A deleted file isn't wiped the moment it vanishes — the data sits on the device, simply unlabelled, until something new is written over the space it used. That gap is the window we work in. Stop using the drive, stick or card straight away, and we can usually recover deleted files and folders in-house, from any make of storage.
$ bdr diagnose /dev/sdb → Device: SanDisk SD card (128 GB) · camera → Status: DELETED FILES — 1,240 photos removed → Client: confidential · Belfast $ bdr engineer-working → Forensic image: taken · originals untouched → Deep scan + carve: JPEG/RAW signatures → Found: 1,236 / 1,240 files (99.6%) $ bdr verify → ✓ holiday_photos — 1,236 files → ✓ all preview OK — intact → ✓ deleted shots — recovered
Deleted data survives only until fresh writes land on top of it. Every new photo, saved file or background update eats into what can still be recovered — and installing recovery software onto the same device does exactly the same thing. Set it aside, write nothing to it, and get in touch. The sooner it stops being used, the more we get back.
Most deleted data is still sitting on the device, waiting to be read — but a few situations can put it permanently out of reach. These are the ones we're asked to recover from most.
Any brand, any storage format: if a device can hold files, deleted-file recovery from it is almost certainly something we do.
Spinning hard disks · solid-state drives · USB sticks · memory cards of every format (SD, microSD, CompactFlash) · portable and desktop externals · plus the internal drives from laptops, desktops and Macs.
Recovering deleted files is a copy-first job. Your original device is never worked on directly — we take an image of it and recover everything from that copy, in an order designed to catch the most files.
Tell us what went and from which device. We check whether the data is still present and recoverable, and send a written quote — usually inside 48 hours.
We take a sector-by-sector image of the device and do all the work on that copy, so nothing on your original is altered or overwritten.
First we bring back files still listed in the file system but flagged as deleted — typically the fastest, cleanest recoveries.
For files no longer referenced anywhere, we carve them straight out of the raw data by their signatures — photos, documents, video and the rest.
Every recovered file is checked to confirm it opens and is intact before anything is handed back to you.
Your recovered data comes back on fresh media, sorted and ready to use.
We copy your data to an external drive and post it back, or offer a free download of up to 75GB — whichever suits you best.
From hard drives, SSDs, USB sticks, memory cards and external drives, we bring back documents, photos, video, email and more — always worked from a forensic copy, never your original.
Outline what’s been lost and you’ll hear from an engineer, usually before the next working day ends.
We will get back to you soon. If it is urgent, call 028 9002 0144.
No surprises and no pressure — a free diagnostic first, then a fixed quote in writing before any work begins.
A representative selection of the deleted-file jobs we handle across different devices — device types and outcomes shown, customer details kept private.
The card hadn't been used since, so we imaged it and carved the JPEG and RAW files back out by signature — almost the entire set came home.
Sticks skip the Recycle Bin, so the delete was instant. We pulled the files straight back from the file table, fully intact.
We imaged the drive and ran a deep scan, lifting the folder and its contents back before anything could overwrite them.
Reviews from real clients whose deleted files we brought back.
No invented reviews here. We're collecting verified, named reviews from our Belfast customers and will publish them here as they come in. In the meantime you're welcome to call and talk an issue through with an engineer on 028 9002 0144.
Post or drop in your device for a free diagnostic, with a note on what happened — an engineer reviews it and confirms your exact quote in writing before any work begins.
First step: get the device onto our Belfast bench. Wrap it well, tuck your contact details in the box, and post it over — the diagnostic costs nothing, and you’ll have a firm written price to approve before we touch a single sector.
Posting it? A tracked, insured service is best. Dropping it off instead? You’re welcome Monday–Friday, 9am–5:30pm — please still pack the device as above.
Not ready to send anything yet? Use the form to describe the fault in your own words and one of the engineers will come back with a quote tailored to your situation.
We will get back to you soon. If it is urgent, call 028 9002 0144.
The questions we're asked most about getting deleted files back.
Very often, yes. Deleting a file doesn't erase the data — it just marks the space it occupies as free to reuse. Until something new is written over that space, the file is usually recoverable. The trick is to stop using the device the moment you notice.
Stop using the device. Don't save anything new to it, don't take more photos, and don't install recovery software onto the affected drive — each of those can overwrite the deleted files for good. Then get in touch and we'll take it from there.
Yes — recovering wiped photos and video is bread-and-butter work here. Provided the card hasn’t seen much new use since, the images can normally be carved straight out of the raw flash, even following an in-camera erase or format.
Occasionally — but the honest answer is that SSDs are the hardest case. TRIM tells the drive to wipe deleted blocks almost immediately, so the window is tiny compared with a hard drive, stick or card. At the diagnostic we’ll give you a straight assessment of what’s actually still there.
Not always. What emptying the bin actually deletes is the pointer to the file; the contents stay on the disk until something new lands on top of them. Put the device down straight away and the odds of getting your files back are usually good.
Every common storage type is covered: internal drives from PCs, laptops and Macs, external and pocket drives, SSDs, USB sticks, and SD, microSD and CompactFlash cards. If files live on it, there’s a good chance we can work with it.
Memory cards and USB sticks come in at £250 + VAT, hard drives at £300 + VAT — diagnosed free beforehand, with no fix, no fee covering most jobs. Because it’s logical work rather than physical repair, this sits at the affordable end of what we do, and the exact figure is put in writing before anything starts.
Most deleted-file recoveries are done within 1 to 3 working days, and often sooner. The diagnostic itself is usually finished inside 48 hours, and urgent cases can normally be prioritised — just say so when you get in touch.
Hand the device in at Cromac Square on a weekday between 9am and 5:30pm, or ship it insured. Seal it well, enclose a note with your name, address, email and phone number, and it goes straight into the queue — free diagnostic first, then a written quote before any recovery work.
Deleted files recovered from drives, sticks and cards of every kind — free diagnostic, and no fix, no fee on most jobs. Every minute the device stays in use costs recoverable data, so the sooner it reaches us the better.