/ home / services / forensic
Specialist recovery · forensic

Forensic data recovery in Bristol.

When a dispute, investigation or claim turns on what's on a computer or drive — including deleted files someone thought were gone — the data has to be recovered without altering it. We take a forensic, hash-verified image and recover the data that is required from the device.

From £800 + VAT
Write-blocked imaging
Written expert report
~ forensic_2026-001 — live RECOVERED
$ bdr image /dev/sdb
 Device: Seized laptop HDD (1 TB)
 Status: WRITE-BLOCKED — forensic image
 Case: civil dispute · ref 2026-014

$ bdr engineer-working
 Image hash: SHA-256 verified · matches source
 Deleted files: 4,210 recovered
 Artifacts: timestamps + metadata preserved

$ bdr verify
 ✓ documents — 18,900 recovered
 ✓ deleted items — carved + dated
 ✓ findings — recovered intact
!

Need it as evidence? Don't touch the device.

If a computer or drive might be needed as evidence, the most important thing is to stop using it. Switching it on, opening files or running recovery software all change the very data — and the timestamps — that matter, and can make findings inadmissible. Power it down, leave it as it is, and bring it to us. We take a forensic, write-blocked image first, work only on that copy, and recover the data that is required.

// evidence we recover

What we can recover.

From a forensic image of a computer or drive, we recover and document a wide range of evidence — including data the user believed was deleted. We report what is there, factually.

Deleted filesDocumentsSpreadsheetsEmailsBrowser historySearch historyImages & photosDeleted photosFile metadataTimestampsSystem logsLogin activityUSB historyRecently openedRecycle binHidden filesWiped-data tracesCloud sync traces

Computers, laptops and workstations · servers and NAS · hard drives and SSDs · USB drives and memory cards · external and portable drives.

// our recovery process

How forensic recovery works.

Forensic recovery is about integrity as much as recovery — proving the recovered data is exactly as it was found. We take a write-blocked image, recover and analyse from that copy, and report the findings clearly.

01

Free assessment & scope

Tell us what is in dispute and what you need to establish. We agree the scope and confirm what is realistic before any work begins.

02

Take a write-blocked image

We make a forensic, bit-for-bit image using a write blocker, so the original device is never altered, and verify it with a cryptographic hash.

03

Recover deleted & hidden data

Working only on the image, we recover deleted files, fragments and artifacts, and surface hidden and overwritten data where it survives.

04

Analyse & build a timeline

We examine file metadata, timestamps and activity to establish what happened, and when, in a factual, repeatable way.

05

Report the findings.

We produce a interactive browser listing of what was found, in plain English, suitable for solicitors, HR or court.

06

Secure handling & return

The data is stored securely and returned or retained as instructed, with confidentiality maintained throughout.

// what we recover from

Deleted. Recovered. Documented.

We forensically recover data from computers, laptops, servers and drives — working from a write-blocked, hash-verified image, recovering deleted evidence, and reporting the findings so they stand up.

Write-blocked
original never altered
Hash-verified
SHA-256 integrity
Custody
documented throughout
Deleted data
recovered + dated
Plain report
solicitor & court ready
25 yrs
Recovering data
// get a custom quote

Get a custom quote

Tell us what happened and we will get back to you, usually within one working day.

Prefer to call? 0117 332 1137 · Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm

// pricing

Honest, per-case pricing.

No hidden fees and no pressure — just a free assessment and a written quote before any work starts.

Forensic data recovery
From £800 + VAT
Basic forensic recovery is a fixed fee of £800 + VAT after a free assessment. Cost depends on the number of devices, the scope, and whether a written report or expert testimony is needed.
  • Free assessment and scope
  • Written quote before any work begins
// recent recoveries

Evidence recovered. Cases supported.

A snapshot of recent forensic recoveries. Details kept deliberately vague and confidential.

// CASE 2026-039recovered
Company laptopDeparted employeeDeleted files

Files deleted before an employee left, recovered for a dispute.

We imaged the laptop write-blocked, recovered the deleted documents and a USB-transfer history, and reported the findings for the client's solicitor.

// CASE 2026-032recovered
Desktop PCCivil claimTimeline

Question of when files were altered in a contract dispute.

