This guide is meant for all players striving to beat the Data Recovered achievement

• who do not want a video manual about how to get a collectible achievement, and
  
• who do not want to tediously search for the particular collectible info they need.

I am such player and I was seriously frustrated with the quality of the available guides for the Data Recovered achievement (one year after initial release!). So that's the reason for this guide.

You can use the sections Missable Memories and Suggested Path to Data Recovered at the top of the guide for reference during a Data Recovered playthrough. That is guaranteed to work. If you're having trouble finding one of the memories check the Memory Overview sections for location and camera info. Be aware that this is a guide and not a manual so there is no visual aid in that regard. You will need to do the final step of retrieval on your own!

Finally, if you are mid-way in the game and still want to unlock Data Recovered make sure that you haven't passed any of the points of no return without obtaining the corresponding memories. Because if that's the case there is no other way than to start a new game...

Thanks to Scilger and skitzophrenick for providing additional information to improve this guide!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Most of the memories can be retrieved all the way almost to the end of the game when you cross a final point of no return and leave the station for good. There is just eleven that you have to pay close attention to because they can become unobtainable due to several points of no return during the progression of the story. All of them but the first one trigger on the alternate station:

1. Point of no return


Memory 15 does not only have a point of no return.It also requires you to successfully release module EAS-12 right at the beginning of the game.

Make sure to get this memory before finishing your second space walk. That happens when you re-approach Mae after working the hatch clamps of the CN arm. The best option would be to follow Emma's suggestion right at the beginning of your first space walk. However, as pointed out in a comment by skitzophrenick, there may be a chance to get it all the way until letting Emma back in right before finally leaving the station. You'll be the judge of whether it's worth to take that risk ;)

2. Point of no return


Once you're on the alternate station you need to get these two memories before responding to Emma's question about the Laptop in Central.

3. Point of no return


After you found Jim on the alternate station, you're sent to sweep the area for Josh. Make sure to get these five memories before leaving the Russian arm. That happens when you pass the hatch that Emma has to open for you remotely.

4. Point of no return


Having entered the universal ring, these two memories are only available until you make contact with alternate SAM in UC-02.

5. Point of no return


Once you finished chatting with your alter ego SAM you can only get this memory until you trigger the final alternate station cutscene by entering the EAS arm. In other words: you should have it once you hear someone telling you to stay away and you want to follow your urge to disregard that advice.

And that's all you need to be aware of in terms of points of no return aside from the final point of no return. That point is triggered when you detach the last Universal link module and re-enter UC-01 which leads to you leaving the station altogether. However you should be able to get almost all memories way before that point.

With that being said, I recommend the following approach to your Data Recovered hunt:

Play through the game at your pleasure and make sure to retrieve all of the abovementioned memories before you return to the original station. Retrieve other memories as you wish but I'd suggest to limit that to only when memories are required or when they lay in your path anyway. You can retrieve them once you have all missable memories. I also suggest to have the cameras in EAS-10 fixed once status alerts are online because that may facilitate getting the memories in that module a little.

At the end of the dialog with ground control that is triggered by contacting the mainframe in UC-02 you will be asked to disable some command terminal protocols in UC-02. Don't do that yet. Because with the missable memories out of the way it's time to sweep the entire station by use of the relocation map and all cameras first. You can also do that later but the lighting is so much nicer at this stage of the game...

You will be able to get all audio, media and fragment memories but memories 03, 25, 33, 60. Don't worry about missing constructed memories (numbers 70 to 85). They will automatically become available once you have all other memories. Note that you will not be able to get the three memories in EAS 10 just yet if you haven't fixed the cameras before. In that case you will have to get them with a connection sphere in the next step.

Having completed your sweep, the remaining memories will only become available to you once you complete your current mission. So do your magic on the command terminal in UC-02 which will lead to the station splatooned with black goo and a new mission violating your prime directive. After completing that mission you should get memory 25 first before you head to EAS-11 but you can also retrieve that one later. Just be aware that you need a sphere to reach it. On your way to get Emma in EAS-11 you can get memories 03, and 33 (even though, strangely, I can only get those two with a camera ... bug?) as well as the memories in EAS-10 if necessary..

Congratulations! Now you can simply follow the remaining story. You will automatically retrieve the remaining memory 60 and will be able to create the remaining constructed memories.

The following sections aim at providing a comprehensive overview of all memories.

With a few exceptions, all audio, media, and fragment memories (numbers 01 to 69) on the original station can be retrieved throughout the entire game until the final point of no return (see above) with remote cameras or a sphere as long as you have access to the specific module they are in. Exceptions to that rule are marked with an asterisk next to the memory number and further remarks are given at the end of the table those memories are located in.

Please note that no camera information is provided for unmissable memories, i.e. memories that have to be retrieved during the story, and that the provided camera information is not exclusive.

Memories on the alternate station are obviously only retrievable with your sphere while you're on that station. For further info see section Missable Memories above.

• Memory 03:
  Only retrievable with camera after Jim Elias expired (maybe due to a bug on my end - see comments section).
  
• Memory 06:
  Only retrievable with camera.

• Memory 25:
  Only retrievable with sphere after Jim Elias expired.
  
• Memories 27 & 43:
  Only retrievable with sphere after return from alternate station.
  
• Memory 33:
  Only retrievable with camera after Jim Elias expired (maybe due to a bug on my end - see comments section).
  
• Memories 34 & 35:
  Only retrievable with camera.

• Memories 54, 59, 69:
  Incoming transmission memories are exclusively retrievable through comms.
  
• Memory 56:
  Only retrievable with sphere after return from alternate station.
  
• Memory 60:
  Unmissable memory that is only retrievable through operating the Jettison Link Control.
  
• Memory 62:
  Only retrievable with camera.