Data recovery FAQ: answers to your questions

Yes. The AIT format, although discontinued by Sony in 2010, is still perfectly recoverable. We regularly process AIT tapes that are over 15 years old with a good success rate.

No, all our prices are quoted excluding VAT. The applicable VAT depends on your country of residence.

No, there are no fees if you refuse the quote. The initial assessment is strictly non-binding: if the quote does not suit you, your media is returned to you without charge. This policy of complete transparency has been in effect at SOS Data Recovery since 2006.

Yes, tesweb SA is a 100% Swiss company, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Switzerland. As the company that owns the service, tesweb SA operates in accordance with Swiss legal and regulatory requirements, particularly with regard to data protection (FADP – Federal Act on Data Protection) and quality of service.

• Year of foundation: 2001
• Registered office: Switzerland
• Legal framework: Swiss company law (CO) and data protection (FADP)
• Commitment: Compliance with Swiss standards of quality, security and confidentiality

Yes. Our emergency hotline is accessible 24/7 for critical cases (data loss on a production server, ransomware incident, damaged media following a disaster). Call our Swiss national number directly on 0840 440 840 and specify that it is an emergency: you will be put in contact with an on-call technician.

Yes. Access to the laboratory is controlled by individual badge. Only authorized personnel can enter. SOS Data Recovery is CyberSafe certified, a CyberSafe partner and Swiss Label certified, and authorized for the processing of confidential federal data, which guarantees a high level of security and confidentiality.

Symptoms of a physically broken CD/DVD

A broken CD/DVD is an optical disc whose physical integrity is compromised, making standard reading impossible. If your CD/DVD is physically broken, do not attempt to glue the pieces back together: this action risks permanently preventing any data recovery. Likewise, do not solder the fragments together and do not try to read the disc by taping the pieces together — these attempts irreparably worsen the damage.

Why are these actions dangerous?

Any incorrect handling of a broken disc can destroy the reflective layer where the data is engraved, reducing the chances of recovery to zero, even by a professional.

Symptoms

A CD/DVD that is difficult to access is an optical disc that your computer cannot read correctly, either due to physical degradation of the disc surface or failure of the optical drive itself. According to data from the Library of Congress, a CD/DVD can degrade in 2 to 25 years depending on storage conditions.

Main Causes

• Degradation of the disc surface: scratches, oxidation, or delamination of the reflective layer
• Optical drive failure: worn laser, dirty lens, or defective mechanics
• Format incompatibility: the drive does not support the recorded format (DVD-R, DVD+R, etc.)

Yes. If there is no collection point near you, you can send your media by registered mail directly to our laboratory: Lagerhausstrasse 25, 3232 Ins (Anet). We provide secure packaging on request.

Yes, drop-offs are accepted during opening hours (Monday–Friday, 9am–12pm / 1:30pm–5:30pm). Our laboratory is located at Lagerhausstrasse 25, 3232 Ins (Anet), canton of Bern. A visitor parking space with the number 87 (tesweb) is available on site. By public transport, take bus 109 and get off at the « Pierre-à-Bot » stop.

Yes, payment facilities in the form of monthly installments are available. The terms are defined after validation of the quote.

Yes. Upon receipt of your media, you will receive a unique case number. Our team will keep you informed by email at each key stage: receipt, diagnostic results, quote validation, and recovery. You can also contact our team at any time via your extranet area or by phone.

A swollen battery (bloated battery) is a real risk to data. As it expands, it can put pressure on the motherboard and internal connectors, causing poor connections, or even physical damage to the solder joints or memory chip.

Do not continue using a tablet with a swollen battery. The risk of fire or explosion is real, and the damage caused by a punctured battery is often irreparable to the motherboard.

If you notice swelling, immediately turn off the tablet, do not plug it in, and take it to a professional. Our technicians can extract the data before any battery replacement.

Yes, in most cases. A hard drive that clicks, scrapes, or makes abnormal noises generally indicates a mechanical failure of the read/write heads. It is essential to turn off the drive immediately to avoid damaging the platters. Our laboratory operates under ISO 5 certified laminar flow to replace the faulty components and extract your data.

Yes, provided that the analysis has been conducted according to recognized forensic standards. For digital evidence to be admissible in a Swiss or European court, several conditions must be met:

• Guaranteed data integrity — the original media has not been modified (use of a hardware write blocker during acquisition)
• Traceability of the chain of custody — documentation of each manipulation from seizure to analysis
• Cryptographic hashing — MD5 and SHA-256 hash calculated at acquisition to prove integrity
• Certified expert report — written by an expert who can testify to their methodology

Our forensic reports are written according to ISO/IEC 27037 standards (identification and collection of digital evidence) and can be presented before Swiss and French jurisdictions.