Stop using the drive straight away. Do not save, install or download anything to it, and never run repair software on a drive that clicks, grinds or is not detected. Power it down and call us on 020 3026 0184.
What actually happens when you delete a file
Deleting a file, or even formatting a whole disk, does not wipe the data. The drive marks that space as available for reuse and stops showing you the files. You can no longer open, copy or edit them, but they are still sitting on the disk.
They stay there until something new is written on top. That is why the most useful thing you can do is leave the drive alone. Every saved document, software update and download is a chance for the lost files to be overwritten for good. Bring the drive to Kensington Computer Repairs untouched and we can usually restore deleted and formatted files with professional recovery software.
Can the data always be recovered
No, and anyone who says otherwise is guessing. Data that has been overwritten is gone, and a badly scored platter may only give up part of what was on it. What we can promise is a straight answer after a free analysis, our full effort on the job, and no bill for our time if we recover nothing.
The other thing that ruins a recovery is well-meant tinkering. Opening the casing, swapping circuit boards or running disk repair tools on failing hardware can turn a recoverable drive into a paperweight. Talk to us first, tell us the model, and we will plan the safest route together.
Faults we recover Seagate drives from
Data loss comes in two kinds. With a logical fault the hardware is healthy but the files are out of reach. With a physical fault something inside the drive has broken.
- Files deleted by accident
- Drive formatted by mistake
- Drive or partition that cannot be accessed
- Virus damage and file corruption
- ATA or SATA drive not detected in the BIOS
- Bad sectors
- Damaged controller board
- Failed read/write heads
- Spindle motor failure
- Head crash and platter damage
- Fire and flood damage
Physical recoveries are carried out on site in our ISO Class 5 (Class 100) clean room, so no dust reaches the platters while a drive is open. Our hard drive data recovery page explains that side of the work in more detail.
What the recovery process involves
Logical recoveries are done with professional Seagate recovery software, which goes a good deal further than the free tools you may already have tried.
- A deep scan of the whole device, including space the file system no longer lists
- Support for a very wide range of file types and formats
- Hidden files made visible and accessible again
- Raw recovery, which rebuilds files directly from the data when the file system is too damaged to read
Seagate external drives
Portable and desktop externals lead a hard life. They get knocked, unplugged mid-copy and passed between computers, so we see them for virus damage, corruption, bad formatting and plain accidental deletion. The tools and methods are the same as for an internal drive, and so is the first rule: stop writing to it.
What it costs
Probably less than you fear. The price depends on how much data there is, the condition of the drive and the time the job takes, so we quote once we have analysed it. The price quoted is the price charged. These are guide prices, and the full list is on our data recovery prices page.
| Job | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Initial consultation | Free |
| Logical recovery (deleted files, standard hard drive, up to two hours’ work) | £99 + VAT |
| Clean-room diagnostic for a physically failed drive | £79 + VAT (you supply the donor drive) |
| Physical recovery on a single drive | £450 + VAT (labour plus donor drive if needed) |
| SSD recovery (firmware or electronic board repair) | £450 + VAT to £650 + VAT |
From first call to recovered files
- Collection or drop-offWe collect by courier free of charge, or you can hand the drive in at 68A North End Road in West Kensington.
- Free analysisWe examine the drive to find out what has failed and what can be recovered.
- No-obligation quoteYou get a firm price before any work starts. If you decide not to go ahead, it costs you nothing.
- RecoveryWe recover the data on a normal or priority turnaround, depending on how urgently you need it. No data, no fee.
Seagate drives we recover data from
Kensington Computer Repairs works on every Seagate family, internal and external, including Momentus, FireCuda, SkyHawk, IronWolf and BarraCuda. Jobs range from a single laptop disk to enterprise RAID arrays and servers. If your model is not listed below, tell us what it is and we will let you know where you stand.
Internal desktop drives
- Seagate Desktop HDD
- Seagate BarraCuda 3.5
- Seagate Desktop SSHD
- Seagate FireCuda 3.5 Hard Drive
- Seagate BarraCuda Pro
Internal laptop drives
- Seagate FireCuda 2.5
- Seagate BarraCuda 2.5
- Seagate BarraCuda Pro 2.5
- Seagate Momentus
- Seagate Laptop HDD (Momentus Thin)
- Seagate Mobile HDD Internal Hard Drive
- Seagate Laptop SSHD (Momentus XT)
- Seagate Laptop Ultrathin HDD
Internal network and NAS drives
- Seagate NAS HDD
- Seagate IronWolf Hard Drive
- Seagate Kinetic HDD
- Seagate IronWolf Pro Hard Drive
IronWolf and NAS HDD drives normally work as part of an array, so send us every disk from the unit and keep them in their original order. There is more on our NAS data recovery page.
Nytro SSDs
- Nytro XF1440 and XM1440 SSD
- Nytro XF1230 SATA SSD
- Nytro 5910 NVMe SSD
- Nytro 5000 NVMe SSD
- Nytro 3000 SAS SSD
Solid state drives fail in their own ways, usually in the controller or firmware. See SSD data recovery for how we handle them.
Exos enterprise drives
- Seagate Exos X
- Seagate Exos 5E
- Seagate Exos 7E
- Seagate Exos 10E
- Seagate Exos 15E
Portable external drives
- Seagate DJI Fly Drive Hard Drive
- Seagate Duet Hard Drive
- Maxtor M3 Portable
- Backup Plus Portable Hard Drive
- Backup Plus Ultra Slim Hard Drive
- Backup Plus Slim Hard Drive
- Backup Plus Fast Hard Drive
- Wireless Plus Mobile Storage
- Fast SSD External Hard Drive
- Expansion Portable Hard Drive
- GoFlex Portable Hard Drive
- External SATA (eSATA) Hard Drive
- FreeAgent Go Hard Drive
- FreeAgent Go Classic Hard Drive
- Maxtor BlackArmor Hard Drive
Desktop external drives
- Backup Plus Hub Hard Drive
- Personal Cloud Home Media Storage
- Expansion Desktop External Drive
- Backup Plus Desktop
- GoFlex Desk Hard Drive
External drives for Mac
- Backup Plus Hub for Mac
- Backup Plus Slim Portable for Mac
- Backup Plus for Mac Desktop
- FreeAgent Desk for Mac
- FreeAgent Go for Mac
- GoFlex Desk for Mac
- Backup Plus USM for Mac
- Slim USM for Mac
Seagate’s Mac editions are the same hardware formatted for macOS. If the drive held your Time Machine backups or a photo library, our Mac data recovery page is worth a read.
Questions people ask
I deleted files from my Seagate drive. Are they gone for good?
Usually not. Deleting or formatting only marks the space as free, and the data stays on the disk until something new is written over it. Stop using the drive straight away and there is a good chance the files can be restored.
My Seagate drive is clicking. What should I do?
Power it down and leave it off. Clicking points to a mechanical fault such as failed read/write heads, and running the drive or any repair software can make matters worse. Physical faults like this are dealt with in our ISO Class 5 clean room.
How much does Seagate data recovery cost?
The initial consultation and analysis are free. As a guide, a logical recovery of deleted files is £99 + VAT and a physical recovery on a single drive is £450 + VAT. You get a firm quote before any work starts, and the price quoted is the price charged.
What happens if you cannot recover my data?
You pay nothing. Not every drive can be recovered, especially if new data has been written over the lost files, but we do not charge for our time when we cannot get your data back.
Do I have to bring the drive to you?
No. We offer free courier collection, so the drive can be picked up from your home or office. If you would rather hand it over in person, our drop-off point is at 68A North End Road in West Kensington.