External Hard Drive Recovery

Aberdeen Data Recovery is Scotland’s No.1 data recovery specialist with over 25 years of experience. We specialise in external hard drive data recovery for both consumers and IT professionals alike. A sudden external hard drive failure can be stressful – whether it’s priceless family photos or critical business documents at stake. Our friendly yet knowledgeable team understands the importance of your data and treats every case with the urgency and care it deserves. We combine technical expertise with a customer-focused approach to ensure you get your precious files back as quickly and safely as possible.

We handle all types of external drives – from small USB-powered portable drives to larger desktop backup units. Our service covers every make and model, and we support all major operating systems and file systems (Windows, Mac, Linux). Whether your drive was accidentally dropped or is suffering from a complex firmware issue, we have the tools and know-how to recover the data. With state-of-the-art technology and a certified cleanroom for internal repairs, Aberdeen Data Recovery can tackle external HDD failures that others might consider unrecoverable.

In our 25+ years, we’ve helped thousands of individuals and businesses in Aberdeen and across Scotland get their data back. We offer a proven recovery process – including free diagnostics, fast standard turnaround, and even a 48-hour emergency service for critical situations. Read on to learn about the brands and file systems we support, the common failure scenarios we solve, our recovery process, and why we’re the best choice to revive your external hard drive.

Supported External Drive Brands

We can recover data from external hard disks of all major brands, including:

• Seagate

• Western Digital (WD)

• Toshiba

• LaCie

• Samsung

• Hitachi (HGST)

• Maxtor

• G-Technology

• ADATA

• Iomega

Don’t see your drive maker on the list? Don’t worry – we support virtually every external USB or desktop hard drive brand on the market. From popular models to obscure brands, our team has experience with them all.

Supported File Systems

Our lab can work with all common file systems and drive formats, so it doesn’t matter how your external drive is formatted. We routinely recover data from:

• NTFS (Windows)

• FAT32 (Windows/MS-DOS)

• exFAT (Windows/Mac extended FAT)

• HFS+ (Mac OS Extended)

• APFS (macOS newer file system)

• ext3/ext4 (Linux file systems)

• others – including older or less common formats (XFS, etc.)

Whether your drive is used on a PC, a Mac, a Linux server, or even a game console or NAS, we have the expertise to deal with its file system. Our tools can interpret and rebuild damaged file systems to extract your data, even if the drive is not readable by the original device.

Common External Hard Drive Failure Scenarios

External hard drives can fail in many different ways. Below are the top 25 most common external drive failure scenarios we encounter, along with a brief explanation of each and how Aberdeen Data Recovery resolves them:

1. Dropped or Impact Damage: Physical shock from dropping or knocking an external hard drive can misalign internal components or cause the read/write heads to crash onto the platters. Often, a dropped drive will start making clicking noises or stop being recognized by your computer. Our engineers handle this by opening the drive in a cleanroom environment to replace or realign damaged parts (such as performing a head swap) and then recovering the data to a secure location.

2. Water or Liquid Damage: Spilling water or other liquids on an external drive (or submerging it in a flood) can short-circuit the electronics and cause internal corrosion. The drive may not power on at all after liquid exposure. We mitigate water damage by carefully cleaning and drying the drive’s internal components, repairing or replacing any fried electronics, and then extracting the data using specialized hardware in a controlled environment.

3. Fire or Heat Damage: High heat or fire can melt plastic components, warp metal parts, and damage the magnetic storage material. In a fire-damaged drive, the casing may be charred and internal parts can be extremely fragile. Our team can perform delicate recovery on heat-damaged drives by using cleanroom tools to replace warped components and by imaging the drive’s platters with advanced equipment, salvaging any retrievable data from the heat-exposed media.

4. Overheating from Prolonged Use: External drives that run too hot (for example, due to poor ventilation or continuous operation) can experience failures as components expand or wear out faster. Overheating might cause the drive to sporadically disconnect or produce a burning electronics smell. If a drive has overheated, we will let it cool and then examine it for heat-related damage – such as burned controller boards or degraded read/write heads – and carry out the necessary repairs. After fixing any issues, we clone the drive to secure the data before further overheating can occur.

