Data recovery
Lost files on a laptop, Mac or drive that has failed, or deleted something by mistake? Stop using it and bring it in. We look at it for free and give you a quote before any recovery work starts.
- Free diagnostics on most repairs
- Walk in, no need to book
- Same day where possible
- Repairing since 2012
Lost files
When we can help
Bring the computer or drive in as it is. Don’t keep trying to start it.
A failed hard drive
Clicking, grinding, very slow, or not showing up at all.
When a drive goes to a labAn SSD that has disappeared
The computer can’t find its SSD, or it shows up empty.
A laptop or Mac that won’t start
Your files are still on it, but you can’t get to them.
More about MacBooksFiles deleted by mistake
Deleted files, an emptied bin or a drive formatted by accident. Stop using it straight away.
Liquid damage
A laptop that got wet, with files on it you need.
External drives
A backup or external drive that won’t open, or that your computer says needs formatting.
Before you do anything
Stop using it now
Losing photos, work or the only copy of something important is horrible, and the first thing most people do, trying again and again to get at the files, can make it worse.
- If a drive is clicking, grinding or not showing up, switch it off and leave it off.
- If you’ve deleted files by mistake, stop using that computer, because anything new you save can overwrite them.
- Don’t run recovery apps on a drive that’s making noises, don’t format a drive when your computer asks you to, and don’t open the drive up.
Stop using the device and bring it to our workshop in Datchet, near Windsor and Slough.
What we recover
What we recover in our own workshop
We tell you honestly what we can get back and what it costs before any recovery work starts.
- Failed hard drives and SSDs from laptops and desktop PCs, including drives that click, run very slowly or have stopped showing up
- Macs that won’t start. On MacBooks with storage soldered to the logic board, we repair the board to get to the data.
- Files deleted by mistake, emptied bins and drives formatted by accident
- External and backup drives that have stopped opening
- Laptops damaged by liquid, alongside the liquid damage repair
- The repair itself at the same time, or your files moved to a new drive so you can carry on where you left off
Data recovery
Ask for a price
Looking at the drive is free. Once we’ve looked, we give you a quote for the recovery, because the work depends on what has failed and how much data there is. Nothing is done until you say yes.
Book this repairHow it works
How a repair works
Step 1: Book, call or drop in
Book online, call 01753 944 444, or walk in and drop your device off.
Step 2: Diagnosis
We find the fault first. Free diagnostics on most repairs.
Step 3: Your quote
We tell you the price before any work starts, and you decide.
Step 4: Repair and test
We repair it and test it properly before it’s ready.
Step 5: Collect it
Collect it from our workshop in Datchet.
- Where possible, when the part is in stock. If it has to be ordered, we tell you when to expect it
- Same day
- No need to book
- Walk in
- Diagnostics on most repairs
- Free
Reviews
What customers say
More detail
What else to know
When a drive goes to a specialist labRare forensic-level cases, and what happens first
A few cases need a clean room and specialist equipment, such as a hard drive whose read heads have crashed onto the disks inside.
For those rare forensic-level cases, we send the drive to a specialist data recovery lab. We tell you first, explain why, and give you the price before it goes anywhere.
MacBooks and soldered storageWhy the logic board may need repairing to get to your files
On most MacBook Pros from 2016, every MacBook Air from 2018 and every MacBook with Apple silicon, the storage is soldered to the logic board, and on models from 2018 onwards it’s encrypted to that board too.
It can’t be taken out and read in another computer, so if the board won’t start, getting it working again is often the only way to your files. See MacBook logic board repair.
Your files stay privateWe only open what we need to check
We only open your files as far as we need to check they’ve come back. What’s on your drive stays yours.
Back up from now onKeep a second copy so it can’t happen again
Once your files are back, keep a second copy somewhere else so it can’t happen again:
- On a Mac, Time Machine and an external drive.
- On Windows, File History and an external drive, or OneDrive.
- For photos and documents, cloud storage such as iCloud, OneDrive or Google Drive.
Common questions
Your questions answered
How much does data recovery cost?
Looking at the drive is free. The recovery itself depends on what’s wrong with the drive and how much data there is, so we give you a quote once we’ve looked, and nothing is done until you say yes.
Can you recover my files?
It depends on what has happened to the drive, and nobody can honestly promise it before looking. We tell you what we can get back before any recovery work starts.
My hard drive is clicking. What should I do?
Switch it off and leave it off. A clicking drive usually has a mechanical fault, and every time it spins up it can do more damage. Don’t run recovery apps on it or open it up. Bring it in as it is.
Can you get files off a MacBook that won’t turn on?
If the storage itself hasn’t failed, the files are still there. On older MacBooks with a removable SSD, the drive can be read on its own. On newer models the storage is soldered to the logic board, so we repair the board to get to your files.
Will you look through my files?
Only as far as we need to check they’ve come back. What’s on your drive stays private.
How long does data recovery take?
It depends on the drive and how much is on it. We’ll tell you when to expect your files when we give you the price. A drive that has to go to a specialist lab takes longer.
Tell us what’s wrong and we’ll take a look
Book a repair, call us, or send us a quick question and we’ll get back to you during opening hours.