If a folder or important file has disappeared.
If the device otherwise behaves normally, it helps to establish whether the file was deleted, moved or replaced. A separate backup, cloud recycle bin or version history may already hold the copy you need. These can be checked from another device without using the affected storage.
If recovery from the original is needed, leaving it unused helps preserve deleted content. Installing a recovery app or saving recovered files onto that same device can write over data that remains. The filename, original folder and last known date help focus the assessment.
If a drive clicks, freezes or keeps disappearing.
An occasional access sound is different from repeated new clicking accompanied by missing files or failed reads. Grinding, repeated disconnects and copy attempts that stall are reasons to pause. Switching a failing drive off helps limit further wear while its condition is assessed.
If it was dropped, became wet or was connected to a different power adapter, that history is useful. Opening the drive or trying a replacement board is best left until the fault is understood. If removing it from a computer is uncomfortable, the whole machine can come in instead.
A normal-looking case does not rule out an internal fault. Equally, a drive that spins but shows the wrong capacity may have an access or firmware problem. Describing what the computer reports is more useful than trying to settle on a diagnosis yourself.
Useful details, if available
- What happened immediately before the problem.
- Whether it is still connected or has been switched off.
- Any error message already seen; another test is not needed just to obtain one.
If the computer asks to format or initialise it.
A prompt to format a previously used drive or card does not establish that it is empty. Cancelling the prompt leaves its current contents unchanged while you consider the options. The same applies when a disk appears as RAW or unallocated.
The next step depends on whether the device is simply unreadable or also slow, noisy or disconnecting. Those additional symptoms can change how it is approached. If a format has already been completed, its type and anything saved afterwards help us understand what may remain.
For an older Mac or PC, it helps to know whether the operating system was reinstalled, the drive was repartitioned, or a replacement drive was fitted. The approximate date and how long the machine was used afterwards help distinguish the current installation from the files you want back.
If the problem is on an SSD or the computer will not start.
A computer that will not boot and an accidentally deleted folder are different situations. Let us know which happened, and whether the SSD is still detected. Leaving it switched off while recovery is considered helps limit background erasure of deleted data.
A reinstall, reset or firmware update may change what remains, so these are best discussed before proceeding if the files are the priority. If BitLocker or FileVault was enabled, the recovery key or password is part of gaining access; repairing the device does not remove that requirement.
Useful details, if available
- The computer or SSD model, if known.
- Whether files were deleted, the drive was formatted, or access stopped unexpectedly.
- Whether an encryption recovery key is available. There is no need to put the key in the enquiry form.
If the files came from an iMac or Fusion Drive.
Some iMacs combine a hard drive and a separate SSD into one Fusion Drive. Both components can be relevant to reconstructing the volume, even when only one appears faulty. Keeping them together helps avoid assessing just part of the original storage.
If a repair shop has already replaced the hard drive or SSD, the original components and any disk images are worth retaining. A reset or fresh installation on either member may change the information needed to put the original volume back together.
Useful details, if available
- Mac model or approximate year, if known.
- Whether it used a Fusion Drive and whether both original components are available.
- Any drive replacement, reset, format or macOS installation since the files were last accessible.
If the drive is encrypted or asks for a recovery key.
A password or recovery key may be necessary, but encrypted storage can also depend on readable information within the device or volume. If that information is damaged, reading much of the drive may still leave the files inaccessible. The assessment needs to establish both what can be read and whether it can be decrypted.
Keeping the original device and its electronics is useful even when a key is available. For BitLocker, FileVault or an encrypted external drive, it helps to know what previously unlocked it. We can discuss a suitable way to provide credentials if needed; the enquiry form does not need to contain them.
If photos or camera recordings are missing.
A formatted card, missing event folder and clip that will not play need different checks. Removing the card and setting it aside helps protect all three situations. A different card lets you continue using the camera without recording over the material you want back.
For a wedding or client project, it helps to know which scenes matter and whether you have any working clips from the same camera. For a dashcam incident, the approximate time, time zone and whether the camera clock was accurate help identify the right recording. The camera itself may also be useful.
