TL;DR: If your drive is clicking, asking to “format”, or copies keep failing—stop using it. Try one safe check (different port/cable/PC), don’t run CHKDSK or endless recovery scans, and bring it in for professional imaging. After recovery, put a backup plan in place and request a Certificate of Data Destruction (CoDD) for the old media.

What you’ll learn

The big do-nots that kill recoverable data.
Safe first checks you can do at home or in the office.
Exactly when to bring it in for professional imaging.
What happens after recovery (backup + CoDD), and how we handle POPIA.

The big do-nots (they quietly make things worse)

Don’t keep power-cycling a sick drive. Each spin-up can add wear or worsen head/media damage. Two tries is enough—then stop.
Don’t run CHKDSK / “repair” tools on a failing disk. They modify the filesystem and can turn a recoverable directory tree into orphaned fragments.
Don’t install recovery software on the same disk you’re trying to rescue. Install on a different drive or use a clean PC.
Don’t open the drive (no kitchens, no “dust-free” shoebox miracles). A cleanroom isn’t optional for internal work.
Don’t write backups to the same disk “just for now.” You need a destination drive with enough free space.
Don’t freeze a drive. That old myth risks condensation and head slap—modern drives don’t like it.
Stop copying if errors start. Every stutter can be an indicator the heads are struggling. Get imaging done first.

Quick, safe checks (that won’t dig the hole deeper)

Cables & ports: try another USB cable/port; for 3.5″ desktop externals, confirm the power brick.
Second computer: if it shows up there, your first machine might be the problem.
Windows Disk Management: if the disk appears as Unknown/Not initialised, don’t initialise it. If it shows a drive letter, try copying a few small folders to another disk—stop on the first error.
SMART status: some tools can read SMART (e.g., CrystalDiskInfo). If “Caution/Bad”, avoid heavy scans and seek imaging.
Laptops & spills: if the machine was dropped or liquid-damaged, don’t try repeated boots. Remove power and get it assessed.

If you can see files and copy them cleanly to another disk—great. If you hit errors, hear clicks, or the drive disappears, jump to professional imaging.

When to bring it in (and what we actually do)

Bring it in if any of these apply:

Clicking, grinding, or beeping sounds.
“You need to format the disk before you can use it” prompts.
Drive not detected or keeps disconnecting.
Copy speed collapses to near-zero or Windows freezes on file access.
After a drop, spill, or surge.

Our process:

Intake & assessment. We check power, adapters, interface and run non-intrusive diagnostics.
Imaging first. We clone as much readable data as possible to a stable image, avoiding re-reads that heat/kill heads.
Logical recovery. We rebuild the filesystem from the image and verify sample files with you.
Handover. Data is delivered on your destination drive (or we can supply one).
Post-recovery options.
- Set up a backup plan so this doesn’t happen again.
- Perform a Certified Wipe (CoDD) of the old media and issue a certificate.
- Provide a short POPIA summary of how your data was handled.

Start a ticket: Data recovery assessment Plan your safety net: Cloud backup setup Ask for CoDD: Certified Wipe (CoDD) Our privacy practices: /privacy/

Special notes by storage type

External USB hard drives (2.5″/3.5″)

Use the original enclosure and known-good cable. If the drive spins up and drops off, the USB-SATA bridge may be failing. Imaging is still the safest route.

Internal laptop drives

If Windows asks to repair or you see endless “automatic repair” loops, stop and get an image first. Laptop airflow and student backpacks are a rough combo—don’t cook a borderline disk with hours of retries.

SSDs

SSDs fail differently. They can vanish without noise and reappear intermittently. Avoid deep scans and never secure-erase before recovery (it’s irreversible).

“Hard drive not detected”

Try a different port/cable and one other PC. If still invisible on Disk Management, it’s time for a bench assessment—repeated tries won’t help.

After recovery: lock in a backup (so this is the last time)

3-2-1 rule: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media, with 1 off-site (cloud).
Students: an affordable external SSD + OneDrive/Google Drive sync covers most needs.
SMEs: NAS with cloud replication; document the process and test restores quarterly.
Sensitive data: once files are handed over and confirmed, request Certified Wipe (CoDD) for the old media to satisfy compliance.

FAQs

Can you recover files from a drive that Windows wants to format?
Often, yes. Don’t format it. Bring it in so we can image first and recover the filesystem from the image.

I tried software but it got stuck—did I ruin my chances?
Not necessarily. Stop the scan and power down. The sooner we image a struggling disk, the better the odds.

How much does data recovery cost in Stellenbosch?
Logical recoveries are usually in the lower range; unstable or mechanically degraded drives cost more due to imaging time and parts. We’ll confirm a quote after assessment.

Will you keep my files?
We retain recovery images only as long as needed for verification/hand-over, then securely wipe them. Ask if you’d like a CoDD for device disposal or reuse.

Can you collect?
Collection/drop-off is available in Stellenbosch by arrangement. Mention it on /contact/.

Final word

When a drive starts misbehaving, time and attempts matter. Stop, check once, and preserve the disk—then let imaging do the heavy lifting. We’ll recover what’s possible, help you put a backup in place, and, if needed, issue a Certificate of Data Destruction so you can move on with confidence.

Ready to start? Book a data recovery assessment: /services/data-recovery/.
Prefer to chat first? Call 066 425 6314 or message us via /contact/.