External Hard Drive Recovery

Hull Data Recovery is the external hard drive data recovery specialist in Hull, with over 25 years of experience helping customers retrieve lost data. We provide professional, friendly service backed by decades of expertise recovering files from any brand or type of external hard disk or SSD. Our team has encountered and solved virtually every issue that can befall an external drive, from mechanical failures to accidental deletions. We support all major file systems (NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, macOS formats like HFS+ and APFS, Linux EXT family, etc.), so whether your drive is Windows, Mac, or any other format, we have the tools to recover your data. With a quarter-century of hands-on experience and a trusted reputation in the UK, you can count on Hull Data Recovery as your partner in getting your valuable data back.

All Major External Hard Drive Manufacturers Supported

We can recover data from any external hard drive brand sold in the UK. Over the years, our engineers have worked on devices from the most popular manufacturers. This includes portable USB drives, desktop externals with power adapters, and external solid-state drives. Here are 20 of the top drive makers and brands we service:

• Seagate – (e.g. Expansion, Backup Plus, One Touch series)

• Western Digital (WD) – (e.g. My Passport, Elements, My Book series)

• Toshiba – (e.g. Canvio series drives)

• LaCie – (premium drives like Rugged, Porsche Design models)

• Samsung – (Portable SSD T5/T7, external HDDs like M3 Station)

• Hitachi/HGST – (Touro and LifeStudio externals; now part of WD)

• Maxtor – (legacy drives, now owned by Seagate)

• G-Technology (SanDisk Professional) – (G-Drive mobile and desktop drives)

• SanDisk – (Extreme portable SSDs and flash-based drives)

• ADATA – (Durable HD series externals and SSDs)

• Crucial – (X6, X8 portable SSDs)

• Verbatim – (Store ’n’ Go and encrypted external drives)

• Buffalo – (MiniStation and DriveStation external HDDs)

• Transcend – (StoreJet rugged series drives)

• Integral – (Portable SSDs and HDDs)

• iStorage – (Encrypted external drives like diskAshur)

• Silicon Power – (Armor series rugged drives, Bolt SSDs)

• Freecom – (External hard disks popular in EU markets)

• Sony – (External hard drives and SSDs)

• HP – (branded external storage devices)

Don’t worry if your drive’s brand isn’t on the list – we can handle all external USB drive manufacturers. Our lab maintains an extensive inventory of donor parts and proprietary tools, allowing us to work on any make or model.

Common External Drive Connection Types We Handle

External hard drives come with various connection interfaces, and our team is experienced with all common connection types. No matter how your drive connects to a computer, we have the necessary adapters and expertise to work with it. The main external hard drive connection types include:

• USB – Universal Serial Bus: The most common interface for externals, including USB 2.0 and USB 3.x (3.0/3.1/3.2) connections over USB-A or USB-C ports. USB is ubiquitous for portable drives.

• Thunderbolt: High-speed interface often used on premium external drives (especially on Macs). Thunderbolt 1 & 2 use Mini DisplayPort connectors, and Thunderbolt 3 & 4 use USB-C connectors, offering very fast transfer rates.

• FireWire (IEEE 1394): An older interface (FireWire 400 and 800) once common for external drives on Macs and some PCs. We can recover from legacy FireWire external disks as well.

• eSATA: An external SATA connection found on some desktop enclosures. Less common today, but we support eSATA drives too.

Whether your drive plugs in via USB 3.0, the latest USB-C/Thunderbolt, or older ports like FireWire or eSATA, we’ve got you covered. We also handle drives with external power adapters and those powered over USB. Our lab has specialized connectors and write-blockers to safely work with any interface during the recovery process.

Top 30 External Hard Drive Problems – and How We Fix Them

Over 25+ years of service, we have seen every type of failure that can happen to an external hard disk or SSD. External drives often face unique challenges – they are portable and more prone to drops, spills, and wear-and-tear from constant plugging in and out. Below we list the 30 most common issues we encounter with external drives, what the problem entails, and how our engineers resolve it. If you’re experiencing any of these situations, rest assured we have likely fixed a case just like it:

1. Dropped or Knocked Drive (Shock Damage): External drives are frequently dropped off desks or knocked over, which can cause internal components to misalign or break. A fall can lead to bent drive shafts, stuck motors, or crashing read/write heads. How we fix it: Our team will open the drive in a certified cleanroom and inspect for physical damage. We often find the heads are damaged or the spindle is jammed from the shock. We replace any broken read/write heads and realign components as needed, using donor parts from our inventory. By carefully calibrating the new parts to your drive’s platters, we can then image the drive and recover the data. We’ve rescued data from countless drives that were dropped – if you hear unusual noises after a drop, power it off and let us handle it safely.

2. Clicking or Grinding Noises: If your external hard drive is making a repetitive clicking sound or a harsh grinding noise, it indicates a serious internal failure. Clicking usually means the read/write heads are failing to read data – often a sign of a head failure or firmware issue. Grinding or screeching noises are even more severe, typically caused by a head crash scraping the platter surface. How we fix it: Immediately stop using a drive that clicks or grinds. In our lab, we’ll open the drive in a cleanroom to diagnose. For clicking drives, we often perform a head swap, replacing the faulty head assembly with a compatible donor so the drive can read data again. For grinding drives (head crash), we carefully evaluate platter damage. If the platters aren’t too severely scored, we replace the heads and use specialized imaging equipment to read as much as possible from the intact areas. (Unfortunately, data on areas that were physically scratched by a head crash is usually irretrievable, but we salvage everything we can from the rest.) Our expertise in cleanroom repairs and head replacements allows us to recover data from drives even when they make these alarming noises.

