Damaged tapes? Missing data? Tape media unsupported by your current storage infrastructure? We can help!
No tape recovery is too big. Let our experts save you time recovering data from tape so you can do more important tasks.
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We recover from all tape media.
LTO | DLT | IBM |
STK | QIC | 8mm |
4mm | 9 Track |
Common causes of tape failure and data loss.
Corruption: operational error, expired tapes, mishandling of the tape or accidental overwrites caused by inserting or partially formatting the wrong tape
Physical Damage: broken tapes, dirty drives and damage caused by fire, flood or other natural disaster
Software Upgrades: inability for data on tape to be read by new application or servers
Even though tape has a great longevity for data storage, a lot can happen to make the data on them inaccessible. Our engineering team has seen it all. Some examples of successful recoveries include:
- Overwritten tapes (including DLT)
- Quick-erased or partially overwritten data from LTO (Ultrium) tape media
- Snapped or burnt tapes
- Tapes damaged by chemicals and smoke
- Software problems or backup failures
- Tapes immersed in flood water and mud
- Intentional or accidental physical damage


A proven process for tape recovery.
Our Ontrack Data Recovery R&D team has been building their knowledge of tape recovery and resources for over 25 years. Our process below has proven success.
- Tape recoveries are performed in dust-free cleanroom environments
- Tapes and tape drives are carefully dismounted, examined and processed
- Proprietary tools are used to read and recover around any physically damaged areas
- We are able to quickly image failing tapes to ensure the most complete data recovery possible
Warning: Attempting to recover tape data on your own, or through an inexperienced data recovery provider, may lead to further damage. Select a data recovery provider with the resources, expertise and experience you can trust.
Extensive solutions for all of your tape recovery and storage needs.
Our tape services consist of four straight-forward steps that make managing your archived tape an easy job.
Audit
Find out if your data is physically accessible with the Ontrack tape audit service. We can also provide visibility on what has been stored past its retention period.
Migration
Whether you're migrating from your IT service provider or your tape formats are no longer supported, Ontrack can help migrate to a new system or storage medium.
Cataloging
Organizing archive tape data can seem like a daunting task. Let us catalog your legacy data efficiently and make it easier for you to manage.
Restoration
Ontrack can help you quickly retrieve granular information from your tape archives ensuring you are able to comply with legal and government requests.

Forensic Tape Recovery
Do you have an urgent restore request for upcoming litigation? We recover forensically sound data from tape media to satisfy litigation requests. Tapes contain a snapshot of data which was present on a system at a point in time.
This could include information which is no longer available in 'active' storage, especially if – in the anticipation of an investigation - efforts have been made by a suspect to manipulate or remove potentially incriminating evidence from the live system. However, this evidence can still be found via a forensic investigation of the tapes. We can recover forensically sound data quickly when urgent restore requests arise.
A trusted provider.
Managing archived data is critical to reducing risk and cost in your business.
By working with Ontrack, you’ll have peace of mind that you can access what you want, when you want it while keeping your archive costs as low as possible.
By trusting us to help manage your legacy data, you will not only be able to quickly react to requests, better manage what data you keep and where you store it, but also reduce storage and maintenance costs.


Looking for more resources on our tape data recovery capabilities? Access the Tape Recovery Knowledge Base.
View frequently asked questions, case studies, blogs and more!
Tape Case Studies
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Ransomware attacks server – backup tapes erased
Jun 29, 2020, 09:52 AM -
Ransomware VBK Recoveries on Tape - Server & NAS Systems
Jun 29, 2020, 09:51 AM -
Ontrack recovers over 230 million files from Commvault database.
Feb 20, 2020, 16:15 PM
Join over a half million people and businesses who have trusted Ontrack to recover their data.

Why Ontrack?
Flexible Payment Options
We understand data recovery is often an unexpected need, which is why we offer extensive payment plan options through Affirm.
Multiple Service Offerings
Ontrack offer's flexible service offerings to meet your unique needs and budgetary considerations. Our experts are on standby 24/7/365.
Complete Transparency
We want you to have control over your data recovery process. You'll know exactly what can be recovered before paying.
Unrivaled Global Expertise
Backed by the world’s largest R&D team, we have the knowledge and ability to address your unique data recovery needs.
Start your data recovery now with a free consultation.
Contact our team of experts. Ontrack accommodates everyone – from the largest government or enterprise organization to an individual who may have lost their digital photos and everyone in between.
Watch
Listen
Learn
- To backup or archive on the magnetic tape?
- Find the Right Method for the Destruction of Your Tape
- How to Migrate Your Legacy Tapes to a New Backup Solution
- Tape Archive - Here's What You Need to Know
- Tape Services: More Than Recovering Data from Legacy Tapes
- The Top Five Triggers for Migrating Tapes
- Tapes: Questions and scenarios that could help you
- Backup Tapes - Are you sitting on a ticking time bomb?