Data Recovery

We recover data from hard disks with logical, electrical, firmware or mechanical faults. Each type of fault calls for a different approach and different equipment.

Diagnostics are free.

Logical fault

This shows up as damage at the partition level, corruption of the file system, formatting or accidental deletion. We can only call it a logical fault if the drive itself is in perfect working order or has at most a few bad sectors. Some examples of logical faults that call for data recovery from a hard disk: accidentally deleting a file, a folder or an entire partition, file system corruption caused by a virus, accidentally formatting a partition, or bad sectors that make the operating system hang.

Electrical fault

This shows up as a fault on the drive's circuit board. It generally follows power fluctuations or improper disconnection of the drive. On newer generation drives the electronics are unique to that drive, which is why recovering the data calls for equipment that can reach the surface of the platters. Swapping the PCB with one from an identical drive usually does not allow the data to be recovered, and in some situations it can even damage the drive's firmware area.

Firmware fault

The firmware area of a hard disk holds the information that allows the drive to initialise and the data on it to be reached. That information sits on the surface of the platters — it is not on the electrical side of the drive, as many people believe. So a firmware problem is not solved by swapping the electronics. Recovering data from a hard disk with a firmware fault calls for the right equipment and for experience on the part of the technician working the case.

Mechanical fault

These problems most often follow physical shocks, voltage fluctuations, long use and manufacturing faults. When a hard disk makes repeated noises (clicking), there is a 70% chance it has a mechanical problem. Recovering data from this kind of fault calls for specialised equipment and up-to-date methods, which push the cost of the recovery up.