5. Normal Wear and Tear: Like any mechanical device, hard drives have a finite lifespan. After years of use, parts can simply wear out – bearings may seize, heads become weak, or the magnetic coating on platters degrades. A drive failing from old age might start to slow down or make periodic clicking as it struggles to read data. In such cases, our approach is to perform a sector-by-sector clone of the drive using hardware imagers that handle unstable drives, capturing all readable data before the drive deteriorates further. We then recover your files from this cloned image.

6. Manufacturing Defect or Firmware Bug: Sometimes drives fail early due to a defect from the factory or a known firmware bug in the drive’s internal software. The drive could suddenly become unresponsive or get stuck in a boot loop through no fault of the user. Our lab keeps track of manufacturer alerts and has tools to fix these issues – for example, by applying a firmware patch or using vendor-specific commands to bring the drive back to life just long enough to retrieve the data.

7. Spindle Motor Failure: The spindle motor is what spins the drive’s platters at high speed. If the motor fails or the spindle gets stuck (a condition known as “stiction”), the platters won’t spin at all, often making the drive emit faint beeping or buzzing noises. To recover data in this scenario, we may transplant the platters into an identical donor drive or carefully free the stuck motor in our cleanroom. Once the platters are spinning properly again, we can copy off the data to a new drive.

8. Read/Write Head Crash: The read/write heads float just micrometers above the platter surface. A shock or hardware fault can cause a head to collide with a platter (a “head crash”) or otherwise fail. This often results in that notorious clicking sound as the drive repeatedly tries and fails to read. In our cleanroom, we carefully replace the entire head assembly with compatible donor parts, allowing the drive to read data again. If the head crash caused any platter scratches, we work around the damaged areas to salvage as much data as possible from the rest of the disk.

9. Bad Sectors on Disk: A “bad sector” is a portion of the disk platter that has become unreadable or damaged. Drives can develop bad sectors over time due to wear or minor manufacturing flaws. If key file system areas fall on these bad spots, your data can become inaccessible or the drive might freeze during use. Our team uses advanced imaging tools to create a complete clone of drives with bad sectors – these tools can repeatedly read unstable areas and skip truly unreadable spots, ensuring we capture every recoverable bit. Using the clone, we then reconstruct your files while bypassing the bad areas of the original disk.

10. Power Surge or Electrical Spike: Sudden electrical surges (for instance, a lightning strike or using the wrong power adapter) can send a high-voltage shock through an external drive. This often blows out the drive’s controller board and can even damage the delicate internal head preamplifier. When a drive has suffered a power surge, we replace the burned-out components — often swapping in a matching PCB (printed circuit board) and transferring any unique firmware chips to it. If needed, we also replace affected internal parts. This restores the drive’s functionality enough for us to retrieve the data to a safe device.

11. Electronics (PCB) Failure: The printed circuit board on the drive is its main electronics hub – if it fails due to aging components or a short circuit, the drive will appear completely dead (no spinning, no lights, no detection). In such cases, our engineers find an identical donor PCB and move the original drive’s firmware chip (which contains calibration data unique to your drive) onto the new board. With this repaired electronics setup, the drive can power on properly and we proceed to recover the data.

12. USB Port or Interface Board Failure: Many external drives have a USB interface board that bridges the actual hard disk to your computer. If the USB port is physically broken or the interface board electronics fail, the drive might not be accessible even though the hard disk inside is intact. We can either repair the damaged USB port/board or remove the drive from its enclosure and connect it directly with our specialized equipment. (Some external drives have the USB interface built into the drive’s logic board itselfen.wikipedia.org – in these cases, we carefully work with the built-in interface or bypass it using custom adapters, ensuring we still get to the data.) Either way, we handle the interface issues so your drive can be read again for recovery.

13. Firmware Corruption: Sometimes the hard drive’s own internal operating code (firmware) becomes corrupted – this can happen after a sudden power loss or due to a firmware glitch. The drive might power on but not be recognized, or it could behave erratically because its low-level software isn’t running correctly. In our lab, we use manufacturer-specific tools to diagnose firmware issues. We can often repair or reload the drive’s firmware modules, effectively bringing the drive back to a readable state long enough to extract all your data.

