The majority of the time when a partition becomes invisible (showing as unallocated, RAW or needing formatting), it’s because of loss of the partition’s map and not due to loss of your data. We can rebuild the partition(s) and recover all of your data in-house, regardless of what type of storage device (hard drive, SSD, USB flash drive or memory card) the data resides on.
When a disk needs formatting according to your Windows machine or Mac, or when a partition utility says it is going to “fix” the disk, stop. If a format (or new partition table) is placed on top of where all the files are that need to be recovered, they will likely be lost forever. Also, do not use chkdsk or any other tool to fix the disk. Do not create or modify any partitions. Make sure nothing else writes to the disk. Unplug it and call us as soon as possible. The less used this disk has been since the problem occurred, the better the chances of successful recovery.
When a partition is “missing”, it generally indicates that there has been damage either to the partition structure and/or that the partition map has become non-existent; whereas, your data still exists on the same storage device, and is very likely intact in its original location.
For all types of storage devices and brands, we rebuild lost or damaged partitions.
Hard drives · solid state drives (SSDs) · flash memory sticks or USB drives · SD, microSD and CompactFlash cards · external drive · portable drive · laptop internal drives, desktop internal drives, Mac internal drives.
A missing partition is rebuilt by creating an image of your device, using that image to create a new partition (without overwriting your original) then recovering your files and returning them.
Tell us what has happened to your computer, and we will assess the situation (corrupted tables, deleted partition, etc.) and follow up with a written quote in approximately 48 hours.
We take a non-destructive, read-only forensic image of the drive, and perform all work on this duplicate, therefore eliminating the chance for the original data to be destroyed.
We restore the original partition table and identify your file system allowing us to locate your partition and files on the actual disk.
We fix the damaged boot sector or file system. This will allow you to load and restore your files.
We recover all of your files from the rebuilt partition, which will include everything (lost or unallocated) that was found there.
We verify that the restored files are good and that the folder tree is complete before sending them out via new media.
Your data will be placed onto an external drive and posted back or made available as a free download for anything up to 75GB.
We can repair damaged or corrupted partitions on hard drives, SSDs, USB sticks, memory cards and external drives, working from a read-only image and recovering your files intact.
Tell us what happened and we’ll get back to you, usually within a working day.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0191 406 1051.
There are no additional fees and there is no pressure sales tactic: we provide you with a free diagnosis prior to beginning any work and provide you with a written quote of what services we would like to perform.
Some new missing partition jobs on various hard drive(s). All results were confirmed prior to deleting identifying information.
File system was bad, data was good. Worked off an image of the drive. Built the partition back, and all files restored.
The partition had been deleted and the space reported as “unallocated”. Recovered the files completely by rebuilding the partition.
Lost power during a write operation, and partition was gone. Restored from a forensic copy of the drive. Rebuilt the table and restored files.
When you send the unit in for its free diagnostic, let us know what happened with the unit. An engineer will review the unit and confirm your quote in writing prior to starting on your recovery.
Before you post or drop off your device, please get a quote from us by phone or with the form. Once we receive your device, our recovery process can start. Safely pack your device, include your name and contact information within the packaging and ship it to us. After performing your free diagnostic, we’ll send you a written confirmation of the exact price of our services prior to starting any work.
If you decide to post it, we would advise using a trackable and insured postal service. Or if you prefer to drop it off, we are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, and you don’t need an appointment. Just pack the unit as described in step one before dropping it off.
Would you like a little more background information prior to sending it? Fill in the form to provide more details about your problem; an engineer will evaluate it and reply with a customised quote.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0191 406 1051.
The things most often asked by people looking to recover a lost or missing partition.
Usually. A partition that has disappeared generally is an indication of a damaged partition table or file system, not damaged data. We will reconstruct the partition from a read-only image of the drive, and extract your files.
Usually not. A RAW drive, or prompting to format the disk generally means that there is damage to the file system (the part which identifies where each file resides), but the underlying data is in perfect condition. Do not format this device; we can rebuild the partition, and retrieve the files.
Frequently, yes. When a partition is deleted, the area is simply marked as “unallocated”; so long as no other program writes to this area, the original data remains intact. The faster you stop using the drive, and contact us regarding recovery, the greater your chances of success.
We would strongly advise against doing this. Utilities like chkdsk and partition repair programs will also write to the disk and possibly overwrite some of the information we require, as well as make the partition even harder to restore than it already is. So please unplug the drive first, then contact us before you do anything else.
It’s possible that you will lose your files when formatting, initialising, creating a new partition table, etc. When there is a missing partition on a drive, the safest thing is to just pause and have us create an image of the drive before we do anything else.
A logical recovery (as opposed to a physical) will cost from £250 plus VAT and includes a free diagnostics assessment upfront. In most cases you only pay if we recover your data; however, should your drive be physically failing as well, we will provide written confirmation of any additional costs involved with the job prior to commencing work.
All types of storage media including but not limited to hard disks, solid state disks (SSDs), USB memory sticks, SD cards, microSD cards, CF cards, external portable hard disks and the internal disks found in laptops, computers and Macs. We can probably assist you regardless of where your data lives.
Yes. Recovering lost and corrupted partitioned storage (on external devices, USB sticks and memory cards) is one of our most common tasks, and also usually easy.
The average time it takes to complete a job involving a “lost” partition is typically about 1 to 3 working days; many times sooner. And the diagnostic is almost always completed within 48 hours. We will put truly urgent items at the front of the queue if you let us know.
Drive to our offices in Newcastle Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, with the disk in hand or post it to us via insured delivery. Please seal the package securely and include your contact information inside (name, address, phone and email) so that we may book it in once it arrives at our office. We then complete the free diagnostic and provide you with a written quote prior to beginning any work.
Free diagnostic, and in most cases you only pay if we recover your data, and recovery of lost partitions from any type of drive, stick, or card: files are restored as they were originally. Begin your recovery today.