3. Drive Not Spinning Up (No Spindle Motor Action): When you connect your external HDD, do you not hear it spin at all? A healthy hard disk makes a soft whir as the platters spin. If your drive stays silent (no spinning or fan sound) and is not detected, it could indicate a motor failure or seized spindle. In some cases, a drive that isn’t spinning has a stuck spindle or seized bearings preventing rotation. How we fix it: Our technicians will open the drive in a cleanroom and test the spindle/motor. If the motor has seized or failed, we have to carefully transfer the disk platters into an identical donor drive chassis that has a working motor. This procedure requires precise alignment so that your platters (and the data on them) remain exactly as they were. Once transplanted, we spin up the platters on the donor motor and use imaging hardware to copy all readable data. If the lack of spin was due to an electronic issue (e.g. motor controller on the PCB burned out), we address that by repairing or replacing the PCB (see issue #9 below). After fixing the spindle issue, we can usually access the drive and recover all data.

4. Beeping External Hard Drive: A small external hard drive (especially portable USB-powered 2.5″ drives) that emits a quiet beeping or buzzing noise when plugged in often indicates the platters are not spinning freely. This beeping typically happens when the drive’s read/write heads are stuck to the platter surface (a condition called “stiction”) or the motor is trying to spin but can’t. It’s the sound of the motor straining. How we fix it: We perform a delicate internal repair. In our cleanroom, we’ll gently lift and release the stuck heads from the platter. If the heads themselves were damaged when they stuck, we will replace the head assembly with new parts. We also check the spindle motor – if it has seized, we might swap the platters to a new drive base with a good motor. After freeing the mechanism, the drive can spin up normally. We then proceed to clone the drive using imaging hardware, ensuring that we recover the data before any further issues occur. Tip: If your external drive is beeping, do not keep powering it on – this can cause further harm. Our pros can safely resolve the stiction or motor issue and recover your files.

5. Head Crash (Severe Head Damage and Platter Contact): A head crash is one of the worst physical failures – it means the drive’s read/write head literally collided with the spinning platter surface. This often happens after a drop or if a failing drive is left running despite clicking noises. The microscopic heads scrape the magnetic coating off the platters, causing irreversible data loss in those areas. How we fix it: Once a head crash occurs, some portion of the data is usually destroyed (where the platters were scraped). However, our goal is to recover any remaining data from the portions of the platter that are still intact. In the cleanroom, we will remove the crashed heads (which are usually broken or covered in debris) and clean up any loose particles inside the drive. We then install a new compatible head assembly. If the platter surfaces have only small scratched areas, we carefully image the drive on advanced data recovery equipment that can read around the damaged spots. We often achieve partial recovery in head crash cases – everything in the non-scratched regions can be copied. Our engineers’ experience with platter damage scenarios is crucial here: we know how to maximize the salvageable data without further harming the drive. Time is of the essence; we always advise powering off a drive immediately if a head crash is suspected to prevent the grinding damage from spreading.

6. Platter Damage (Scratches or Surface Wear): This issue refers to any physical damage on the magnetic platters that store the data. Besides head crashes, platters can also be damaged by contaminants (e.g. dust or smoke particles) or manufacturing defects. In some cases, an external drive that was opened in a non-cleanroom environment ends up with dust scratching the platters. How we fix it: Platter damage is difficult to overcome, but we approach it similarly to a head crash scenario. In our cleanroom, we inspect the platters under magnification. Minor surface wear or small scratches might still allow partial reads. We use custom imaging tools that can tolerate read errors and scrape as much data as possible from the good portions of the platters. We often create a sector-by-sector clone of the drive, skipping the irreparable bad regions (deep scratches will yield unrecoverable read errors). Any files that reside in the damaged areas may be lost, but we’ll recover everything else. Our cleanroom environment (free of dust) is essential – it allows us to safely open the drive and work on it without causing new scratches. Important: We never recommend anyone to open a drive at home; a single speck of dust can cause platter damage. Our controlled facilities and expertise ensure the best chance of recovering data from a drive with compromised platters.

7. Bad Sectors / Read Errors: Over time or due to minor physical wear, a hard drive can develop bad sectors – small sections of the platter that become unreadable. If your external drive has begun to slow down, freeze, or give cyclic redundancy check (CRC) errors, it likely has bad sectors. You might notice that copying certain files fails or the drive hangs when accessing specific data – these are classic signs. How we fix it: Bad sectors are a common issue, especially in aging drives. Our strategy is to clone the drive using professional imaging hardware that is designed for error-handling. Unlike normal software, our tools can repeatedly attempt to read bad sectors, adjust parameters, and even read the drive backwards to retrieve as much data as possible from flaky areas. We create a full clone (disk image) of the drive’s accessible content, mapping out the bad sectors. Once we have an image, we can work on that clone to recover files, avoiding further stress on the failing drive. If bad sectors are localized, we often succeed in getting 100% of the remaining good data. Because bad sectors can indicate deteriorating heads or media, time is critical – we prioritize imaging such drives before the problem worsens. Our experience with these scenarios means we know all the tricks to deal with unstable media. In the end, you receive your files intact, except any portions truly unreadable due to severe sector damage.

