If the hard drive in your computer crashes, the information can still be retrieved if the disk inside the drive still spins. The drive will have to be removed from the computer it’s in and slaved to another PC. Then you can use special software that can retrieve files from a failing drive. The software can be found online by Googling “data retrieval software.” These programs range in price from $40.00 to $150.00 or more.
If the platter in the crashed hard drive no longer spins at all, you’ll have to send the drive to a data retrieval company that has a “clean room.” They will take the platters out of the drive and put them into a new enclosure where they can retrieve the information. This service costs between $500.00 and $1500.00. There are several data retrieval companies online. Most of them will give you a free estimate and only charge you for the shipping to return your drive if you decide not to get the data retrieved.