External Drive Data Recovery
We recover data from portable and desktop external drives that have fallen, make clicking noises, are not recognised or have a broken USB connector, with mechanical, electronic, USB connection or logical faults. Our own laboratory in Carcavelos, recovering data since 2004, with an ISO 5 (Class 100) cleanroom and a success rate of 98.40% in 2025 across all services, audited every year.
Free collection request
Technical Diagnosis in 2 hours* and free collection in mainland Portugal.
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In short
Fill in the online request and send us the external drive inside its enclosure, without cable or power adapter: collection is free in mainland Portugal. With the drive in the laboratory, we carry out the diagnosis in 2 hours* and publish the final quote on your request page. The recovery only begins if you accept it.
External drive data recovery in the laboratory
An external drive is, almost always, a hard drive inside an enclosure with a USB connection. That is why the faults are those of the hard drive (heads, motor, electronics, firmware) plus those of the connection: a broken USB connector, a burnt board or, in some models, encryption done by the board itself, as in several Western Digital drives.
When the drive has to be opened, the work is done in an ISO 5 (Class 100) cleanroom. We work with portable (2.5 inch) and desktop (3.5 inch) external drives. We are the only data recovery laboratory certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 in Portugal.
Symptoms: what your external drive is telling you
| What happens | Likely cause and what to do |
|---|---|
| Connected to the computer, it does not appear | USB connection, board or heads. Try another cable and another port once; if nothing changes, disconnect it. |
| It goes “click, click” when switched on | Damaged read and write heads. Disconnect it now: each attempt can scratch the platters. |
| It does not spin, beeps or hums | Seized motor or heads stuck to the platters. Do not keep trying to switch it on. |
| It is very slow or disappears and comes back | Weak heads or damaged areas of the platter. Do not run recovery programs. |
| It fell on the floor | Likely mechanical damage, especially if it was switched on. Do not connect it. |
| The USB connector broke | The data is on the platters, not in the connector. Do not try to solder or force the connector: send the drive as it is. |
| The computer asks to format it | File system or connection damaged. Do not accept: press Cancel. |
| You deleted files or formatted the drive | Logical fault. Do not save anything on it. See recovering deleted files. |
Types of fault
Read and write heads, motor, scratched platters, often after a fall.
Broken connector, board burnt by a power surge, board encryption.
Problems in the service area: the drive spins but is not recognised.
Deleted files, formatted drive, lost partitions, damaged file system.
Most common causes: falls, especially with the drive switched on, tugs on the cable, power surges, heat, wear over years of use and human error (deleting or formatting by mistake).
What you should never do
In many external drives the USB connection is part of the drive’s board, and in some the data is encrypted with a key that only exists on the original board.
For another identical one, even of the same model: the board stores information unique to that drive.
If it makes noise, is slow or has fallen, disconnect it: each attempt or recovery program can ruin the area where the data is.
How much it costs to recover an external drive
* The 2 hours are counted in order of arrival and within opening hours. Drives opened or tampered with before arrival may need an Advanced Diagnosis, at a cost, always communicated beforehand. In some cases (when parts are needed) an initial amount is requested, stated in the quote: if there is recovery, it is deducted from the price; if there is not, it covers the recovery attempt and is not refunded. An external SSD follows the SSD prices.
We work with all brands
These are some of the manufacturers we receive most often in the laboratory.
Other devices
How it works, in 7 steps
- Online request
- Sending the device
- Diagnosis
in 2 hours* - Final quote
- Recovery and file list
- Payment
- Data delivery
The recovery only starts after you accept the quote. See the full process
Frequently asked questions
My external drive fell and is no longer recognised. Can it still be recovered?
Often yes, but every time you switch it on after the fall the heads can scratch the platters. Disconnect it and do not switch it on again: the diagnosis tells you what can be recovered.
The USB connector broke. Have I lost the data?
Not necessarily: the data is on the platters of the drive, not in the connector. Do not try to solder or force the connector; send the drive as it is.
Can I take the drive out of the enclosure and connect it directly to the computer?
We do not recommend it. In many external drives the USB connection is part of the drive’s own board and there is no other way to connect it, and in some, like several Western Digital drives, the data is encrypted with a key that only exists on the original board. Taking the drive out of the enclosure is a job for the laboratory.
What should I send? The cable and the power adapter too?
Only the drive, inside its enclosure, without cable or power adapter, well packed in bubble wrap. Collection is free in mainland Portugal. See how to pack your device.
How much does it cost to recover the data from an external drive?
An external drive follows the hard drive prices, published on the prices page: from 100 EUR + VAT for logical faults. If it is an external SSD, it follows the SSD prices. The exact amount is in the final quote, which you receive after the diagnosis, and the Technical Diagnosis is only charged if you decline the quote or the Advanced Diagnosis, or if the device is so damaged that it cannot be quoted.
How long does the recovery take?
The diagnosis is done in 2 hours, in order of arrival and within opening hours. The recovery depends on the fault and on the service chosen: 24 hours, urgent (1 to 3 working days), priority (4 to 7 working days), standard (8 to 12 working days) or no urgency (15 to 30 days), with a lower price for those in no hurry.
What if I accept the quote and then there is no recovery?
You pay nothing for the recovery service or anything else; return shipping costs are separate. In some cases an initial amount is requested before work starts, always stated in the quote: it is deducted from the price if the recovery succeeds and, if it does not, it covers the attempt and is not refunded. If you accept and do not pay the initial amount within 5 working days, the device goes into storage, at a cost of 1 EUR + VAT per day, up to a maximum of 60 days. After that period, the device is recycled free of charge and the storage remains payable.
Still not convinced?
See what our clients say.
Data recovery laboratory in Portugal since 2004, with a cleanroom and ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certification. Your satisfaction is our priority, and that is what the more than 1,900 reviews from our clients say.
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