8. Firmware Corruption: Modern hard drives (and SSDs) have embedded firmware – a small operating system on the drive’s own controller that manages everything (mapping sectors, interfacing with the computer, etc.). If the drive’s firmware becomes corrupted or malfunctions, the disk may stop working properly or not be recognized by the computer at all. Firmware issues can arise from bugs (certain models had known firmware bugs causing sudden failures), improper shutdowns, or bad sectors affecting the firmware region on the platters. How we fix it: We have manufacturer-specific tools and expertise to deal with firmware failures. For a drive with suspected firmware corruption, we connect it to dedicated data recovery equipment or vendor-provided utilities that can access the drive’s firmware modules. We might need to repair or re-flash the firmware – for example, by loading a fixed microcode to the drive’s controller, or by swapping the drive’s controller board (PCB) and moving the firmware chip over. In some cases, we can rebuild the firmware from backup copies stored on the drive’s service area. Our team stays updated on known firmware issues (for instance, certain Seagate models with firmware bugs) and how to resolve them. Once the firmware is restored or patched, the drive becomes accessible again and we promptly image it to recover the data. Firmware repairs are complex, but our 25 years of experience means we’ve seen even rare cases and have solutions at the ready.

9. PCB or Electronics Failure: The printed circuit board (PCB) on the external drive (or inside its enclosure) controls all of the drive’s operations. A failure of this electronics board – due to a voltage spike, overheating, or manufacturing flaw – can render the drive completely dead. Signs of PCB failure include a drive that won’t power on at all, a burning smell, or visible burned components on the board. How we fix it: We will examine the drive’s PCB for damage. Often, power surge events (see next issue) or just component aging can blow out TVS diodes or other parts on the board. Our engineers can sometimes repair the PCB by replacing those burned components (for example, removing a shorted TVS surge protector diode to get the drive powering on). In many cases, we use a donor PCB: we find an identical board from our donor drive library and transplant the critical ROM chip from your damaged PCB onto the donor. The ROM (or controller IC) holds unique calibration data for your drive, so moving it ensures the new PCB is properly “paired” with your drive’s heads and platters. After either repairing or swapping the PCB (and transferring any adaptive data), we test the drive. If it spins up and calibrates successfully, we proceed to clone the drive and recover the data. Our stock of donor parts and electronics repair skills are key to resolving PCB failures quickly.

10. Power Surges and Electrical Damage: External drives can fall victim to power surges, voltage spikes, or faulty power supplies. For example, a surge from a lightning strike or an unreliable USB port can send a jolt through the drive’s circuitry. This often fries the electronics – commonly blowing the PCB as mentioned above, or even damaging the internal components like the preamp on the head stack. The drive may appear totally dead after a surge, or sometimes the drive power LED lights but the disk won’t spin or be recognized. How we fix it: Our approach is first to isolate what failed. We check the PCB for burned parts (often a power surge will burn the TVS diodes, which we can remove or replace). We also test the drive’s motor and internal components with specialized equipment to ensure the surge didn’t cause further harm. If only the PCB was affected, a PCB swap (with ROM transfer) as described above will revive the drive. If the surge also damaged the heads or internal electronics (which can happen if the jolt went through the interface), we treat those accordingly – for instance, by replacing the head assembly if the preamp (head electronics) was blown. In many surge cases, we can get the drive working long enough to clone the data out. Additionally, if the external power adapter itself failed (for desktop externals), sometimes simply using a new correct adapter can power the drive – we check for that too. Our lab is equipped to deal with electronics at the component level, so we can overcome electrical failures and get your drive’s data back.

11. Damaged USB or Thunderbolt Connector: Many external drives rely on a USB port (or Thunderbolt/FireWire port) on their enclosure to interface with your computer. These connectors can get damaged or loose from frequent plugging and unplugging, or from physical stress (yanking the cable, etc.). A telltale sign is if the drive only connects intermittently or not at all, and you might notice the USB port on the drive is visibly broken or wobbly. How we fix it: If the issue is just the external casing’s port, we have a few solutions. Often, we remove the actual hard drive from its enclosure and connect it via a stable interface or directly to a SATA controller. Most external HDDs are standard SATA drives inside – by bypassing the broken USB port, we can access the drive directly. If the drive has an integrated USB port on its PCB (some portable drives have the USB bridge built-in), our technicians can microsolder and repair the connector or transplant the drive’s platters/flash chips to a compatible donor that has a good port. In either case, once we establish a reliable connection to the drive’s data, we make a full clone. After recovery, we can provide the data on a new healthy drive. We also advise on better cable handling to avoid port damage. In short, a broken connector is not the end of your data – we have the tools to either fix the port or work around it to recover your files.

12. USB Bridge Board Failure (Enclosure Electronics): Many external hard drives contain a small bridge board inside the enclosure that converts the drive’s native interface (SATA or PCIe) to USB/Thunderbolt for your PC. This board can have additional circuitry like encryption hardware (for example, some Western Digital My Passport drives encrypt data on the fly via the USB bridge). If this board fails (due to power issues, firmware bug, etc.), the drive might not be accessible even if the disk mechanism itself is fine. Symptoms can include the drive not being recognized, or appearing as gibberish because of encryption. How we fix it: We’ll determine if the internal drive can be separated from the enclosure’s board. If it’s a SATA drive with a detachable board, we remove it and connect the drive directly to our recovery hardware – this often bypasses the faulty USB-SATA bridge. If the bridge contained encryption, we then need that board (or a compatible replacement) plus your password (if user-set) to decode the data. In cases where the original bridge board is dead, we try to repair it or use an identical board from our parts stock, moving any encryption keys or chips over to the donor board. For drives with built-in USB (soldered USB drive), we may have to do a PCB swap or chip-off recovery (in SSD cases). Our engineers have successfully handled many cases of bridge board failure, restoring access to drives that otherwise showed up as blank or not at all. Bottom line: even if the external casing electronics failed, we extract the actual storage out of it and recover the data directly.