14. File System Corruption: The file system is what organizes your data on the disk (examples include NTFS, FAT32, or APFS). If it gets damaged – for instance, by disconnecting the drive during a file transfer or by a system crash – the drive may suddenly appear as RAW (unformatted) or show an error asking to format the disk. When facing file system corruption, we use specialized data recovery software to scan the entire drive at a low level, rebuild the file system or locate lost files, and copy your data out to another healthy storage device. This process bypasses the normal operating system, letting us retrieve files even when the file system is broken.

15. Partition Table or Metadata Loss: An external drive’s partition table (or other critical metadata, like the Master File Table on an NTFS drive) can become corrupted or accidentally erased. This often results in the drive showing up as empty or the partition being missing entirely, even though the data still exists on the disk. Our technicians can repair or reconstruct these partition and directory records. We use advanced tools to search for the signatures of lost partitions and files, enabling us to restore access by rebuilding the drive’s index structure or extracting the files directly from disk sectors.

16. Accidental File Deletion: You might have mistakenly deleted files or folders from your external drive and then emptied the recycle bin, thinking the data was gone. Fortunately, deleting a file doesn’t immediately erase it from the disk – the space is just marked as available. Our data recovery specialists use forensic-grade software to scan the drive for remnants of deleted files. As long as those areas haven’t been overwritten by new data, we can often “undelete” and recover the files completely intact.

17. Accidental Drive Formatting: Maybe you accidentally clicked “Format” on the wrong drive or agreed to an OS prompt that formatted your external HDD. A quick format, in particular, doesn’t wipe all the data – it mainly resets the file system index. Using our recovery tools, we scan the formatted drive for traces of the previous file system and data. We can often retrieve the files from an accidentally formatted drive by piecing together the old file structure or carving out files in their entirety, then copying them to a new drive for you.

18. Virus or Malware Infection: Malicious software can wreak havoc on data. If a virus infects your external drive, it might delete files, hide them, corrupt them, or even encrypt them (as ransomware does). When dealing with an infected drive, our approach is to first make a full clone of the drive to preserve its state. We then recover files from the clone, ensuring the extracted data is clean and virus-free by isolating any malware. In cases of ransomware-encrypted files, the encryption might not be breakable without the key, but we can still assist by recovering any files that were not encrypted (or were partially encrypted) and by advising you on possible decryption options for the affected data.

19. Unsafe Removal or Power Loss: If you unplug an external drive without safely ejecting it, or if power is cut while data is being written, the sudden interruption can corrupt files or the file system. For example, you might find that some files become unreadable or the drive asks to be formatted after an improper removal. We address these cases by scanning the drive for incomplete file writes and corrupted file records. Our recovery software can often reconstruct the interrupted data or restore the drive’s logical structure as much as possible, allowing you to get back the files that were being transferred at the time of the interruption.

20. Operating System or Software Crash: Sometimes a computer crash or software malfunction (like a backup program error) during a data transfer can leave the external drive’s data in an inconsistent state. After such a crash, you might discover missing files or folders on the external disk. Our team will perform a detailed analysis of the drive’s data structure to locate fragments of the missing files. By using specialized techniques (such as file carving and manual reconstruction of file tables), we extract files that aren’t visible to the OS, effectively recovering data lost due to the crash or software glitch.

21. Encrypted or Password-Protected Drives: External drives secured with encryption (such as BitLocker on Windows or FileVault on Mac) or those with built-in hardware encryption add an extra layer of complexity when they fail. If the drive itself is malfunctioning, having the password alone isn’t enough – the data must be recovered from the device and then decrypted. At Aberdeen Data Recovery, we regularly handle encrypted media. Our process is to first make a complete sector-by-sector clone of the drive without altering the data. Then, using the provided encryption key or password, we access and extract your files safely. If the drive’s encryption controller is damaged (for example, on certain WD My Passport models that encrypt data by default), we repair or bypass that hardware so that we can recover and decrypt the data for you.

