32GB) 3D XPoint […]
In the past few years, there has been a spike in new data recovery labs opening up across the USA and other countries. When researching topics on data recovery forums, it looks like a number of computer repair shop owners are looking for a new business, and data recovery is enticing. Let’s be clear: PC […]
When it comes to flash memory devices – whether USB flash drives or memory cards like SD and MicroSD – there are two main types of construction: surface-mounted technology (SMT) and monolithic. SMT type devices are made of distinct components soldered to a printed circuit board, which requires a certain amount of space to fit […]
At Blizzard DR we use many different hardware tools and software so we can recover data from most USB flash drives. The first tool in our flash recovery toolbox is the stereo microscope. For this type of work we use an AmScope SW-3T13Z. Under the scope we can determine if any components are missing or […]
In the past I have used some of the cheaper head removal tools with success but once you use precision tools long enough you start to really notice the difference in quality and performance. Over the past couple of years we have been replacing our cheaper HDD head stack removal tools with the finest tools […]
Some new t̶o̶y̶s̶ tools have arrived! We added the Seagate 3.5″ head tools to our existing tool set but we also got our hands on two new offerings from HDD Surgery. With the arrival of the Western Digital 2.5″ and the Seagate 2.5″ slim models some new challenges also arrived. How do we swap heads […]
This week we upgraded one of our original data recovery tools. Hardware based recovery tools make a big difference in DR work, many times it’s the difference between recovering data and failure. The tools aren’t cheap which is one reason there isn’t a DR shop on every corner. They also require training, experience, and updates […]
We recently added to our long list of HDD repair tools and were pleasantly surprised at the quality and value of these new tools. The platter removal tools and platter stand from HDD Head Tools (DFL) support both 2.5″ and 3.5″ hard drives. The platter removal tools (1 x 2.5″ and 1 x 3.5″ tool) […]
This post might be helpful if you are thinking about starting your own USB Flash Device or hard disk drive data recovery lab, but the primary reason for writing it is to let our customers see why the business is different than computer repair and support. We also get questions about the the cost of […]