Advanced memory card data recovery
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 memory data recovery equipment that directly reads the 'image' of the raw data.
From this 'image' of the memory chip, we are able to rebuild the structures so we can recover the data. This technique is only used when the memory card is inaccessible any other way
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 processor keeps track of where the blocks and sequencing in tables stored within the NAND chip itself, and when accessed presents it to your computer (or camera) as normal so you wouldn't know that anything different is happening.
Why do manufacturers use this technique?
The reason manufacturers do this is because NAND FLASH MEMORY devices have a limited number of write cycles (typically 100,000). Writing the data blocks in different areas each time prolongs the life of the memory to its maximum. Also, there are a number of spare blocks that switch 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
MjM's Specialist NAND flash memory data recovery equipment
Our engineers have developed specialist hardware to read any NAND FLASH memory, and have 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.
These techniques were developed during our research into Solid state drives, and was modified specifically for recovery of data from dead memory cards.