What should I do first?

Stop using the computer or drive. Don’t install recovery software, don’t reinstall Windows, and don’t save anything new to it. Turn it off and call me.

Can every deleted file be recovered?

No. It depends on what failed, how much the drive was used afterward, and whether the files were overwritten. The free assessment tells you honestly what’s realistic.

Will the files keep their names and folders?

Sometimes. If the drive is healthy, names and folders often come back. If it’s damaged, you may get the files with generic names. I’ll show you what the recovery actually finds.

The assessment is free. A straightforward recovery done here is $149 flat labor. If my recovery attempt doesn’t work, it costs nothing. A new drive to copy onto, or lab work, is separate and you approve it first.

Do you open damaged hard drives?

No. A clicking or mechanically failed drive needs a clean-room lab. I’ll recommend sending it out when that gives your files the best chance.

Your files are missing. Stop before trying another recovery app.

That sick feeling when the folder is just… empty. Years of photos. The business records. The thing you didn’t back up because you were going to get to it.

What you do in the next hour matters more than anything else. Turn it off and call me. I’ll tell you what can realistically be recovered before you spend a dime.

Free assessment. $149 flat in-house recovery. Doesn’t work? You don’t pay.

A new drive to copy onto, or specialist lab work, is separate and approved by you first.

Call (573) 687-9015 Book a recovery drop-off

I’m Bryan Leasure. 30 years in IT. I answer the phone and I do the work, for people anywhere in the U.S.

Sound familiar?

Tell me what disappeared and what happened just before. That tells me which first step gives your files the best chance.

Files or folders just disappeared: Photos, documents or a whole desktop folder are gone after a deletion, an update or a sign-in change.
The wrong drive got erased: The wrong drive, memory card or partition was formatted, and everything on it is gone.
The computer won’t start: Windows won’t reach the desktop, but everything you care about is still in there somewhere.
An external drive is failing: It disconnects, asks to be formatted, crawls, clicks, or doesn’t show up at all.
A recovery app made it worse: The scan found nameless fragments, or it saved recovered files back onto the same drive.

Protect the original. Recover to somewhere else.

A deleted folder, a broken Windows install and a clicking drive need completely different approaches. The wrong one can make things worse.

STEP 1
Stop anything new being written
Every new file, update or reinstall can overwrite what you’re trying to get back. Protecting the drive comes first.
STEP 2
Find out what kind of failure it is
A deleted folder, a broken Windows install and a physically dying drive each need a different plan.
STEP 3
Recover to a different drive
Whatever I can recover is copied to a separate healthy drive, so the original isn’t changed any more than it has to be.
STEP 4
Know when to send it to a lab
A clicking or mechanically failed drive may need a clean-room lab. I’ll tell you that before risking your files.

Sometimes the safest answer is: stop.

The free diagnosis tells us what kind of help you need before you spend anything. If it needs someone other than me, I’ll say so.

Computer won’t start but the files are safe? See repair help

What I fix

Accidentally deleted files and folders
Files on a computer that won’t start
Damaged but readable drives
Photos and documents
Moving recovered files to a healthy drive

Good to know

A clicking drive may need a clean-room lab.
Files that have been overwritten may be gone for good.
I won’t quote a recovery percentage before I’ve looked.

Questions people ask me

What should I do first?: Stop using the computer or drive. Don’t install recovery software, don’t reinstall Windows, and don’t save anything new to it. Turn it off and call me.
Can every deleted file be recovered?: No. It depends on what failed, how much the drive was used afterward, and whether the files were overwritten. The free assessment tells you honestly what’s realistic.
Will the files keep their names and folders?: Sometimes. If the drive is healthy, names and folders often come back. If it’s damaged, you may get the files with generic names. I’ll show you what the recovery actually finds.
What does it cost?: The assessment is free. A straightforward recovery done here is $149 flat labor. If my recovery attempt doesn’t work, it costs nothing. A new drive to copy onto, or lab work, is separate and you approve it first.
Do you open damaged hard drives?: No. A clicking or mechanically failed drive needs a clean-room lab. I’ll recommend sending it out when that gives your files the best chance.

Not ready to call? Get my free cheat sheet.

One printable page: what to tell ChatGPT when something breaks, the magic sentence, how to show it your screen, and the scam pop-up rule. I’ll email it to you, plus a few short tips over the next week.

Before another scan or restart, call me.

Tell me what disappeared and what happened just before it. The assessment is free, and I’ll tell you whether to bring in the computer, the drive, or both.