13. Encrypted Drive Access Issues: Some external drives offer encryption features (hardware encryption in the enclosure, or software encryption like BitLocker, FileVault, etc.). If you have an encrypted external hard drive or SSD that fails, recovery becomes more complex. Common scenarios include forgetting the encryption password, or the drive being fine but the encrypted volume won’t mount (due to corruption), or the drive’s encryption controller failing as mentioned above. How we fix it: Firstly, if the data is encrypted by software (e.g., BitLocker on a Windows external drive or Mac FileVault), we will need the encryption key or password from you. With that, we can recover the data once we’ve cloned the drive (we treat it like any other recovery, then unlock the clone with the key to extract files). If the encryption was hardware-based (like on some WD My Passport drives that automatically encrypt all data), we must use the original bridge or an identical one as discussed in #12. Assuming we have the right hardware and/or password, we proceed to decrypt the recovered data after imaging the drive. If the issue was corruption in the encrypted file system (for example, the BitLocker header is damaged), we have tools to attempt to repair or rebuild the encryption header using key material, allowing access again. It’s important to note: without the correct password or key, the encrypted data is essentially impossible to recover. We’ll advise you on this – our team has extensive experience with encrypted drives and can securely handle these cases. When successful, the end result is your data decrypted onto a new drive, intact and secure.

14. Drive Not Recognized by Computer: One of the most common panicked complaints is “My external hard drive is not recognized!” – the drive doesn’t show up in Windows Explorer or Mac Finder at all. This can have many causes (physical or logical). It might be completely dead (no power), or the computer detects the USB device but says it needs formatting, or it doesn’t appear even in Disk Management. How we fix it: Because “not recognized” is a broad symptom, our first step is a comprehensive diagnostic. We’ll check if the drive spins up, if any error sounds occur, or if it’s detectable at a hardware level. Depending on findings, we then address the underlying issue – which could be firmware (see #8), PCB (see #9), interface board (see #12), or logical corruption (see #17). For example, if the drive is physically fine and spinning but not mounting, it might have a corrupted file system; we would then image the drive and recover the files from the image using data carving and file system repair techniques. If the drive isn’t showing up because it’s not powering on at all, we handle it as a hardware issue. Essentially, “not recognized” just tells us you can’t access your data – our job is to pinpoint why and then solve it. Thanks to our experience, we can quickly isolate the cause and apply the fix (whether it’s swapping a board, replacing heads, or rebuilding the file system structure). We’ve restored countless “invisible” drives to life in order to extract the data. No matter the reason your external HDD/SSD isn’t recognised by the system, we have a solution.

15. Overheating and Thermal Issues: External drives sometimes overheat, especially if used in a hot environment or if the vents are blocked while running. An overheating drive might disconnect suddenly, exhibit errors, or even sustain damage if the temperatures go too high. You may notice the drive’s casing getting very hot to the touch. Prolonged heat can cause electronics to fail or accelerate mechanical wear. How we fix it: If a drive comes in and we suspect heat damage, we will first let it cool and perform diagnostics. Overheating often goes hand-in-hand with another issue (for instance, a failing bearing or motor that generates excess heat, or firmware that crashes when hot). In our lab, we might run the drive in a controlled cooled environment to stabilize it for imaging. We also check for heat-related component failures – for example, we might find a burned chip that overheated. Those would be repaired or bypassed. During recovery, if a drive tends to overheat after some time, we image it in sessions: run it until it gets warm, then pause to let it cool, and continue – to avoid pushing it beyond safe limits. We might also use fan cooling or heatsinks on the drive while it’s cloning. Once we’ve recovered the data, we can address the cause (if you still need the drive itself fixed). Often, simply ensuring proper ventilation or replacing a failing part can resolve overheating. We always educate our clients on keeping drives in cool conditions. With our approach, even heat-stressed drives can be safely recovered without burning out.

16. Accidental File Deletion: You mistakenly deleted files from your external hard drive or emptied the recycle bin while the drive was connected – and now those files are gone. This is a logical issue where the data is still on the drive but marked as free space by the file system. How we fix it: The key to deleted file recovery is to stop using the drive immediately (to avoid overwriting the deleted data). Our team will connect the drive to our recovery systems in read-only mode and perform a thorough scan of the file system and raw data. We use specialized data recovery software that can identify deleted files (which often can be restored if their sectors haven’t been reused yet). We look at the file system’s metadata (FAT/MFT, etc.) to reconstruct the directory and file information. If that metadata is intact, recovery is straightforward – we can undelete and retrieve the files with original names. If the metadata is partially overwritten, we then use signature-based carving to find the content of the files (especially for common file types like photos, documents). With 25 years of practice, we know the best techniques to get back accidentally deleted data. We will recover the deleted files to a new drive for you. Remember: do not save new files to an external drive after realizing you deleted something – it can overwrite the very data we want to recover. As long as the sectors are intact, we’ll get your files back.

