At Bracknell Data Recovery, we are specialists in recovering data from failed and unresponsive WD Digital My Book Live devices, particularly those configured in RAID 0 setups. Whether your drives were damaged in a power surge, are not spinning up, or show no response on connection, our engineers can safely restore your critical data.
We’ve been recovering NAS devices for over 25 years, using secure, non-destructive processes tailored to the unique architecture of Western Digital systems.
Common WD My Book Live Failures We Recover From
Power Surge – Electrical Failure and PCB Damage
Power surges can damage the Printed Circuit Board (PCB), making the drive unreadable or entirely unresponsive. In RAID 0 systems, failure of a single drive makes the entire array inaccessible.
Drive Not Spinning – Motor Failure or Power Supply Fault
If a drive no longer spins, the spindle motor may have seized, or internal power regulation has failed. These issues prevent the RAID array from initialising, and data becomes unreachable without specialist tools.
How We Recover Data – Step by Step Process
1. Initial Diagnostic and Drive Inspection
- We begin by safely disassembling the WD Digital My Book Live unit and removing both drives.
- Each disk is tested independently to assess:
- Power delivery
- Spindle activity
- PCB and firmware condition
- RAID metadata presence
2. Electrical & Mechanical Repair (If Required)
If a power surge has caused electrical failure:
- We test and, if necessary, replace the PCB with a matched donor board.
- ROM chip (BIOS) transfer is completed to maintain the original drive identity.
- If the drive still fails to spin, our cleanroom engineers will:
- Dismount the drive platters
- Install them into a compatible donor mechanism
- Restore motor function and stability for imaging
3. Cloning the Drives
- Each drive is then imaged using dedicated hardware, capturing all readable sectors.
- Imaging tools handle:
- Bad sectors
- Unstable read regions
- Automatic retries for failing sectors
4. RAID 0 Reconstruction
- Using the two disk images, we virtually rebuild the original RAID 0 configuration:
- Correct block size, disk order, and offsets are calculated
- A virtual volume is created to match the original My Book Live setup
- Parity is not used in RAID 0, so accuracy relies on precise stripe alignment
5. File System Repair & Data Recovery
- We recover and repair the original file system structure (usually ext3/ext4 on My Book Live).
- Missing folders, corrupted file indexes, and fragmented files are reconstructed and restored.
- Files are extracted and verified for usability before return.
Supported WD My Book Live Systems
We recover from:
- WD My Book Live (Single Bay)
- WD My Book Live Duo (RAID 0 or JBOD)
- WD My Book Live with failed firmware updates
- Network-attached units with no IP or UI response
Why Choose Bracknell Data Recovery?
- Over 25 Years of NAS & RAID Recovery Experience
- Specialists in Western Digital and My Book Live Devices
- Cleanroom Facilities for Motor and PCB-Level Repair
- Custom Imaging & Virtual RAID Rebuild Tools
- Fully Confidential and GDPR-Compliant Services
- Free Diagnostics with No Obligation
48-Hour Critical Recovery Service
For business clients or time-sensitive recoveries, we offer a 48-hour critical data recovery service. This is ideal for businesses, studios, and professionals relying on WD My Book Live systems for operational continuity.
- Fast-track recovery
- Dedicated engineering resources
- Priority diagnostics and secure return
Contact Bracknell Data Recovery Today
If your WD Digital My Book Live device has suffered a power failure, won’t spin up, or is showing no data access, don’t attempt DIY repairs — it could worsen the issue. Contact Bracknell Data Recovery today for a free diagnostic and let our RAID specialists restore your valuable data quickly and safely.