Laptop and MacBook data recovery
The laptop is dead, or it starts and never reaches the desktop, and the files on it were not backed up. Whether they can be reached depends on how the laptop stores them.
Two kinds of laptop
Removable storage
Most Windows laptops, and MacBooks made before 2016, have a drive that can be taken out. If the laptop is dead but the drive is healthy, the files can be copied without repairing the laptop at all.
Soldered storage
Recent MacBooks, Microsoft Surface devices and some thin Windows laptops have the storage soldered to the motherboard. The files can only be read through that board, so the board must be repaired far enough to work.
Encryption: the thing to check first
Many Windows 11 laptops are encrypted with BitLocker without the owner ever switching it on. The data can still be recovered, but only with the recovery key, which is normally saved in the Microsoft account used to set the laptop up. MacBooks with FileVault need the login password or the FileVault recovery key.
If you can find the key before you send the laptop, it saves time. See encrypted drives.
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.
Repair and recovery together
Because we repair laptops as well, you do not have to choose in advance. If the laptop is worth repairing, we can quote for the repair with your files intact. If it is not, we recover the files and return them on a new drive. For faults that are clearly repairs, start with laptop will not turn on or will not boot into Windows.
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
Should I send the whole laptop or just the drive?
If you are not sure the drive is removable, send the laptop. With soldered storage the laptop is the drive.
My MacBook got wet and will not turn on. Can the files be saved?
Often. The logic board is cleaned and repaired until the storage can be read. Do not try to charge or start it in the meantime.
Related pages
Hard DrivesDesktop and laptop hard drives that are not detected, slow or noisy.
SSDs and NVMeSATA, M.2 and NVMe SSDs that have died or are not detected.
External DrivesPortable and desktop USB drives that were dropped or are not recognised.
USB Sticks and Memory CardsUSB flash drives, SD, microSD and camera cards.
RAID and NASSynology, QNAP and server arrays with failed disks or lost volumes.
RansomwareWhat to do after an attack, and what can realistically be recovered.
Deleted and FormattedDeleted files, formatted drives and lost partitions.
Clicking and Beeping DrivesDrives that click, beep, grind or do not spin.
Water and Fire DamageDrives and devices after a flood, spill or fire.
BitLocker and Encrypted DrivesBitLocker, FileVault and hardware-encrypted drives.
How Recovery WorksEvaluation, PC-3000 imaging, fixed price and return of your files.
Confidentiality and Data ProtectionICO registration, confidentiality and how your data is handled.
Sending a DriveHow to pack a drive, NAS or laptop so it arrives safely.
Mac Data RecoveryEvery MacBook, iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro from 2009 to 2026, by model.
Storage 1996 to TodayIDE, SCSI, early SATA, Zip disks, early SSDs and old NAS units.
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 workshopUnit 1, 80 Willow Walk, London SE1 5SY
Monday to Saturday, 9am–6pm