Overview: Bracknell Data Recovery specialises in data recovery from external hard drives, with over 25 years’ experience in retrieving lost or corrupted data from USB-connected HDDs, portable SSDs and NVMe/M.2 enclosures. Our experts handle every make and model of external drive, performing a friendly yet highly technical service. As Ontrack notes, external drives “are more susceptible to data loss” from hazards like shock or heat, so professional care is essential. We safeguard your data by using the latest tools (forensics-grade imagers, cleanroom facilities, etc.) and strict protocols. Whether your drive is spinning or completely dead, our goal is a no-fuss, no-data-no-fee recovery that gets your files back. For reliable data recovery from an external hard drive, Bracknell Data Recovery is your trusted local partner – we emphasise fast turnaround, transparent communication and a personal touch.

Supported Brands & Interfaces

Bracknell Data Recovery supports external drives from all major manufacturers (over 30 brands are commonly sold in the UK), including:

• Western Digital (WD) – My Passport, Elements, My Book, WD_Black portable drives.
• .
• Toshiba – Canvio Basics, Canvio Advance, Canvio Premium series.
• Samsung – Portable SSD T5/T7/T9 and NVMe T7 Touch drives.
• SanDisk (by WD) – Extreme Portable SSDs, Ultra series.
• Crucial – X6 and X8 portable SSD.
• LaCie (Seagate brand) – Rugged Mini/Rugged RAID (durable outdoor drives), Porsche Design.
• ADATA – HD710 Pro, SD700, SE800 rugged drives.
• Corsair – EX100U, Flash Survivor Stealth SSDs.
• Buffalo – MiniStation, DriveStation desktop HDDs.
• Transcend – StoreJet series rugged drives.
• Patriot – Supersonic USB flash drives (large-capacity USB3).
• Angelbird – SSD2go portable SSD.
• OWC (Other World Computing) – Envoy Pro external SSDs.
• Verbatim – Store ’n’ Go HDD/SSD.
• Silicon Power – Armor A60/A80 portable HDDs.
• Lexar – SL200 portable SSD, JumpDrive USB.
• Sabrent – Rocket Nano/RS external SSDs.
• Team Group – PD1000X, PD4000 SSDs.
• PNY – Elite X-Fit portable SSD.
• Kingston – XS2000 portable SSD, DataTraveler USB drives.
• G-Technology (WD) – G-Drive, G-RAID desktop HDDs.
• Apacer – AC236 portable SSD.
• Mushkin – Alpha EX external SSD.
• iStorage – DiskAshur encrypted HDD.
• Promise – Pegasus RAID enclosures.
• Freecom – ToughDrive portable HDDs.
• Akitio – Node/Torrent NVMe Thunderbolt enclosures.
• Iomega – eGo and Desktop drives (legacy brand).
• Others – Various third-party and retail brands.

We also support all connection interfaces. Any drive using SATA, PATA/IDE, USB (bridge controllers), SCSI/SAS, PCIe/NVMe (M.2 or U.2), or legacy/eSATA protocols can be recovered. In practice, once removed from its enclosure, an external HDD or SSD is treated like an internal drive. For example, Oxford Data Recovery notes their specialists recover “all types of hard drives, including HDDs, SSDs, SATA, IDE, NAS, and SAS drives”. Likewise, we have tools for NVMe/PCIe SSDs (even Thunderbolt enclosures) and for any eSATA/SCSI external arrays. Whatever the interface, our lab has the hardware and firmware support needed.

Common Faults (Top 30)

External drives can fail in many ways. Below are 30 of the most common faults (for both HDD and SSD drives), with brief tech explanations and how a pro recovery lab fixes them:

1. PCB (Controller Board) Failure: A power surge or short can fry the drive’s printed circuit board, so the drive is totally silent and won’t spin. Recovery: We replace the PCB with an identical donor board and transfer its unique firmware modules, restoring the drive’s ability to operate.
2. Motor/Spindle Seizure: The spindle motor may seize (often due to shock or bearing wear), causing the platters to lock. Symptoms include faint beeping or clicking sounds as the motor struggles. Recovery: In our cleanroom, we carefully disassemble the drive, remove the stuck heads, and repair or replace the spindle so we can spin the platters again.
3. Head Crash (Contact): A severe shock can slam the read/write heads onto the platter surface. The drive typically clicks as it fails to read. Recovery: We replace the damaged head assembly with matching heads in our cleanroom and use precision equipment to reconstruct the data from the platters.
4. Firmware Corruption: The drive’s own “operating system” (system area firmware) can become corrupted (e.g. by interrupted updates or bugs). The drive may spin but never appear correctly in BIOS. Recovery: Using proprietary hardware, we repair or re-write the firmware modules. Desert Data Recovery explains that repair of corrupted firmware can restore the drive’s boot routine so data becomes accessible.
5. Bad Sectors / Media Errors: Portions of the disk become unreadable due to platter defects or SSD block wear. The OS may report CRC errors or the drive may freeze. Recovery: We use advanced disk imagers that read bad sectors with multiple retries (increasing read timeouts, etc.). This yields a maximal disk image while avoiding further damage to weak areas.
6. Logical File-System Corruption: Crashes, power cuts or viruses can corrupt the partition table or file system (RAW format, boot failures). The drive may spin but files are missing. Recovery: We employ forensic software to rebuild partition tables, fix corrupted NTFS/FAT/HFS structures, and extract files. (As one data lab warns, running normal OS repairs or rebooting after corruption can cause permanent loss, so we immediately capture the disk and work on a copy.)
7. Accidental Deletion/Formatting: Files erased by mistake or a drive accidentally formatted still reside on the media until overwritten. Recovery: Using file-carving and metadata reconstruction, we recover deleted files and restore formatted volumes. Specialist services perform a sector-by-sector scan to piece together lost data without using the original disk’s index.
8. USB/Connector Failure: The drive’s USB port, cable or SATA interface can fail (e.g. broken micro-USB port). The drive won’t power up or connect, despite the platters spinning. Recovery: We remove the drive from its case and connect it directly via SATA or use a known-good cable/adapter. (As Ontrack notes, initial diagnostics include checking cables, since an unrecognized drive with no noise often means an interface fault.)
9. Enclosure Bridge Chip Failure: Many externals use a USB-SATA bridge board (e.g. JMicron controller). If this chip dies, the drive may spin but USB doesn’t work. Recovery: We open the enclosure, remove the drive and access it via SATA or install it in a generic USB-SATA adapter.
10. SSD NAND Wear-out: SSD cells have finite write/erase cycles. After heavy use, blocks become unreadable. Once wear limits are hit, the SSD may appear dead or only partly accessible. Recovery: Specialists may attempt a “chip-off” recovery – desoldering NAND chips and reading them with custom hardware to rebuild the data.
11. SSD Controller Failure: The SSD’s controller chip can fail (electrical fault or firmware bug), making the drive vanish. Recovery: This is very difficult; if firmware can’t be reflashed, advanced labs may try chip reflow or board transplant, but success is uncertain.
12. NAND Chip Failure: A power surge or defect can damage one or more flash memory chips. The SSD won’t function. Recovery: We remove the chips and use high-end readers to extract raw data from each, then reconstruct files with specialized software.
13. Overheating: Intense use or poor ventilation can overheat a drive (especially SSD during heavy writes). The drive may throttle or fail. Recovery: We cool the drive and work quickly. Excess heat-damage (warped platters or fried chips) is often irreversible, which is why monitoring drive temperature is crucial.
14. Drop/Shock Damage: Dropping the drive while powered often causes immediate failure (scratched platters, bent heads). Recovery: Any mechanical crash is handled in a cleanroom. We replace damaged parts and then reassemble to image the data.
15. Liquid Ingress: Spilled water or fluid can short the PCB and corrode internals. Recovery: We disassemble, dry-clean, and neutralize corrosion under controlled conditions. Often the platters/spinner survive and can be imaged if cleaned properly.
16. Fire/Smoke Damage: Extreme heat or fire can melt housing and damage the PCB. Recovery: If platters appear intact, we remove any charred electronics, clean contaminants, and try imaging with a spare board and heads as needed.
17. Power Surge/Spike: Voltage surges (bad power adapter or USB hub) burn out components. Recovery: Similar to PCB failure, we replace burnt regulators or entire board and restore firmware.
18. Spindle Lock (“Stiction”): Especially in older HDDs, heads may stick to platters and lock, preventing spin. Recovery: We carefully release the heads (in some cases by gentle warmth or carefully unclamping the spindle), then proceed with normal recovery.
19. Broken USB Connector: Repeated plugging can loosen or break the USB port. Recovery: We solder a new connector or bypass the external PCB entirely, connecting the drive directly via SATA.
20. Encryption/Password Lock: If the drive was hardware-encrypted (e.g. self-encrypting external), it may prompt for a key. Recovery: If the password/key is known, we decrypt normally. If locked by damage (e.g. damaged Crypto chip), it can be extremely difficult; in some cases only a miracle recovery is possible.
21. Ransomware or Malware: Not a hardware fault, but malicious encryption of files. Recovery: We isolate the drive and use forensic techniques or backup copies to recover unencrypted data (since merely re-flashing hardware won’t remove malware encryption, we rely on logical file recovery tools).
22. Corrupted USB Flash Controller: In some portable SSDs, the USB controller (separate from main NVMe controller) can fail. Recovery: We remove the drive and access the internal SSD over its native interface (e.g. M.2 NVMe).
23. Bad Blocks on SSD: Similar to bad sectors, some SSD blocks fail. Recovery: SSD firmware maps out bad blocks; we image remaining cells and reconstruct lost data.
24. File System Misalignment: Improper eject or crashes can leave the file system in an inconsistent state. Recovery: Like any file-system fault, we clone the drive and repair the file system offline, then extract files.
25. Format with Wrong Filesystem: A drive formatted for Mac (HFS+/APFS) won’t read on Windows, or vice versa. Recovery: We preserve the drive’s data image and copy it out on a compatible system or convert formats without data loss.
26. Defective USB Port on Computer: Rarely, the host’s port is at fault. Recovery: We always test with multiple computers/cables to rule out this simple cause first.
27. Surge Protection Circuit Failure: Some enclosures have surge protection that can fail (cutting drive power). Recovery: We bypass or repair that circuitry in-lab.
28. Loose Internal Connector: The SATA or power connector inside the enclosure can detach. Recovery: We open the case and reseat the drive or replace the cable.
29. Firmware Write-cycle Limit (SSD): After excessive cycles, SSD wear-leveling may fail catastrophically. Recovery: Data may be fragmented in NAND; advanced recovery labs read raw flash and piece data together.
30. Clone/Clone Fail: If the drive was mid-clone (imaging software crash), the original file system may be half-overwritten. Recovery: We work on the original source disk (never the clone) and restore from the good image portion.