If footage relates to an insurance claim or legal matter, we can discuss handling and reporting before work begins. If the card has already been reused, a rough account of how much was recorded afterwards is still useful.
Useful details, if available
- Camera model and recording format, where known.
- What is missing: photos, an entire shoot, a particular event or one unfinished clip.
- Whether the card was formatted, repaired or used for new recordings.
If an external drive or USB stick has stopped working.
An external drive that disappears may have a connection, enclosure or drive fault. Some original USB electronics also handle encryption without a password. Keeping the case, board, cable and power adapter together preserves those possibilities for assessment.
If it has already been removed from its case, the loose parts are still worth bringing. For a USB stick with a bent or snapped connector, keeping it unplugged and saving the broken pieces helps us assess it. If components or memory chips have been removed, keeping them with the original device preserves what is available for assessment.
A device that previously needed a password may need it again during recovery. You can tell us that encryption was enabled without sending the password through the enquiry form.
Useful details, if available
- Device make and model, if visible without taking it apart.
- Any drop, damaged connector, power-adapter change or enclosure swap.
- Which original parts are still available.
If a RAID, NAS or server volume is unavailable.
A degraded array with readable files is different from a volume that has disappeared or a rebuild that has failed. If access is stable, the first priority is knowing whether the important files have a verified copy elsewhere. If reads are failing or the system is unstable, repeated attempts to copy everything can add strain.
Before another rebuild, initialisation or drive replacement, it helps to review the current state and what happened first. A screenshot of an existing status screen and any available logs can clarify the sequence. There is no need to restart an offline system just to collect them.
Keeping drives in their original bays preserves their order. If they have already been removed, labels, photographs or notes can help reconstruct it. Every disk may matter, including an earlier failed drive that was replaced. The enclosure, controller and any encryption keys can also be relevant.
For a business system, it helps to identify what is needed first: a shared folder, accounting data, database or virtual machine. The size of the whole array does not tell us which files are most urgent. Your IT contact can help identify dependencies and any backup already available.
Useful details, if available
- NAS or controller model, drive count and RAID level, if known.
- Which drive failed first, what was replaced, and whether a rebuild started or stopped.
- Current access: working shares, read-only access, missing volume or an offline system.
- Priority folders or applications, available backups and the operational deadline.
If software, a repair or another lab has already been tried.
Earlier attempts are useful information for the next assessment. The software used, whether it only scanned or also repaired the device, and where any recovered files were saved can help explain its current state. Even a brief account of what you remember is useful.
If a clone or disk image was made, keeping both it and the original gives the next assessment more to work with. It helps to identify which is which, whether the copy finished and whether read errors were reported. There is no need to repeat the copy just to answer those questions.
For hardware work, original boards, removed chips and other parts are worth keeping. Notes about opening, soldering, cleaning or donor parts help us plan the assessment. Another company's findings or file list can also show what was tested and what remains missing.
If files were found, but they will not open.
A scan can find names and folders even where some file contents are unreadable. A large file count or percentage therefore needs context: which files are affected, whether they open and whether your priority material is among them.
If you already have a recovery result, its file list, error report and a few examples of the problem can help us understand what is missing. For photos, video, archives or databases, it helps to describe whether files fail to open, show partial content or belong to a library that no longer loads. Those are different outcomes to assess.
Sometimes further reading or reconstruction can improve a result; sometimes the remaining damage prevents a usable recovery. Your priorities help make that discussion about the files you need.
When you are ready to talk through the options.
A useful first enquiry can be brief: the device, what changed, the files you need and anything already tried. Naming the important folders or applications helps: a photo library, an accounting database and a folder of documents can need different checks. Whether you need the original library or usable individual files is worth mentioning too.
For an old backup, the backup date and software used help identify what would be needed to restore it. A deadline and whether this is the only copy help set practical priorities. We can also discuss suitable storage for returned files; the original device should remain available until the recovery has been reviewed.
We can explain what to bring or how to pack it for shipping. A standard evaluation for one device is free within 72 hours. Arrays, priority requests and devices another company has opened are assessed on terms agreed before work starts.
The findings and written recovery quote give you a basis for deciding whether to proceed. If only part of the data appears recoverable, your priority files help make that discussion meaningful.