From file metadata and system logs we built a factual timeline of edits and access, set out in a clear written report.

// CASE 2026-025recovered
External driveInsurance claimWiped

Drive wiped before an insurance investigation.

We recovered traces of deleted data and confirmed what had been removed and when, supporting the insurer's review.

// client reviews

Reports that held up.

Reviews from solicitors, businesses and individuals we provided forensic recovery for.

★★★★★
We instructed them on a commercial dispute and they recovered deleted files and produced a clear, defensible report. Meticulous and professional throughout.
J
James W.Solicitor, Bristol · October 2024
★★★★★
An employee wiped a laptop before leaving and we needed to know what had gone. They recovered it, documented everything and explained the findings in plain English. Excellent.
H
Helen B.HR Director, Bath · March 2023
★★★★★
Professional, discreet and thorough. They recovered the data we needed for a claim and the report was exactly what our case required.
D
David L.Bristol · September 2021
// sending your device in

Two simple steps.

Send us your device for a free diagnostic, and tell us a little about what happened — an engineer will review it and confirm your exact quote in writing before any work begins.

1

Send us your device

Recovering your data starts with getting the device to us. Pack it safely, add your contact details, and send it over — after we run a free diagnostic, we’ll confirm your exact price in writing before any work begins.

How to pack it
  • Package the device into a small, sturdy box or padded envelope.
  • Leave out caddies, cables and power supplies — we won’t need them for the recovery.
  • Include your details inside the package: name, address, phone and email — on a slip of paper, or use our shipping form — then seal it up.
Post toBristol Data Recovery
Castlemead, Lower Castle Street
Bristol BS1 3AG
Shipping formPDF · print & include with your devicePDF ↓

Posting it in? We recommend a tracked, insured service. Prefer to drop it off? You’re welcome Monday–Friday, 9am–5:30pm — please still package the device as above.

2

Need more information?

If you need more information on our data recovery service, fill out the form with more detail about your issue and an engineer will review it and give you a custom quote.

An engineer reviews every enquiry personally — we usually reply within 30 minutes during the day. Prefer to call? 0117 332 1137.

Thanks — your message is in.

We’ll be in touch shortly. For anything urgent, call 0117 332 1137.

// frequently asked questions

Forensic recovery, answered.

The questions we are asked most about forensic data recovery.

It is recovering data from a computer or drive in a way that preserves its integrity, so it can be relied on as evidence. We take a write-blocked image, recover the data — including deleted files.

Usually, yes. Deleted files and fragments often remain on a drive until overwritten, and we recover them along with their metadata and timestamps. Working from a forensic image means the recovery does not alter the original device.

Running software on the original device writes to it and changes timestamps, which can destroy evidence and make findings inadmissible. Forensic recovery works only on a write-blocked image, so nothing on the original is altered.

Yes. We produce a clear written report setting out what was found and how, in plain English, suitable for solicitors, HR processes or court. We can discuss expert witness support where it is needed.

Completely. Forensic matters are handled discreetly and securely, and we are happy to work under a non-disclosure agreement. Findings are shared only with you, or whoever you instruct us to share them with.

We work only on devices you are entitled to have examined — your own, your organisation's, or where you have the proper authority or a court order. We confirm this before starting; we do not access devices anyone is not authorised to examine.

Computers, laptops and workstations, servers and NAS, hard drives and SSDs, USB drives, memory cards and external drives. Our forensic work focuses on computers and storage media; we do not handle mobile phones.

Often, yes. File metadata, system logs and other artifacts can show when a file was created, changed or accessed, and can reveal backdating or deletion. We set this out factually in our report.

The initial assessment is free. Forensic recovery is then quoted per case, for a basic Forensic recovery we charge a fixed fee of £800 + VAT, the cost depends on the number of devices, the scope of the work, and whether a written report or expert testimony is needed. You get a written quote before any work begins.

// need evidence?

Need it recovered? Let's do it properly.

Free assessment, a forensic write-blocked image, deleted-data recovery and a clear written report. Talk to us in confidence today.

Call us — 0117 332 1137
Mon–Fri · 9am–5:30pm · No fix, no fee
Start a free diagnostic →