New
#11
Data recovery services really do cost a LOT -- from hundreds to thousands of dollars!!
As a first step, I would recomment you go to the runtime software site, download their free version of GetBackData for NTFS, install it, hook up your external drive, and run it.
The free version will not actually recover anything -- so it's safe to use -- but it will give you a solid feel for how well it finds your files and what your chances are at recovering them. The purchased version is a LOT cheaper than sending your drive to a data recovery service.