In all likelihood, a dropped external or internal hard drive can either withstand being dropped without sustaining any type of injury, or the shock caused by falling could dislodge the head and render it nonfunctional. You cannot determine what occurred internally based upon how the unit looks externally. To avoid further damaging the drive and turning a potentially recoverable problem into a lost cause, never power-on a damaged drive. Instead, switch-off the device immediately, and allow us to perform an internal evaluation of its condition in-house at no cost to you.
When a drive has experienced physical trauma such as dropping or being hit, it is possible that the read/write heads within the drive were bent, crushed or became misaligned with the disk(s). Once again, powering-up a damaged drive causes the potential for damaged heads to scrape against the platter(s), destroying additional data that would have otherwise been recoverable. Resist the temptation to turn-on a damaged drive to "test" it. Shut-down the device and send it to us for a safe internal examination.
As previously stated, when a drive experiences a physical impact such as a fall or a blow, the damage can vary greatly depending on many factors. While some types of damage may be minor, other types may be much more severe. The goal here is to explain what occurs internally during this process and why attempting to repair or evaluate your own equipment may present more risks than benefits.
We recover lost data and restore files from dropped and physically damaged drives of every major make: external hard drives, desktop computers, laptop computers and other portable storage devices.
Hard disk drives (HDD): 3.5" and 2.5", external portable HDDs, desktop computer/PC/laptop/Mac internal and external HDDs, NAS and server disks.
Before spinning up the drive, we are going to assess it as soon as possible. Once opened, we inspect the head and platter for damage. If necessary, we fix it (the damage), and only after do we attempt to access the data from a read-only image.
We will disassemble the drive and visually inspect the heads and platters for damage. Then we will send you a detailed written quote of how much time and money it will take to complete your recovery project.
Matched donor head stacks (for heads that have been broken), freeing stuck heads or work on boards & connectors: whatever the impact broke.
All steps taken to open the drive will be performed in-house by one of our professional engineers; as such, the heads and platters have only been handled by someone with experience with these types of repairs daily.
The disk drive is then "read" as an image in a way that is sector-by-sector and non-destructive (i.e., it is read-only) to prevent damage to the heads and the sectors on which there are markings indicating past failures.
Files and folders are reconstructed based upon what was found in the read-only image; therefore, the recovered information should be organised and usable.
All recovered files are inspected to ensure that they can be opened and function properly prior to being returned to you.
You will receive your recovered files on new media or via our free 75GB (or less) download service.
We recover physically damaged drives (from dropped laptops to knocked over external enclosures, etc.) from all types of storage devices (including desktop and portable storage) once we have stabilised the damaged drive, and always from a read-only copy of the data (and never directly off of your primary storage device while it may still be under load).
We can usually give you a quick answer about the symptoms of the failure of the drive. The symptoms are best described as quickly as possible and we’ll respond rapidly, generally within half an hour, during office hours.
We will get back to you soon. If it is urgent, call 028 9002 0144.
Diagnosis is at no charge. Nothing will be started without first receiving your written approval of a fixed price quotation. If there is physical labour required for recovery, we request 50% upfront to cover donor parts and/or labour. The remaining 50% is only due upon successful recovery of your data.
Some examples of drives that have been dropped or physically damaged that we've managed to recover, showing the devices and recovery outcome (customer identities are removed for privacy).
The drop did physical damage to the heads however there were no physical damages to the actual platter. A replacement donor head allowed us to extract all data from the drive.
Heads made contact resulting in a very small amount of light scratching, but the drive was shut down immediately. First, we extracted/created an image of the working heads then we extracted nearly all data from the drive.
The impact caused a crack in the board however the drive itself remained unharmed. We fixed the board. Transferred the ROM. And first try at reading the platters worked perfectly.
Once verified, write-ups from Belfast clients whose dropped drives we have successfully recovered will be posted here as they become available (only verified cases).
Don't worry, there are no fake reviews here! As soon as we get a new verified, named review from one of our clients based in Belfast, we'll add it to this page. Until then, please don't hesitate to give us a call and speak directly with an engineer at 028 9002 0144 for any further information regarding your specific issue.
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.
We see many inquiries about drives that have been dropped or physically damaged.
More than likely. When you drop an external hard disk drive, chances are good that you will either damage the read/write heads, or break the printed circuit board (PCB), or both. The platters themselves and therefore your data should remain intact. However, depending upon how badly damaged the drive is, this could become a bench job versus a software problem. Ultimately, it all depends upon whether or not you powered-on the drive after dropping it. If you did power-on the drive after dropping it, there is a greater chance that damage caused to the heads by the fall would result in damage to the platters.
Back-up all of the important information from this drive immediately. Then cease using this drive. While an external hard disk drive may continue to operate for some time after being dropped, the impact from the fall may have loosened the read/write heads on the drive. Therefore, use extreme caution when using the drive. Continue to back-up your data as soon as possible before the drive fails completely.
Not necessarily. After a drive has been dropped, clicking sounds coming from within the drive usually indicate that the heads are damaged. Head damage is repairable with a replacement read/write head. However, if you do not switch-off the drive and continue to attempt to access the drive, you risk damaging the platters.
Because if the read/write heads are impacted against the platters when they are spun up, the heads will drag along the magnetic surface of the platters and score them, and once an area is scored due to contact with the heads, those areas cannot be recovered. One quick “test” spin of the drive can make all of the difference between a successful recovery of all of your data and a recovery of only part of your data.
On occasion only the outer casing (or its board) of a dropped drive was damaged and the internal disk itself may be perfectly fine (the ideal outcome). Which component is damaged will be identified through our initial diagnostic and for now please refrain from continuing to power-up the drive.
If one single disk is damaged, then the cost of recovery (£300 + VAT) includes free diagnosis. In most cases you only pay if we recover your data. Due to the fact that dropped disks require manual repair, you will pay a 50 per cent deposit towards the purchase price of replacement parts and labour. You will only pay the remaining 50 per cent once your data has been successfully recovered. All costs are clearly stated in writing prior to any work commencing.
Dropped drives should be delivered to Cromac Square during weekday working hours Monday to Friday (between 9am and 5:30pm), or posted via an insured delivery service. Please enclose the drive securely within a package along with a written instruction detailing your contact details. Our team will book it in, perform a complimentary diagnostic assessment and provide a detailed written quotation for recovering your data.
Unfortunately, the worst thing you could possibly do after dropping a hard-drive is continue to switch-on the drive. Please ensure that you turn-off the drive immediately and allow our technical specialists to evaluate the damage: this diagnostic evaluation will be performed at no-cost to you, and in most cases you only pay if we recover your data; and as long as the platters themselves remain undamaged, your original data is likely still present.