If the drive clicks, grinds or keeps disconnecting, switch it off now. Each restart can scrape more data off the platters. Don't run recovery software on it, don't keep retrying it and don't try the freezer trick.
Signs your hard drive needs data recovery
- The drive clicks, beeps, grinds or makes no sound at all
- The computer says the drive needs formatting
- The drive is not detected, or shows the wrong size
- Folders are empty or files will not open
- The computer freezes or is very slow when it reads the drive
- An external drive was dropped or knocked over while in use
What do the symptoms mean?
A hard drive keeps your files on spinning magnetic platters, read by tiny heads on a moving arm. Each symptom points to a different fault.
Clicking. The heads cannot read the platters, so the arm keeps sweeping and resetting. Worn or damaged heads are the usual cause.
Beeping or buzzing, with no spin. The motor cannot turn the platters, often because the heads are stuck to the surface.
Grinding or scraping. The heads are touching the platters and wearing away the surface that holds your data. This is the most urgent case.
No sound at all. The motor is getting no power, which usually points to the circuit board.
Not detected, wrong size or asking to be formatted. The drive cannot read its own firmware, or the file system that indexes your files is damaged.
Slow, freezing, or files that will not open. Parts of the platters have become unreadable, and the drive usually gets worse with use. See our guide to the signs a hard drive is failing.
Is the fault logical or physical?
Logical faults are problems with the data rather than the drive: deleted files, an accidental format, a corrupted partition or a damaged file system. The drive itself still works, so we can usually recover the data without opening it. See deleted and formatted file recovery.
Physical faults mean part of the drive has failed, such as the read/write heads, the motor or the circuit board. These drives are opened only in our clean room, because a single speck of dust on the platters can destroy data. Some physical recoveries need parts from a matching donor drive. See damaged drive recovery.
Which hard drives do we recover?
- 2.5-inch laptop hard drives
- 3.5-inch desktop hard drives
- External USB and portable drives, including LaCie, WD My Passport and Toshiba Canvio
- Drives from Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, Hitachi, Samsung, Verbatim and others
- Drives removed from laptops or computers that no longer start
How does hard drive recovery work?
We start with a free consultation to work out whether the fault is logical or physical and what the best approach is. For physical faults we carry out a clean room diagnostic, then quote you before any recovery work begins. Recovered files are copied to a new external drive, a drive you provide, or your repaired computer. See our recovery process.
How long does hard drive recovery take?
Recovering deleted files from a standard hard drive includes up to two hours of work. Larger logical recoveries are priced as 24 to 48 hours of recovery work, depending on the size of the drive. A physical recovery depends on what has failed and whether a donor drive is needed.
How much does hard drive data recovery cost?
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Initial consultationFind out whether the fault is logical or physical | Free |
| Deleted files on a standard hard driveIncludes up to two hours of work | £99 + VAT |
| 24 to 48 hours of recovery workDepends on drive size: £150 + VAT for 1TB up to £250 + VAT for 4TB | £150 to £250 + VAT |
| Clean room diagnosticFor drives with physical faults | £79 + VAT |
| Physical recovery on a single driveLabour, plus a donor drive if needed | £450 + VAT |
| Donor driveWe send you a link to buy the right donor drive. If you'd like us to buy it for you, we add 30% plus any import charges and VAT | You buy and provide it |
Prices exclude VAT. We confirm your price before any recovery work starts. See the full data recovery price list.
What to do before you bring the drive in
- Bring an external drive in its case, with its cable. Some models encrypt the data in the case electronics
- Do not open the drive: dust on the platters destroys data
- If files were deleted, stop saving anything to that drive
- Note what happened: any noise, knock, liquid or error message
Hard drive recovery questions
My hard drive is clicking. What should I do?
Switch it off and leave it off. A clicking drive usually has a head fault, and every time it spins up the heads can scratch the platters and destroy more data. Bring it in and we will assess it.
Can I try recovery software first?
Only if the drive is healthy and the problem is deleted files, and always save what you recover to a different drive. If the drive clicks, is slow or disconnects, recovery software makes things worse because it works the failing drive hard for hours.
Do you need my computer or just the drive?
Just the drive is fine. If you are not sure how to remove it, bring the whole laptop or computer and we will take the drive out.
What is a donor drive?
Some physical repairs need parts, such as heads, from an identical drive. We send you a link to buy the right one, or we can buy it for you.