Hard drive data recovery

A hard drive that is no longer detected, shows the wrong size, runs painfully slowly or makes a new noise. The data is usually still on the platters; the task is getting it off before the drive gets worse.

Ask about data recovery Call 020 7237 6805

How hard drives fail

A hard drive stores data on spinning platters, read by heads that float a few nanometres above the surface. It can fail in four broad ways, and each needs a different approach.

Logical

The drive works but the data is not visible: deleted files, a formatted volume, a damaged file system.

Firmware

The drive's own operating code is damaged. It may be detected with the wrong name or zero capacity, or stay busy and never become ready.

Electronic

The circuit board has failed, often after a power surge or the wrong charger. Boards carry data unique to each drive, so a simple swap rarely works.

Mechanical

Heads, motor or bearings have failed. The drive clicks, beeps or does not spin, and needs parts from a matching donor.

How we recover it

We connect the drive to PC-3000, which communicates with it directly, below the level Windows or macOS can reach. Firmware faults are repaired there. For a drive with weak heads or bad sectors, we build a map of which heads read reliably and copy the drive in a controlled order, reading the healthy areas first and returning to the damaged ones afterwards.

All recovery work is then done on that copy, not on your failing drive. Recovery starts with a professional evaluation, charged at £94.80. It tells you what has failed and what can be recovered, and you then receive a fixed price for the recovery itself.

What to do now

Switch the drive off and stop trying it in other computers or enclosures.
Do not run CHKDSK or disk repair tools. On a failing drive they write changes that can destroy the file system.
If it makes any unusual noise, see clicking and beeping drives.
Note what happened: a drop, a power cut, a slow decline or a sudden stop.

We collect drives and devices by insured courier from anywhere in the UK, or you can post yours tracked and insured, or bring it to the workshop in London SE1. See how to send a drive safely.

Common questions

My drive is detected but shows as unallocated or asks to be formatted. Is the data gone?

Usually not. That message means the file system cannot be read, which can be logical damage or the first sign of failing hardware. Do not format it.

Can I swap the circuit board from an identical drive?

On modern drives, no. Each board holds calibration data unique to its drive, which has to be transferred. Without that the drive will not read, and repeated attempts can cause damage.

Get a price from a technician

Tell us the make, the model and what has gone wrong. A technician replies with a price and the quickest way to get your laptop to us – normally the same working day.

020 7237 6805

Creative IT workshop
Unit 1, 80 Willow Walk, London SE1 5SY
Monday to Saturday, 9am–6pm