17. Accidental Formatting or Reinitialization: Perhaps you plugged your external drive into a computer and it prompted “The disk is not formatted, do you want to format it?” and you clicked yes by mistake. Or you meant to format a different drive and accidentally formatted your external disk. In other cases, the drive might have been initialized in Disk Management inadvertently. Formatting an external HDD or SSD (especially a quick format) doesn’t erase all data; it mainly resets the file system. How we fix it: We have extensive experience recovering data from formatted drives. The process is similar to deleted file recovery but on a larger scale. We use our software tools to scan the entire drive for file system structures and file signatures. Often, on a quick-formatted NTFS or FAT32 drive, the old file records are still present on disk – we can rebuild the directory tree and recover files with their names and folder structure. If the format was a different file system (e.g., NTFS reformatted to exFAT or vice versa), the underlying data blocks are still there; we just need to piece them together. Our team will create an image of the drive to work on, ensuring no further modifications happen to your original. Then we perform a deep scan for every recoverable file. We’ve successfully recovered drives that clients formatted accidentally, even if a new empty file system was put in place. The sooner we get it, the better (to avoid any new data overwriting the old). As a tip: if you realize you formatted your external drive, do not copy anything to it – bring it to us. We’ll likely be able to reverse that mistake and restore your files.

18. File System Corruption (RAW Drive): Sometimes an external hard disk can become corrupted at the file system level – the drive might suddenly show up as RAW or unformatted, and the computer asks you to format it. This can happen due to improper removal (disconnecting without ejecting), power loss during a write, or software errors. Essentially, the structure that organizes your files (the file system) gets damaged, making the data inaccessible even though it’s still on the disk. How we fix it: We approach a corrupted file system by first imaging the drive (to preserve the original data). Then, on the cloned image, we attempt to repair or reconstruct the file system. Depending on the file system type (NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, HFS+, APFS, etc.), we have different tools to fix logical structures. For instance, we might rebuild the partition table or boot sector, or use file system repair utilities in a safe manner. If direct repair isn’t possible, we fall back to data carving – scanning the raw image for identifiable files. Our advanced software can search for file headers/footers to pull out documents, photos, videos, etc., even without the original directory info. We then organize these recovered files for you. We have a high success rate with drives that suddenly became RAW or unallocated. In many cases, we’re able to restore the full folder structure. In some, we at least get all the important files off. Our experience with all file systems means even a heavily corrupted drive is not the end – we’ll find a way to get your data.

19. Lost Partition / Partition Table Damage: Your external drive might have had multiple partitions, or a special partition, and now it shows as a single unallocated space. Partition table damage can result from user error (accidentally deleting a partition in a disk management tool) or as a side effect of file system corruption or malware. When the partition information is lost, the OS no longer knows where the data begins on the disk. How we fix it: We will perform a partition search on the drive using our recovery tools. These tools can scan the disk to find traces of previous partitions (by looking for partition signatures and boot records). Often, we can locate the exact start and end of the old partition and rebuild the partition table, making the data accessible again. If that fails, we treat it like a full drive scan scenario: for example, if an NTFS partition was deleted, we look for the backup boot sector or MFT records to reconstruct it. In cases of accidental partition deletion, usually the data is entirely intact – it’s just the “map” that’s gone. We recreate that map. If multiple partitions were present, we’ll recover each one. Our engineers are adept at piecing together partition info manually if needed. After we recover the partition or at least the files from it, we always provide the data on a healthy drive with a proper partition so you can use it normally moving forward.

20. Virus or Malware Damage: External drives can be victims of viruses or malware, just like internal drives. Some malware might delete or hide files, corrupt the file system, or even encrypt files (ransomware). For example, you could have had an external drive plugged in when a ransomware attack occurred, and now your files are encrypted with a ransom note; or a virus might have wiped the file table. How we fix it: The approach depends on what happened. If files were simply hidden or the file table corrupted by malware, we treat it as a logical recovery (similar to #18, repairing the file system and recovering files). If data was deleted by a malicious program, we treat it like deletion recovery (#16). In the unfortunate case of ransomware encryption, recovery is very challenging – typically, strong encryption can’t be broken without the key. However, we stay informed about major ransomware strains; if there’s a known decryptor available (either from law enforcement or security researchers), we can attempt that. Absent that, we focus on what we can recover: sometimes the malware only encrypts certain types of files or encrypts a portion and leaves some files untouched. We’d scan the drive and restore anything viable. We also isolate and remove any viruses from the recovered data to ensure you get back clean files. In summary, for malware-related losses, we’ll do our utmost – our success will depend on the specific infection, but we’ve helped clients get back data in many virus cases (especially non-encrypting malware). And we always advise strengthening your antivirus and backups afterwards!

21. Slow or Freezing External Drive: Is your external HDD extremely slow, freezing your computer when plugged in, or timing out on transfers? This often indicates underlying issues like bad sectors (as in #7) or failing hardware that struggles to read data. You might notice the drive starts copying files then stalls, or it makes the OS lag when you try to open it. How we fix it: A slow or freezing drive is usually in the process of failing, so we treat it with care. We connect it to our imaging systems which are designed to talk to unstable drives without overwhelming them. By adjusting read timeouts and using a sector-by-sector imaging process, we can retrieve data from drives that Windows or Mac gives up on. Our hardware might only read a few sectors per second in bad areas, but it will keep going and map out the drive’s contents to an image file. During this, we often see exactly which part of the drive is causing the slowdown (e.g. a certain region of bad sectors). After imaging as much as possible, we recover the files from that image. In many cases, the apparent “freeze” is the drive struggling with bad spots – once we get past those via our cloning process, the rest comes quickly. We have rescued many drives that seemed to hang indefinitely – our tools and techniques can get through the “sticky” parts. The end result is your data recovered, and we’ll inform you if any files in the bad region couldn’t be fully saved. Typically, a majority of data can be saved from a slow, ailing drive.

