External Drive Recovery
External drives fail from drops, cable and bridge faults, or ordinary drive wear. AS separates the enclosure issue from the drive issue and recovers from a secure image.
When you need this
- Drive not recognised when plugged in
- Dropped drive now clicking or silent
- Prompt to format the drive appears
- Files show but won't open or copy
- Accidental format or deletion
- Hardware-encrypted enclosure (e.g. WD, Seagate) failed
What we do
Enclosure and bridge assessment
Many failures are in the USB bridge, not the drive. We test the bare drive and handle bridge-level encryption where applicable.
Imaging and logical recovery
The drive is imaged and file systems restored — exFAT and FAT32 are common and have their own recovery considerations.
Mechanical work where justified
Dropped drives with head damage are assessed for hardware-level recovery before any commitment.
How it works
- Step 1
Consultation and scope
We establish what failed, what has been tried, and which data matters most. This shapes a targeted plan rather than a generic one.
- Step 2
Secure imaging and diagnosis
Where possible the source media is imaged before any work, so the original is never altered. Diagnosis then determines the safest recovery method.
- Step 3
Recovery
Data is extracted from the image or source using methods matched to the failure — logical, structural or hardware-level as required.
- Step 4
Verification
Recovered data is checked for integrity and completeness, and a file list is shared so you can confirm what matters is there.
- Step 5
Secure delivery
Verified data is returned through an agreed secure method, with guidance on validation before it goes back into production.
What affects the outcome
Outcomes are never guaranteed. Every case is assessed on its own condition, and we tell you what is realistic before you commit.
- Physical condition of the media and the extent of any damage
- Whether the media has been written to, reformatted or re-initialised since the failure
- Encryption, corruption or partial overwriting of the data
- Availability of source data such as images, backups, logs or transaction records
- Attempts made before assessment (rebuilds, repair tools, repeated reboots)
Frequently asked questions
Windows asks me to format the drive. Should I?
No. Formatting reduces recoverability. Cancel the prompt and disconnect the drive.
Can you recover from an encrypted external drive?
Where the encryption is in the USB bridge and the bridge is the failed part, recovery may be feasible with the original bridge or its keys. We assess first.
Related services
Not sure what you're dealing with?
Describe the situation and we'll tell you what's realistic.