Devices · laptops and desktops
Although both types of faults are described using similar wording, most commonly the display unit, motherboard or charger system fails leaving the drive unaffected. Less frequently the drive itself fails, and that is a different job. In either case, we want the drive and not the computer it resides in, wherever in Hull it comes from.
An engineer will take the details
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| What you see | What the fault is | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| HP: Hard Disk 1 (301), the SMART Hard Disk Error | Your drive's internal SMART data has decided it's had enough of life, and so your BIOS will refuse to boot. | Be serious about taking action. Image it now! |
| HP: Boot Device Not Found (3F0) | No readable operating system is found by the BIOS | Either the drive cable is loose, or your hard drive is dead. |
| Dell: Error Code 2000-0142 | The drive has failed the ePSA test, and most of the time this means one of your heads is shot. | Don't run it again. |
| Dell: Error Code 2000-0146 | There are several errors being written into the drive's history over some period of time. | This didn't start today. |
| Lenovo BIOS 2100: HDD0 (Main HDD) detection error | Everything on that particular channel is non-responsive: either a bad lead or a bad disk. | First, you need to image the drive. Then check your data cables afterwards. |
| A disk read error occurred, then Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart | Your boot sector is damaged, possibly as well as other parts of the disk. | Rebooting won't fix it. |
| Reboot and Select proper Boot Device | The BIOS does not see anything it can boot. | Identify the problem prior to reinstalling. |
Every piece of gear that shows up receives a case number on the very same day it arrives. An engineer examines it and determines what is really wrong with it and there is no charge for this. We give you straight language about which files we will be able to copy from the disk and which ones we won't be able to. Then we provide you with a single price quote, in writing, based upon these findings. We don't begin working on anything until you agree to the quoted price.
If it clips onto the motherboard, it should be removed before it goes in the box, and the empty machine stays with you. If it is soldered flash, there is nothing to disconnect. Storage soldered directly to the board is not taken on; if you're not sure which kind you have, ring us first.
Any drive that has actually failed is treated as just another normal HDD or SSD. If the disk is good, but the machine is dead, we'll only need to image it.
All documents, the desktop, mail stores and whole user profiles will be restored into their original folders on the new media; nothing will be charged to you until you have reviewed the list of files that have been recovered and agree to proceed with restoration.
You will not be charged while you think about this. First, you receive a list of everything that was recovered from the drive. Once you have seen the list and given us the go-ahead, the bill comes next. Files are returned to you on media purchased specifically for this job and we cover the return postage as well. Your job is kept open by us until you can view them on your personal computer.
What we receive from Hull, Beverley and Grimsby states the same thing: if a manufacturer's own test indicates a problem with the disk, the disk has typically failed. The loose cable everyone wishes for is the exception. At that point, it becomes a standard drive job, performed as outlined on our hard drive and SSD pages.
At that time, the laptop itself was finished, and the disk in it was clicking. A replacement head assembly from a donor was installed, and imaging progressed very slowly. Three days later she had her lesson plans, her reports and five years of marks back.
The drive alone should be sent, never the whole machine. In cases where the drive has been mounted on a caddy or secured under one screw, please obtain a quote first by calling or completing the online quote form, then post the drive as an individual item, fully insured and tracked, to our Leeds intake laboratory, or drop it off there (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, no appointment needed). Sending the individual drive is less expensive than posting an entire laptop, and your drive is safer when sent as a small package. Most repair shops can remove your drive within 2 minutes. If the flash is soldered in place, it is not taken on; if you're not sure which kind you have, ring us first.
Nearly always. The majority of failed machines are due to failures of their screens, motherboards, and charging circuitry. Reading data from a healthy hard disk taken from a dead computer is one of the easiest tasks we perform, and typically one of the most inexpensive.
Only if the recovery key does not come with it. Include either the password or the 48-digit recovery key with the encrypted volume when sending it to us, and it is ordinary work; we complete multiple encrypted jobs per week. If neither is included, the volume remains encrypted, which is the whole purpose of encrypting it in the first place. Find yours before you post anything.
Often plenty. Installations write their data to some part of the disk but leave the rest alone. So what's eating away at whatever remains is all you've done since then. So turn your computer off now and leave it turned off.
Leave it off. There are only a few start attempts left in your failing drive and each attempt uses up a little more of what remains. Our complimentary diagnosis will determine what files are readable.