Memory Cards Data Recovery 

Specialist Flash Memory Data Recovery from Digital Cameras, NAND FLASH devices, MP3/MP4 players, memory sticks, solid state hard disks

Our specialist memory-chip data recovery service involves recovery of the data - directly from the memory chips. In order to do this, we remove the physical memory chips from the device, link them to our specialist memory data recovery equipment and read the raw data directly. From this 'image' of the memory chip, we are able to rebuild the structures so we can recover the data.

This specialist memory recovery technique is used when your operating system does not recognise the memory card due to component failure inside the device (camera, mp3 player, memory card, memory stick, solid state hard disk etc.)

The process is not as simple as it sounds and involves skilled engineers both in digital hardware and software. The majority of memory chips in use used in digital storage media are called 'NAND FLASH MEMORY CHIPS'. These are linked to a mini-processor that utilises built-in 'wear levelling' algorithms - which mean that each block of data is written to or erased an equal number of times. So, when you write your data, it does not necessarily go in sequence and if you are overwriting a file, it will not go back in the same place as it was before. The mini-processor keeps track of where the blocks are and the sequences in tables and when accessed, presents it to your computer (or camera) as normal so you wouldn't know that anything different is happening.

The reason manufacturers use this technology is because NAND FLASH MEMORY devices have a limited number of write cycles (typically 100,000) so writing the data blocks in different areas each times prolongs the life of the memory to its maximum. Also, there are a number of extra blocks that are switched in when one block fails. This could explain why all of a sudden, one (or more) of your photos that worked perfectly the last time you looked at it have become corrupt or have grey areas within them.

Specialist NAND flash memory data recovery equipment

Our engineers have developed specialist hardware to read any NAND FLASH memory, and developed software that recognises most of the wear levelling algorithms used by manufacturers so we are able to put the data blocks in the correct sequence and therefore recover your data.