22. Intermittent Connection (Drive Keeps Disconnecting): Your external hard disk might connect and disconnect repeatedly. For instance, it may show up in your computer one moment and vanish the next, especially if the drive is moved slightly. This could be caused by a loose USB cable, a failing port (as in #11), or internal drive electronics failing under load. It can also be power-related – some drives drop offline if they don’t get sufficient power over USB. How we fix it: We don’t rely on the flaky connection. When a drive arrives with this symptom, we first try to stabilize the connection: often using a new cable, a direct SATA connection (if possible), or using a powered USB hub to ensure it’s not a power issue. If the problem persists, it indicates an internal fault – possibly the USB-SATA bridge or the drive’s own logic board cutting out. We then take the drive out of its enclosure and attach it directly to our equipment. If it stays stable that way, we proceed to image it fully. If it still disconnects, we might treat it as we do a failing PCB or firmware – by replacing the interface board or drive PCB. We have firmware tools that can handle drives which drop off by issuing commands to reset and continue imaging from where it left off. It’s a painstaking process, but we can gradually pull the data off during the brief periods the drive stays connected. Our goal is to obtain a complete clone by repeatedly capturing segments in between dropouts. Finally, we reconstruct all the pieces into a full image for recovery. With persistence and the right gear, we can successfully deal with an external drive that refuses to stay connected.

23. Completely Dead Drive (No Power at All): You plug in your external hard drive and nothing happens – no lights, no sounds, no spinning. It’s as if the drive isn’t plugged in (and you’ve verified the cables and ports are okay). A totally dead drive suggests a power delivery or internal power circuit failure. Common causes are a fried PCB (see #9) or, for desktop drives, a dead external power adapter. How we fix it: We’ll start by checking the simple things: if it’s a desktop external with an AC adapter, we test with a known-good adapter in case the original one failed. If it’s a USB-powered portable, we’ll try a different cable and port to rule those out. Once we confirm the drive itself is the issue, we look at the electronics. Often “no power” is due to a shorted protection diode or a blown fuse on the drive’s PCB. Our technician will use a multimeter to test the circuit. We can replace a blown fuse or remove a shorted diode to get power flowing into the drive again. If that doesn’t revive it, we may do a PCB swap with ROM transfer as described earlier. In some cases, the motor or some internal component could be shorted and preventing power-up; then we might need to replace that component (for example, a shorted motor will require a platter transplant to a new body). We methodically find where the power stops and fix that. After restoring power and functionality, the drive should spin up, and we immediately clone it to secure the data. Good news: a completely dead drive is often one of the more straightforward recoveries for us – usually the data is perfectly intact once we repair the power issue.

24. SSD Controller Failure: External SSDs (solid-state drives) have no moving parts, but they can fail due to electronic issues. The controller chip on an SSD is like the “brain” that manages the flash memory. If the controller fails (due to a manufacturing defect, power surge, etc.), the SSD may suddenly become unreadable. The drive might not be recognized at all, or it might show up with 0 GB size. How we fix it: Dealing with SSD failures requires deep electronic and software expertise. If we suspect a controller failure, one approach is chip-off recovery. We carefully open the SSD (whether a portable USB SSD or an internal SSD from an enclosure) and remove the flash memory chips from the board. Using specialized readers, we can read the raw data from these NAND flash chips. However, the raw data is usually encrypted or scrambled by the controller’s algorithms (wear levelling, ECC, etc.). We then perform a complex process of reconstruction: using the controller’s specs (or by analysing patterns), we reassemble the data from the multiple chips into a coherent image. This may involve solving the XOR or encryption that the controller applied. In some cases, if the controller is a common one and just partially failed, we might attempt to swap it or its firmware (for example, transplanting memory chips to an identical working SSD and hoping it will recognize them – this is hit or miss). Our lab is equipped with specialized SSD recovery tools that handle various controller types. While SSD recovery can be challenging, we have successfully retrieved data from many “dead” external SSDs. It’s one of those tasks where professional intervention is really the only hope – when an SSD fails, DIY methods won’t work. We use our advanced equipment to overcome controller issues and get your data back from the lifeless SSD.

25. NAND Flash Wear (SSD Memory Degradation): Flash-based external drives (SSDs, USB thumb drives) have a limited number of write cycles. Over time, the NAND flash cells wear out. An SSD that has been heavily used might start having lots of bad blocks or might suddenly go into a read-only mode or just fail to mount. Essentially, the memory inside is degrading from extensive use or age. How we fix it: If an SSD is failing due to worn-out flash, often the controller will start throwing errors or refuse to operate once wear reaches a certain threshold. In these cases, we again rely on flash memory recovery techniques. We may treat it similarly to a controller failure scenario: perform a chip-off extraction of the data directly from the NAND chips. Even if some cells are worn, typically much of the data is still recoverable from the remaining good cells. Our tools can sometimes work with the SSD in a technological way to get it into “tech mode” and read out as much as possible, even bypassing some of the controller’s normal operations. If parts of the data are truly worn beyond readability, those portions might be lost (flash wear can cause bit rot that even ECC can’t fully correct). However, because SSDs have redundancy and wear levelling, there’s often a complete image spread across the chips that we can still rebuild. We leverage our experience with NAND recovery to assemble the puzzle of data. In summary, for an SSD suffering wear-out, we’ll extract the raw contents and reconstruct your files on a new medium. The recovered data will be intact for the portions of the drive that hadn’t completely worn out. We then recommend replacing the drive and always keeping backups, as a well-worn SSD can be unpredictable.

