TL;DR: If your drive is clicking, prompts to “format”, or keeps dropping off—stop using it. Try one safe check (different cable/port/PC), don’t run CHKDSK or endless scans, and bring it in for imaging-first recovery. We’re POPIA-aware and can issue a Certified Wipe (CoDD) after your files are safe.

What you’ll learn

The big do-nots that quietly kill recoverable data.
Safe first checks you can do without making things worse.
When to bring it in for professional imaging.
How we handle your data under POPIA, plus CoDD after recovery.

The big do-nots (they make things worse)

Don’t keep power-cycling a sick drive. Two tries is enough—then stop.
Don’t run CHKDSK/“repair” tools on a failing disk. They write changes and can destroy directory structure.
Don’t install recovery software on the same drive you’re rescuing. Use a clean machine or different disk.
Don’t open the drive outside a clean environment.
Don’t back up to the same drive “just for now.” You need a separate destination disk.
Don’t freeze a drive—that myth risks condensation and head slap.
Stop at the first error during copies; pushy retries heat the disk and accelerate failure.

Quick, safe checks (without digging the hole deeper)

Cables & ports: try another USB cable/port; for 3.5″ externals, confirm the power brick.
Second computer: if it works there, your first machine may be the issue.
Disk Management (Windows): if shown as Unknown/Not initialised, do not initialise it. If it has a drive letter, copy a few small folders to another disk and stop at the first error.
SMART status: if “Caution/Bad”, avoid deep scans and seek imaging.
Drops/spills: if the device was dropped or liquid-damaged, avoid repeated boots—get an image first.

If files copy cleanly to another disk—great. If errors or noises appear, move to professional imaging.

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

Bring it in if any apply:

Clicking, grinding, or beeping sounds
“Format disk to use” prompts
Not detected or keeps disconnecting
Copy speeds collapse to near-zero or lockups on open
After drop/spill/surge

Our process:

Intake & assessment → non-intrusive checks for power/interface faults.
Imaging first → clone as much readable data as possible to a stable image, minimising head re-reads.
Logical recovery → rebuild the filesystem from the image; verify sample files with you.
Handover → data delivered on your destination drive (we can supply one if needed).
Post-recovery options → set up a backup plan and perform a Certified Wipe (CoDD) of old media.

Start a ticket: Data recovery assessment
Plan your safety net: Cloud backup setup
Get a certificate: Certified Wipe (CoDD)
Read our approach: Privacy

Special notes by storage type

External USB hard drives (2.5″/3.5″)

Use the original enclosure and a known-good cable. If the drive spins up and drops off, the USB–SATA bridge may be failing; imaging is still the safest path.

Internal laptop drives

If Windows loops “automatic repair” or shows 100% disk usage, stop and get an image first—don’t bake the disk with hours of retries.

SSDs

SSDs can vanish intermittently with no noises. Avoid deep scans; never secure-erase before recovery (it’s irreversible).

“Hard drive not detected”

Try one other port/cable and a second PC; if still invisible, it’s bench time. Repeated tries won’t help.

After recovery: lock in a backup & handle old media

3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 off-site (cloud).
Students: an external SSD + OneDrive/Google Drive sync fits most budgets.
SMEs: NAS + cloud replication; test restores quarterly.
POPIA: after handover, request CoDD to certify media sanitisation/destruction.

FAQs

Can you recover a drive Windows wants to format?
Often, yes. Don’t format; we’ll image first and recover the filesystem from the image.

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

How much does recovery cost in Stellenbosch?
Logical cases sit at the lower end; unstable or mechanically degraded disks cost more due to imaging time/parts. We confirm a quote after assessment.

Will you keep my files?
We retain recovery images only as long as needed for verification/handover, then securely wipe them. Ask for a CoDD if you’re disposing of the device.

Do you collect?
Collection/drop-off is available in Stellenbosch by arrangement—mention it on Contact us.

Ready to start? Book a data recovery assessment or call 066 425 6314. We’re local to Stellenbosch and we’ll protect your data—with POPIA-aware handling throughout.