22. DIY Recovery Attempts or Tampering: Some clients come to us after trying to fix the drive themselves or taking it to an inexperienced shop. Perhaps the drive was opened in a non-clean environment, or an off-the-shelf recovery software was used and ended up overwriting some data. These attempts can complicate recovery by introducing dust, misaligned parts, or additional data corruption. Even so, we often can still get the data back. Our technicians will assess any extra damage (cleaning the internals if the drive was opened improperly, for instance) and then proceed with professional recovery methods. We’ve successfully recovered data from many drives that had prior failed recovery attempts.

23. Drive Not Recognized by Any Computer: In this scenario, you plug in your external hard drive and nothing happens – it doesn’t show up in File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac at all. This “dead drive” symptom can result from several issues we discussed (like a fried PCB, a firmware fault, or an internal mechanical failure). The key is a proper diagnosis. At our facility, we run a comprehensive evaluation to determine why the drive isn’t being detected. Once we identify the root cause, we implement the appropriate fix – whether that’s electronics repair, firmware restoration, or internal part replacement – and then recover your data.

24. Strange Noises (Clicking or Beeping): If your external HDD is making unusual sounds – a rhythmic click, grinding noises, or soft beeps – it’s a clear sign of an internal problem. Clicking usually means the read/write heads are struggling (often after a head crash), while beeping often indicates the spindle motor is jammed and can’t spin up the platters. You should stop using a drive that’s making these noises to prevent further damage. In our lab, we will open the drive in the cleanroom to address the issue: freeing stuck components or swapping in new donor parts (such as a fresh set of heads). After that internal fix, we can access and recover the data onto a stable medium.

25. Other or Unknown Issues: Not every failure falls into a neat category – you might encounter strange symptoms like the drive intermittently disconnecting, unusual error messages popping up, or the drive working one day and not the next. Whatever the case, Aberdeen Data Recovery’s experts have likely seen it before. We will perform a free diagnostic evaluation to identify the problem. No matter how complex or rare the issue, we’ll devise a tailored data recovery plan to retrieve your files.

(If you’re experiencing a scenario not listed above, don’t panic – just contact us for a consultation. We thrive on challenges and have a solution for virtually every data loss situation.)

Our External Hard Drive Data Recovery Process

We make the data recovery process as straightforward and transparent as possible. Here’s what to expect when you use our external hard drive recovery service:

1. Free Diagnostic Evaluation: Start by getting in touch with us and sending in or bringing your external drive to our Aberdeen lab. Our engineers will perform a free, no-obligation diagnostic to determine what’s wrong with the drive. We’ll identify the failure cause, the condition of the data, and what it will take to recover it. Following this evaluation, we provide you with a report of our findings and a quote for the recovery. This quote is fixed – we won’t proceed until you approve, and there are no surprise charges.

2. Standard Recovery (2–4 Day Turnaround): Once you approve the recovery, our team gets to work. We have a well-equipped facility with all the necessary tools (including cleanroom workstations for internal repairs and advanced imaging hardware for cloning drives). In a standard recovery, we carefully repair any hardware issues (if needed) and create a full clone of your drive. We then recover the data from the clone or repaired drive onto our secure servers. This process typically takes 2–4 business days for most external hard drive cases. Throughout the recovery, we keep you updated on the progress. After extracting the data, we verify the integrity of the recovered files to ensure everything is intact.

3. Critical 48-Hour Service (Emergency Option): If you need your data back urgently, we offer an expedited critical service for emergency situations. With our 48-hour service, we prioritize your case immediately – our engineers will work around the clock (including nights and weekends) to recover your data as fast as technically possible, typically within 48 hours. This option is ideal for businesses facing downtime or any critical personal data loss where every hour counts. (Note: Our free diagnostic will let you know if a 48-hour turnaround is feasible for your particular case, as extremely severe damage might require more time even on rush service.)

4. Data Return and Verification: After recovery, we’ll arrange to return your recovered data in a safe and convenient way. We can transfer your files to a new external drive, flash drive, or secure cloud download – whichever you prefer. We ensure that all recovered data is accessible and in working order. If desired, you can review a file list or samples of the recovered data before we finalize everything. Once you have your data back, we can securely wipe our copy of it (for confidentiality), and your case is complete. We’ll also provide guidance on how to safely back up and store your data to prevent future losses.

