Data recovery can occasionally be impossibly expensive but more usually is very economical.  In common with all other types of work, I offer a free assessment so there's no good reason for not considering it. There are many reasons why computers suddenly stop working and leave their owners unable to access their work, documents, photos, music collections and past emails.  In many cases data recovery can be performed and the valuable information can be retrieved. If the data is important then it will always be better to call me for a free assessment before taking any further action.  The most likely need for data recovery will be after some sort of Windows crash or virus infection where the PC fails to start.  Other common situations are a PC or laptop that will not power-on or a laptop that has been dropped or had liquids spilled inside.  In all these situations, data recovery has a good chance of success. If windows has completely stopped working and the PC will not boot up, there are often recovery procedures supplied by the original PC manufacturer either on a “recovery CD” or as an on-screen option at boot up.  Owners should be wary of starting the process themselves unless they are absolutely sure of the correct procedures to ensure safety of their data.  In almost all cases these manufacturer recovery processes restore the PC to its original state as it left the factory and of course that state does not include any of your precious data. The first step of these recovery processes involves formatting (complete erase) of the hard drive where all your data is stored and once the formatting is complete, it cannot be undone and data recovery is no longer possible.  There are several other pitfalls like this that can catch out owners attempting DIY repairs so it pays to call for professional help. Another situation I come across is that PC owners do not realize that data recovery is possible.  Without an understanding of the internal workings of a PC and Windows, they assume that when it stops working, it is just like any other broken household appliance that is best fixed by buying a new one!  That may be the case for the computer hardware if it is a few years old but the data inside has a value of its own and deserves recovery if possible.