In most cases, even though a hard drive may be clicking, have been dropped, appear as dead or simply won't show up, the data remains intact on the platter(s), awaiting extraction. Our team recovers all makes of hard drives including but not limited to Seagate & Western Digital, Toshiba etc., for residents and businesses throughout Belfast & Northern Ireland. We extract data using a duplicate copy, so you will always retain the integrity of your original drive. That includes recovering data from faulty external hard drives and internal hard drive data recovery from all manufacturers (make, model, capacity and failure).
If your drive produces noise i.e. clicks, grinds, beeps, then this indicates a mechanical problem; these sounds are indicative of the head 'dragging' rather than 'seeking'. With each additional cycle of operation, there is an increased risk of scratching the platters, the only type of damage which results in permanently lost data. It would be wise to power off immediately and refrain from further attempts to operate. Let us assess the condition of the platters whilst they remain unscathed.
There are only a few common types of failures experienced by hard disk drives, both mechanical and logical. Irrespective of what has caused your particular hard disk to fail, our engineers have likely recovered many similar drives.
We recover hard drives for all brands, each type of hard drive including internal & external, desktop & laptop (as well as those removed from PCs/Macs/servers/NAS systems).
All capacities and interfaces. From the earliest IDE/PATA drives through to newer SATA/SAS models. Also single unit external/portable drives as well as individual drives pulled from laptops/PCs/Macs/RAID arrays/NAS storage.
To recover a hard drive is simply to obtain an environment from which you can read from it once safely. In order to accomplish this goal, we repair and/or bypass whichever part(s) have caused failure. Then, we create a read-only image of both sides of the platter(s). Lastly, we build back your files from that clean copy of the image; the original drive is never touched.
Beginning with the first step of identifying the problem (heads, motor, board, firmware or file system), we will access the necessary area of the drive, then send a written quotation.
The next step would be to repair/replace the failed component (a matched donor head assembly; a freed or swapped motor; repaired/replaced board and pre-amp work; and/or firmware corrected to allow read capability on the drive).
If there is any necessity to physically open the drive in order to access its components, this is performed by our in-house staff of engineers. Therefore, a head or platter is only ever handled by an engineer at our company who does this work every day, and these parts will never leave their hands.
Once it has been determined that the drive is operational again, an image of each sector of the hard drive will be made, gently "reading" around any weak sectors in order to avoid damaging the heads and surface of the drive.
After this, we will create a directory/file tree based upon the original image so that when your recovered data is delivered back to you it will have its original name and organisation, rather than being in random pieces.
We check the files that were recovered to ensure that they can be opened successfully and that they are complete. Before returning any files to you, we also give you the opportunity to review them to ensure their accuracy.
Files can be delivered to you via fresh media (e.g., a USB flash drive) or you can have them sent to you via our complimentary 75 GB download service, whichever is more convenient for you.
We recover all types of hard drives (desktops, laptops, externals) using a stabilised drive and a read-only image copy so that your original drive remains at rest and stable.
Give us some information regarding what happened to cause this issue, and an engineer will contact you. Usually within a single business day.
We will get back to you soon. If it is urgent, call 028 9002 0144.
First, a free diagnostic, then a fixed written quotation prior to commencing any recovery work. One-off charge to recover one hard drive = £300 + VAT. In most cases you will only be required to pay us if we successfully recover your data. Where the drive requires mechanical repair there will be a 50% deposit against donor parts and our time, with the balance payable only when successful.
Some of our typical recovery cases: examples of what we can do with all kinds of failures by brand and type, with customer info redacted to protect their privacy.
Heads failed, however there were no marks on the platter. We performed a matching donor head exchange which allowed us to image it and recover everything.
Surge fried the circuit board's protection diode. We repaired this and moved the ROM over and the drive came up perfectly and was able to be fully imaged.
It was initially switched off as soon as the heads made contact and lightly scored the surface. We took images of the better heads first so that we could recover almost everything.
It would not initialise because corruption in the firmware section was preventing this. After fixing the module and after the drive had recognised itself, it imaged cleanly.
Internally, silt and corrosion covered the surfaces, but the disks were flat. We cleaned it, replaced the damaged heads, and fully imaged the drive.
The file system has been partially written. We imaged the drive and rebuilt its structure, while preserving all of the folders and files.
Send or drop off your item for a free diagnostic check with a description of the issue. One of our engineers will review the item, then provide you a written quote prior to doing any repairs.
Prior to sending or dropping off your device for a diagnostic test (free), obtain a quotation from us via telephone or using the provided form. Step one: get the device to our Belfast bench. Carefully wrap the device and include your contact information inside the parcel. Then send it over. There is no charge for this diagnostic service. Once we receive it, you will be given a firm written price to confirm whether you wish to go ahead, before any work is done.
Sending it? The use of a tracked, insured delivery method would be recommended. Alternatively, dropping it off can also be done Monday to Friday, 9am–5:30pm; no prior booking required but do ensure that all items are packed accordingly.