Throughout the process, there is no risk to you – if the data recovery is unsuccessful (in the rare case that nothing can be recovered), you won’t be charged for the attempt. We only charge for successful recoveries, as part of our commitment to ethical service.

Why Choose Aberdeen Data Recovery?

When it comes to data recovery in Aberdeen or anywhere in Scotland, you have options – but we believe our service stands out. Here are some key reasons to trust Aberdeen Data Recovery with your external hard drive:

• 25+ Years of Experience: Our team has been recovering data since the 1990s, giving us deep knowledge of virtually every type of failure. This wealth of experience means we can handle both common and rare data loss situations effectively, devising the best strategy for each unique case.

• Certified Cleanroom Facilities: We perform all physical hard drive repairs in-house using a cleanroom environment. This ultra-clean workspace allows us to safely open and repair delicate hard drive internals (platters, heads, etc.) without risking dust contamination. By using proper cleanroom procedures, we protect your drive’s media during recovery, which maximises the chance of success in cases of mechanical damage.

• Advanced Tools & Techniques: Aberdeen Data Recovery utilizes industry-leading technology for data recovery. From specialized disk imaging hardware that can read unstable drives bit-by-bit, to proprietary software that reconstructs corrupted file systems and fragmented data, we have the right tools for every scenario. Our engineers continuously update their skills and toolkit to handle new drive models and data loss challenges, ensuring we stay at the cutting edge of data recovery methods.

• High Success Rates: Thanks to our experience and equipment, we boast one of the highest data recovery success rates in the industry. Even in severe failure cases, if there’s any chance of retrieving your data, our team will do everything possible to make it happen. We have a proven track record of successful recoveries – in fact, many clients come to us after other shops couldn’t recover their data, and we were able to succeed.

• Trusted by Businesses and Individuals: We have helped thousands of clients in Aberdeen and throughout Scotland – from home users and students to IT departments at large corporations. Local businesses, schools, hospitals, and government agencies have all relied on our expertise to recover critical data. Every customer, big or small, receives the same dedicated service and attention to detail. Our reputation as a trusted data recovery provider is built on years of honest, reliable service and countless success stories.

• Data Privacy & Security: We take confidentiality seriously. Your drive and data are handled with the utmost privacy – all recovered data remains secure and is only accessible by you. We never share your files or information with any third parties. After returning your data, we can (at your request) securely erase our copies of it, so your information isn’t stored anywhere else. Our facilities have strict security protocols to protect your data during the recovery process, which is one reason individuals and companies trust us with sensitive information.

In short, Aberdeen Data Recovery offers the experience, facilities, and customer service needed to make your external hard drive recovery as successful and hassle-free as possible. We are passionate about what we do and proud to be the top data recovery specialists in Scotland.

Contact Us for a Free Diagnostic

Ready to get your data back? Contact Aberdeen Data Recovery today to begin your external hard drive recovery. We offer a free diagnostic evaluation with no obligation, so you have nothing to lose – except the worry about your lost files!

Our friendly team is happy to answer any questions and guide you through the next steps. You can call us directly or use our online inquiry form to set up a free assessment of your drive. Once we receive your drive, we’ll diagnose the problem and provide a clear plan to recover your data.

Don’t let data loss stress you out – let the experts at Aberdeen Data Recovery handle it. With our 25+ years of expertise, high success rates, and “no data, no fee” guarantee, your external hard drive is in the best possible hands. Get in touch with us now, and let us reunite you with your valuable data!

💼 Why Choose Aberdeen Data Recovery?

• 🛠️ Scotland’s #1 External Drive Recovery Lab

• 🕰️ 25 Years of Experience in hard disk and SSD recovery

• 🔬 Cleanroom Facilities for physical damage cases

• 🔒 Strict Data Security & Confidentiality protocols

• 🚚 Free Diagnostic Assessment before any recovery work

• 🕒 Standard Service: 2–4 Working Days

• ⚡ Critical Service: 24–48 Hours (for time-sensitive cases)

📞 Contact Our Engineers Today

If your external hard drive has failed or is behaving unusually, don’t risk losing your important files. Aberdeen Data Recovery is here to help with expert solutions backed by decades of hands-on experience.