hard drive data recovery in san jose & the bay area
dead, clicking, damaged, not detected, and external hard drive recovery
if it was stored on a hard drive, we can help recover it
Documents, photos, videos, databases, business files, and personal archives may still be recoverable even when a hard drive is clicking, dropped, not detected, damaged, reformatted, or no longer mounting.
With 26+ years of experience, advanced HDD tools, and cleanroom capability, we recover data from internal, external, desktop, laptop, NAS, server, and enterprise hard drives.
why your data can still be recoverable when a hard drive fails
Even when a hard drive will not mount, is not detected, makes clicking or buzzing sounds, or shows corrupted files, the data on the platters can often remain intact.
Our cleanroom tools allow us to repair or bypass failed components, including heads, PCB issues, and firmware problems.
We then image the drive sector by sector and rebuild your files from the safest available copy.
devices and failures we recover
Any brand, make, or model including Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, Hitachi, HGST, Samsung, and other hard drive manufacturers
Any hard drive interface including IDE, SATA, SAS, USB, and enterprise storage drives
Any operating system including Windows, macOS, Linux, and server file systems
Any generation from legacy hard drives to the latest high-capacity helium HDDs
Any failure type including mechanical, electronic, firmware, accidental deletion, malware, file system corruption, and encryption-related cases
common hard drive problems we solve
Seized spindle motor causing persistent buzzing or no spin-up
Damaged PCB causing no power, no detection, or electronic failure
Bad sectors causing repeated read errors, freezing, or very slow access
Firmware corruption causing detection problems or unstable drive behavior
File system corruption where the volume mounts but files are inaccessible
Drive detected but no data accessible because of partition, file system, or media damage
Drive not detected at all by Windows, macOS, BIOS, Disk Utility, or an external enclosure
Deleted or reformatted drives where important files or partitions were erased by mistake
Encrypted drives including BitLocker and FileVault cases, recovered when proper keys or credentials are available
dead hard drive recovery
A hard drive may appear dead when it does not spin, does not power on, clicks repeatedly, or is not detected by the computer.
In many cases, the data may still be recoverable if the platters are intact and the drive is handled correctly.
Our San Jose data recovery lab can evaluate failed heads, PCB damage, motor problems, firmware corruption, bad sectors, and other physical or electronic hard drive failures.
clicking hard drive recovery
A clicking hard drive often means the read/write heads cannot safely access the platters.
This can happen after a drop, shock, power issue, or internal mechanical failure.
If your drive is clicking, beeping, or repeatedly spinning down, power it off immediately.
Do not run recovery software on a clicking drive.
external hard drive recovery
We recover data from failed external hard drives used for backups, photos, videos, business files, Time Machine, Windows File History, and general storage.
Common cases include dropped drives, damaged USB ports, power issues, clicking sounds, unreadable partitions, accidental formatting, and external drives that no longer mount.
hard drive not detected
If your hard drive is not detected by Windows, macOS, BIOS, Disk Utility, or an external enclosure, do not initialize, erase, or format it.
A drive may fail to appear because of firmware damage, head failure, PCB damage, bad sectors, file system corruption, or enclosure failure.
Our engineers evaluate the drive first and recover files from the safest available copy.
signs of a failing hard drive
Clicking, grinding, or buzzing noises
Frequent crashes or freezes
Very slow reads or writes
Corrupted or disappearing files
SMART errors or bad sectors
Drive not detected
Computer will not boot
External hard drive not mounting
Repeated disconnects or read errors
what you should do and not do
Stop using the drive immediately to avoid overwriting data or causing further mechanical damage.
Power off a clicking or buzzing drive and do not keep restarting it.
Contact a professional recovery lab before making repeated recovery attempts.
Do not run CHKDSK, fsck, Disk Utility repair, or DIY recovery tools on a physically failing drive.
Do not initialize, erase, or format the drive if your computer asks you to.
Do not open the drive because hard drives require proper cleanroom handling.
our 3-step hard drive recovery process
Free evaluation with detailed diagnosis and a fixed quote, usually within 2 hours after receipt.
Sector-level imaging using professional tools to clone every recoverable fragment from the hard drive.
File reconstruction and verification with the folder tree rebuilt and files checked before delivery.
how fast do you need your data back
standard service - recovery during regular business hours
express service - completed in up to 72 hours
24/7 emergency service - round-the-clock recovery on request
why choose kotar for hard drive recovery
No data, no fee guarantee
Free, secure door-to-door shipping within hours when available
Professional cleanroom lab in San Jose serving the Bay Area
Transparent pricing with a fixed quote before work begins
26+ years of hard drive recovery experience with mechanical, electronic, firmware, and logical failures
Advanced HDD recovery tools for unstable, damaged, and not detected drives
Secure handling for personal, business, legal, medical, and creative files