26. Water or Liquid Damage: Accidents happen – maybe a spilled drink soaked your external hard drive, or it was exposed to rain or even a flood. Water and electronics don’t mix, and if an external drive gets wet, it can short out the PCB and even cause internal corrosion if water seeps inside. How we fix it: For any liquid-damaged drive, the first step is proper cleaning and drying. We never power on a wet drive; instead, we open the enclosure and dry all components carefully. If water reached the internal HDD (past the seals), we will open the drive in the cleanroom to clean and dry the platters and heads (and remove any residue; flood water can leave mud or contaminants). We treat the PCB with PCB cleaners to remove corrosion. Often, after cleaning, the PCB might need repair or replacement due to shorted components (similar to #9). We check the internal mechanisms – water inside usually ruins the delicate heads (corrosion spots or water stains on platters can cause heads to stick or crash). So we likely replace the heads with donors after ensuring the platters are clean. Once the drive is thoroughly cleaned, new parts installed as needed, and fully dry, we attempt to power it on (with the original PCB or a swapped one). If successful, we clone the drive immediately. Water damage cases are tricky because corrosion can be ongoing – we have to halt that process quickly. Time is critical: the sooner we receive a water-damaged drive, the better the outcome (before rust sets in). Thanks to our electronic skills and cleanroom, we’ve saved data from drives that literally went through the wash (or worse). Pro tip: if your drive gets drenched, don’t try to power it up; keep it wet (in clean water or wrapped in damp towel) and bring to us – letting it dry on its own can cause minerals to crystallize. We know it sounds counterintuitive, but controlled handling is key. We’ll handle the entire recovery with proper care.

27. Fire or Heat Damage: A fire or extreme heat event can char the external drive’s case, melt plastic, and damage the drive’s components. Even if not directly burned, high heat can warp the disk platters or destroy chips. How we fix it: Fire-damaged drives are some of the most challenging, but we do have methods. If the PCB is burnt, we’ll replace it (with ROM transfer if possible). If the drive’s housing is melted or platters slightly warped, we very carefully transplant the platters to a compatible donor chassis. Sometimes the heat can cause platters to stick together (if multiple platters) – we use special tools to separate them without scraping the surfaces. The read/write heads in a fire often get destroyed or stuck, so we will replace those. We also meticulously clean soot and debris from inside the drive. Once a fire-exposed drive is reassembled with good parts, we attempt the imaging. If the magnetic coating on platters is intact (not blistered off by heat), there’s a chance to read the data. If the media is too warped or the coating is extensively damaged, recovery might be limited or impossible. But we give it our all: using reduced speed imaging, adjusting head alignments, etc., we try to extract whatever we can. We’ve had successes where a drive that looked physically melted still yielded family photos and important documents. Fire recovery is case-by-case, and we’ll tell you honestly what we assess. But our cleanroom capabilities and willingness to attempt creative fixes gives you the best shot at getting data back from a fire-damaged drive.

28. Data Transfer Interruptions (Cut/Copy Errors): Sometimes data loss isn’t due to drive failure at all, but an error during file transfer. For example, you were moving (cut-paste) a large folder from your computer to the external drive, and the process got interrupted (perhaps the cable disconnected mid-transfer, or the system crashed). Now the files are missing from the source and not fully on the destination. Another scenario is copying files to the external drive and it disconnects, leaving incomplete files. How we fix it: This is a logical issue that can involve both drives. If the source files were cut (thus deleted after moving) but the move didn’t complete, those files might be recoverable from the original source drive via undelete techniques (#16). We often have clients bring both the source machine and the external drive in such cases. We’d undelete from the source if possible. On the external drive side, we check if partial files exist (incomplete copies) and whether any data made it before the interruption. We might need to reconcile and see if perhaps some parts of the files can be found in temporary folders or caches. Each case is a bit unique. If only the external drive is provided, we focus on undeleting from it (if the move operation started there and then reverted). Our team’s experience with file systems helps here – sometimes we can find files that were in transit. If the file transfer error caused file system corruption (which can happen if the directory updates were only half-done), we then fix that (#18). In summary, for interrupted transfers, we’ll use a combination of file carving and undelete on whichever side still has data remnants. It can be a puzzle, but we’ve successfully put back together files that “vanished” during a failed move.

29. Actuator or Head Assembly Failure: The actuator is the arm mechanism that moves the heads across the platters. If the actuator’s bearings or voice-coil fail, or if the arm gets bent (say, from a drop), the heads won’t position correctly. This can lead to symptoms like clicking (if heads can’t reach the data track) or a drive that can’t calibrate. How we fix it: Essentially, this is a specific mechanical failure where we have to replace the entire head stack assembly (which includes the actuator arm and heads). In our cleanroom, we will remove the faulty head/actuator assembly. We choose a donor drive of the same model that has a healthy head stack. We carefully install the donor head stack into the patient drive, aligning it precisely. Once replaced, the new actuator should move freely and position the heads correctly. Often, what initially seemed like a mysterious click or inability to read is resolved by this transplant. We then proceed to clone the drive as usual. Replacing the actuator is part of the head swap procedure, and our engineers perform these swaps daily on drives of all makes. It’s routine for us, but requires skill – any misalignment can prevent recovery. Because we have a large stock of donor drives, we can find the matching parts even for older models. After this surgery, the drive usually reads again and the data can be extracted. So, even when a drive’s internal mechanics fail, we breathe new life into it just long enough to salvage your files.

