Owner-operated — you deal directly with the person doing the work • Call or text 0401 114 166
Backup & recovery

Data backup & recovery in Brisbane

There are two conversations about backups. The calm one, before anything goes wrong — and the other one, which usually starts with “all the photos were on there”.

Geek Alert sets up backups that run on their own and get tested, and recovers files from drives that still work but have lost data. We'll also tell you plainly when a drive needs a specialist lab instead.

Book an appointment 0401 114 166
  • Straight answer on what's recoverable
  • Backups that get tested, not just set up
  • No premium for urgency

Just lost files? Stop using that computer now. Every minute a drive keeps running, deleted data is more likely to be written over. Don't install recovery software onto the same drive — that alone can overwrite what you're trying to get back. Shut it down and call 0401 114 166.

Recovery

What we can usually get back

If the drive still powers on and is detected, the odds are reasonable:

  • Files deleted by accident, or emptied from the recycle bin
  • Data on a computer that won't boot but whose drive is fine
  • Documents lost during a Windows update or a failed upgrade
  • Photos from a memory card, phone backup or USB stick
  • Files stranded on an old computer nobody can log into any more
  • A drive that's been quick-formatted by mistake

And what we can't

This is where a lot of computer shops go quiet, so here it is plainly. If a drive has physically failed — clicking, grinding, not spinning up, or not detected at all — that is a clean-room job for a specialist data recovery lab. It typically costs many hundreds to several thousand dollars, and there's no guarantee at the end of it.

We won't take your money to run consumer software against a dying drive, because doing that can destroy what a lab might otherwise have saved. We'll diagnose it, explain what we're seeing, and hand you the name of a lab.

The same honesty applies to ransomware: if files are properly encrypted and there's no backup, no amount of software fixes it. We'll tell you that on day one rather than billing you to find out.

Backups, set up properly

The cheaper conversation. A backup only counts if it runs without you thinking about it, and if someone has actually restored a file from it at least once.

  1. Work out what actually matters. Usually photos, documents and email — not the whole machine. Backing up less, reliably, beats backing up everything, occasionally.
  2. Two copies, two places. An external drive for speed, cloud for the fire-and-flood case. A drive sitting next to the computer isn't an off-site backup.
  3. Make it automatic. Anything that depends on remembering will eventually be forgotten.
  4. Test a restore. The step everyone skips. We pull a file back out in front of you, so you know it works before you need it.

Set up a backup

On-site or remote.

  • External drive, cloud, or both
  • Runs automatically
  • We test a restore with you

Recover lost files

On-site across Brisbane.

  • Deleted, formatted or failed upgrade
  • Honest odds before we start
  • Referral to a lab if it's physical

Read the 20-minute backup guide

Why people call us for this

We'll tell you when it's not worth it

The most valuable thing we can say about a failed drive is sometimes “don't spend money on this”. You'll get that answer early, not after an hour of billing.

  • No upsellingOnly what you actually need — and an honest answer when something isn't worth fixing.
  • Plain-English explanationsNo tech talk. You'll understand what went wrong and what we did about it.
  • Owner-operatedAccountability you can call by name. You deal directly with the person doing the work.
  • Clear pricing mindsetNo surprise invoices. You get a time estimate in the first 15 minutes.
Where we go

Servicing Brisbane & South East QLD

On-site visits cover greater Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, with no call-out fee anywhere in greater Brisbane. Remote support is available anywhere in Australia.

If you're unsure whether we cover your suburb, just call and ask — we're friendly, promise. 0401 114 166

See every area we cover
$0 call-outAnywhere in greater Brisbane
7 daysAppointments 9am–5pm, every day
Australia-wideFor remote support, wherever you are
Good questions

Frequently asked questions

My drive is making a clicking noise. Can you recover it?
Probably not, and anyone who promises otherwise over the phone is guessing. Clicking usually means physical failure, which needs a specialist lab with a clean room — a different service, and a much bigger bill. We'll diagnose it, tell you honestly what we think it is, and point you to a lab rather than running software that could make it worse.
How much does file recovery cost?
The same as any other job — $139 for the first hour on-site, then $30 per 15 minutes. Recovery is unpredictable by nature, so we'll give you a time estimate in the first 15 minutes and check in before running past it. We don't charge a premium for urgency.
Will you look at my files?
We see file names and folders while we work — that's unavoidable. We don't read, copy or keep your documents, and anything we handle is covered by our privacy policy. If some of it is genuinely sensitive, say so and we'll work around it.
What backup should I actually use?
For most homes, an external drive plus a cloud service — two copies, in two places, one of them off-site. The brand matters far less than whether it runs without you remembering to do it, and whether anyone has ever tested a restore. Our backup guide walks through it.

See all FAQs

Backups set up, or files recovered

Whether you're planning ahead or you've just lost something, tell us what's happened and we'll tell you where you stand.

Book an appointment Call 0401 114 166

$0 call-out across greater Brisbane · Honest odds before any work starts

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