Drive not showing up? Don't power it on again.
Recovering Files From a Failed or Dead Hard Drive
If the drive doesn't appear, makes a clicking sound, or stopped after a drop or power cut, the most important thing is to not keep trying. Every extra power-on can increase the damage.
- 99%
- Privacy & security
- 50K+
- Files recovered
- +25
- Years of experience
That strange noise is not a small detail.
When do you need a hard drive inspection?
- 01
Drive doesn't appear
The system doesn't recognise the disk or asks to format it on connection.
- 02
Slow reads or missing files
Files won't open, disappear suddenly, or the disk takes very long to read.
- 03
A drop or clicking sound
Signs that require powering off immediately and avoiding any home attempt.
Inspection comes before any recovery attempt.
Can files be recovered from a drive that won't work?
Recovery is possible in many cases, but the verdict isn't made from the outside. The fault may be logical, electronic or physical; correct handling starts with inspecting the case and choosing a path that doesn't stress the damaged disk.
Inspect the case
Choose the path
Safe recovery
FAQ
Before you power it on again, read this.
The noise may indicate a physical fault, so the drive should be stopped and not powered on before inspection.
Yes, the cable, enclosure, electronic board and the disk itself can be inspected to find the cause.
It may help with simple deletions, but it can be dangerous with a physical fault or unstable reads.
It depends on the fault type and disk size; logical cases can finish within a day or two, while mechanical faults take longer. We give a clear estimate after diagnosis.
In many cases yes—provided you don't power it on or try to dry it yourself. Leave it as is and bring it in for inspection quickly.
Yes. Every case is handled with full confidentiality and delivered on a separate medium, with an NDA available on request.
Next step
Send case detailsEvery extra power-on can change the outcome.
Stop the device and send your case details. We start by inspecting it and explain your recovery odds and the best next step before starting.