30. Multiple or Unknown Failures (Complex Cases): Sometimes a drive arrives with multiple issues at once, or the exact cause of failure isn’t immediately clear. For example, a drive might have a mild firmware issue and some bad sectors, or it was dropped and also has a corrupted file system. In other cases, another shop’s attempt at recovery might have left the drive in a disassembled state. How we fix it: We pride ourselves on our ability to tackle even the most complex data recovery cases. Our process always begins with a thorough diagnosis covering all aspects: mechanical, electronic, and logical. If we find multiple failures, we address them in a safe sequence – usually fixing hardware issues first to stabilize the drive, then dealing with firmware or logical problems. For instance, we might do a head swap to get the drive reading, then fix the firmware to access the data area, and finally perform a file system rebuild to retrieve the files. We have encountered drives with platter damage plus firmware bugs, or drives that were opened by unqualified persons – each time, we leveraged our experience to overcome the challenges. In our 25 years, there’s rarely an “unknown” failure; there’s always an explanation, and we’ll find it. We use a microscopic inspection, firmware logs, and other diagnostics to pinpoint issues. Ultimately, even if your drive’s failure doesn’t fall neatly into one of the categories above, our experts can handle it. We combine techniques as needed and won’t give up until we’ve exhausted every possible route to get your data back. Our high success rate, even in complex situations, is a testament to our dedication and expertise in data recovery.

Why Choose Hull Data Recovery for External Drive Recovery?

Hull Data Recovery offers a comprehensive external hard drive recovery service that stands out in the industry:

• Decades of Expertise: With 25+ years in business, we have seen all types of drive failures. This experience translates into efficient diagnostics and innovative solutions that others might miss. We stay updated on the latest drive technologies (HDD and SSD) to maintain our success rate.

• Advanced Cleanroom Facilities: All mechanical repairs (head swaps, platter work) are done in our ISO-certified cleanroom environment. This ensures no dust or debris causes further damage when drives are opened. Our investment in proper facilities gives your data the best chance.

• State-of-the-Art Tools: We utilise professional data recovery hardware and software – from PC-3000 firmware repair tools to dedicated imagers that can rescue data from failing drives bit by bit. These tools, combined with our proprietary techniques, allow us to recover data that standard computer repair shops cannot.

• All Brands and Models: As described, we handle drives from every manufacturer and of every interface. Whether it’s a portable USB-powered disk, a large desktop external, or an external SSD, our team knows how to work with it. We also have extensive donor part inventories to replace failed components without delay.

• Any File System, Any Data: We are fluent in Windows NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, macOS HFS+ and APFS, Linux EXT2/3/4, and more. No matter how your drive was formatted or what kind of files you have, we can recover them. This is crucial for external drives since they might be used on multiple systems (for example, a drive used on both Mac and PC could have exFAT – we handle it all).

• No Data, No Fee Guarantee: We offer a straightforward guarantee – if for some reason we cannot recover your data, you don’t pay for the recovery service. We also provide free diagnostics and quotes up front, so you can make an informed decision with no risk.

• Customer Service and Professionalism: We pride ourselves on being friendly, understanding, and professional. We know losing data can be stressful – our staff will keep you informed throughout the process in clear, jargon-free terms. Being a local Hull company, we strive to uphold our reputation in the community with honest and reliable service.

• Fast Turnaround: We understand you want your data back as soon as possible. Our streamlined processes mean most standard external drive recoveries are completed in days, not weeks. We also offer emergency service for critical cases.

When it comes to external hard drive data recovery in Hull, we truly offer an end-to-end solution. From the moment you contact us, we take care of everything: free evaluation, no-obligation quote, skilled recovery work, and return of your data on a secure new device. We have hundreds of satisfied customers across Yorkshire and the UK who have trusted us with their precious data – and we’ve delivered results, even in very dire situations.

Contact Hull Data Recovery for a Free Diagnostic

If you’re facing an external hard drive or external SSD failure, don’t panic. Whether it’s a simple case of accidental deletion or a complex mechanical breakdown, Hull Data Recovery has the expertise to help. We offer a free diagnostic evaluation of your device – we’ll assess the problem and report back to you with the cause of failure, the chances of recovery, and a firm price quote. This diagnostic is completely free, and you’re not obligated to proceed if you choose not to. With our “no data, no fee” policy, you can rest assured that we are committed to successfully getting your data – if for some reason the data is unrecoverable (in the rare worst-case scenarios), you won’t be charged a penny.

Get in touch with us today to start the process. You can call our office or fill out the contact form on our website. We’ll provide instructions on how to bring or send in your external drive. Our specialists will handle your device with utmost care and confidentiality.

Remember, with over 25 years in the industry, Hull Data Recovery is Hull’s trusted name for external hard drive data recovery. We’ve helped individuals, businesses, students, photographers, and more to get back critical files and irreplaceable memories. When your external hard disk fails or your files seem lost, we are here to make the recovery as smooth and successful as possible. Contact us now for prompt, professional data recovery service – let our experience work for you!