Each fault above is addressed with our professional cleanroom and lab techniques. We never experiment on your only copy – we first clone the failing drive onto reliable media and then work on the copy. For example, Desert Data Recovery points out that clicking or grinding drives must be shut down immediately and handled in a cleanroom; we follow that practice to the letter. Ontrack also advises that unrecognized drives with clicking/buzzing always need a pro engineer, and we do exactly that diagnosis.

How We Recover Your Data

1. Free Evaluation & No-Risk Diagnostic: We begin with a thorough, no-fee assessment of your external drive. This includes a visual inspection and SMART scan. We never start destructive recovery work without your approval.

2. Cleanroom Repair (if needed): For physical issues (PCB, head, motor faults), we use our ISO 4 Class‑10 cleanroom. There, we can safely replace PCBs, swap heads or spindles, and even transplant media onto donor disks without contamination. Our lab carries thousands of common donor components, so hardware fixes are fast.

3. Forensic Imaging: Next, we image the drive using industry-standard tools. For HDDs, we adjust read timeouts and multiple-pass reads to rescue bad sectors. For SSDs, we interface with the controller or use chip‑read hardware. The result is a bit-perfect clone of the drive onto our secure media.

4. Data Extraction: Once we have a stable image, our software specialists reconstruct files. This can include repairing file systems, recovering deleted files, or defragmenting scattered fragments. For example, Desert Data Recovery describes using hardware resets and ECC bypass to read every sector; we employ similar techniques in our tools.

5. Verification & Delivery: Recovered files are verified for integrity. We confirm that your important data (documents, photos, etc.) is intact. Then we provide your files on your choice of media (USB drive, new external, encrypted container, etc.) along with a report. Throughout this process we keep you informed, and we never release your data except to you.

Why Choose Us

• 25 Years’ Expertise: Our technicians each have over two decades of data recovery experience. As Oxford Data Recovery puts it, “With 25 years’ experience…we can help you through the minefield of recovering data”. That depth of knowledge means we know how to solve even the most obscure drive failures.
• Specialist Tools & Spare Parts: We use top-tier recovery hardware (PC-3000, DeepSpar, etc.) and maintain an extensive parts inventory. In fact, leading labs stock “thousands of hard drives of all manufacturers…as spare parts” to enable immediate repairs. We do the same – chances are we have a donor PCB or head ready to go.
• Certified Cleanroom Facility: All physical repairs occur in a cleanroom. Desert Data Recovery emphasizes that heads and platters must be handled in ISO‑4 conditions, and we meet that standard. This ensures no dust or mishandling adds damage during recovery.
• Comprehensive Interface Support: We cover every interface (see above). If your NVMe enclosure isn’t seen, or your eSATA dock fails, we have the expertise. In short, if any drive can be connected, we can extract its data.
• Secure & Confidential: Your data privacy is paramount. We operate under strict confidentiality – your recovered data never leaves Bracknell’s premises except to return to you.
• No Fix, No Fee: We stand by a “no recovery, no charge” policy. If we can’t recover your data, you owe nothing. Only when we succeed do we have a service fee.

All this makes Bracknell Data Recovery the obvious choice for local businesses and home users alike. We’re the UK’s specialists in external drive recovery, backed by real cleanroom processes and decades of know-how. The proof is in the results: even drives declared “unrecoverable” elsewhere can often be saved by our methods.

Call to Action

Don’t risk losing your irreplaceable files. Contact Bracknell Data Recovery now for a free evaluation – we offer same-day drop-off or courier service. Our friendly experts are ready to start data recovery from your external hard drive immediately. If your drive won’t boot or has crashed, simply call 0800 6890668 (Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm) or email recover@bracknelldatarecovery.co.uk for a prompt quote. Let Bracknell’s No.1 external hard disk recovery team bring your data back to life – satisfaction guaranteed.

Bracknell Data Recovery – Saving your data for over 25 years.