Still waiting to send something? Please complete the form describing the failure/fault in your own words and one of our engineers will get back to you with a quotation based upon your individual circumstances.
We will get back to you soon. If it is urgent, call 028 9002 0144.
The Belfast bench uses a platform-based approach rather than using manufacturer utilities for imaging, therefore when you look at the make on the sticker on your drive it doesn't normally affect how we will image it; Seagate (Barracuda, IronWolf, Expansion, and drives sold under its "Rescue" banner), Western Digital (Elements, Blue, Black, My Passport), Toshiba, Hitachi/HGST, Samsung & legacy Maxtor devices are all processed through our bench every week, from new helium drives to older IDE-style devices. Even though there are many different firmware families, taking an image of the drive first is consistent across them all.
What are some of the most common questions we get asked regarding recovery for hard drives?
Generally yes, as long as you do not continue to use it. Clicking is usually indicative of a mechanical failure and the platters (which contain your data) generally remain intact. In most cases, the clicking results from an issue with the heads, motor or firmware of the hard drive. As soon as you cease to run the device (therefore avoiding further scoring of the platters), the chances of successful recovery improve significantly.
Practically never. The vast majority of time when a hard drive will not boot-up, it typically has suffered damage to its circuit board, or the motor inside the unit may be locked (i.e., "seized"), or there could also be a firmware issue within the unit; however, in each case, the platters (containing your valuable information/data) remain intact behind the fault. While this can be a bit more involved than some other types of recovery, it is relatively routine work for us to recover and restore data from these types of damaged units.
Yes. If the device appears in the BIOS, but does not appear in Windows, it's usually either due to a RAW partition on the device, a missing driver or a lost drive letter. In virtually all cases, your data remains present and unaltered. However if the device fails to show up at all in the BIOS, it indicates a physical component failure that requires repair on our bench. Regardless of whether or not your drive is visible in Windows or the BIOS, please do not allow anyone to format or initialise the device until we complete the recovery process.
When mechanical failures occur such as head crashes, motor problems or even platter damage issues, yes. We perform all of these repairs in house with our experienced team of engineers. Additionally, when we encounter logic errors which require no opening of the device whatsoever (such as recovering deleted files etc.), we simply create an image of the original drive and work directly from that copy.
£300 + VAT will cover the recovery of one (1) hard drive, the diagnostic before the recovery will be free, and in most cases you will only be charged if we are able to recover your data. A 50% deposit to cover donors and bench time is required for hard drives that need opening, or parts; the balance will only be due after we have successfully recovered your data, and the total price will be agreed upon in writing prior to any work commencing.
Yes, mostly. If we are unable to recover the data, then the recovery fee will not apply. Jobs that involve consuming donor parts and where physical work is required are an exception: the deposit covers those parts and the hours on the bench, however, as with all jobs, the final balance still depends upon us successfully retrieving your data. Prior to commencing any work you will know which arrangement applies.
All of them. Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, Hitachi & HGST, Samsung, Maxtor, Fujitsu and the rest. In every capacity. Internal or external, desktop or laptop, PCs, Macs, servers & NAS boxes.
No way on a drive that is physically failing. Recovery software keeps the drive powered and working at its best capabilities; this can turn what was a potentially recoverable fault into a lost one. Also when recovery software writes anything to the drive it may overwrite the data you're looking for. If the drive is making noise or dropping out stop immediately and have it assessed.
No way. It's just another old myth that does more harm than good. Condensation and the contraction of tight internal components damage the platters and electronics inside hard drives. There is no safe DIY fix for a failing hard drive. It needs proper bench work done on it.
The time frame for a logical data recovery generally ranges between 1-3 working days; whereas a physical repair and an image may take longer, anywhere from 3 to 7 days based upon the condition of the drive. Typically, diagnosis will be completed within 48 hours. Urgent cases can also be prioritised; simply inform us.
Drives can be brought to Cromac Square in person Monday to Friday, 9am–5:30pm; alternatively, they can be sent via insured post. Wrap the drive tightly enough to prevent rattling, include a slip of paper with your name, phone number, email address, and postal address, and we’ll have it registered, diagnose it at no charge and provide pricing written down.
Seagate Rescue is the data recovery programme provided by Seagate with certain retail drives; if your drive qualifies, use this programme first. Otherwise, if your drive does not qualify, if your cover has expired or been denied as part of a claim process, all of these drives are recovered in-house at our Belfast data recovery lab. Regardless of whether there is still warranty coverage left on the original drive, we will return your data and you can contact the manufacturer separately regarding replacing the drive.
One fixed cost: £300 + VAT per drive, no cost for diagnostics and in most cases you do not pay unless we successfully recover your data. We recover data from every type of hard drive in house on our Belfast bench; therefore, we do not outsource. If it’s making noises, power it off now and get it to us.