When your desktop computer stops working or a drive goes missing, it can feel like everything is lost. Important documents, family photos, and business files might seem gone forever. But in many cases, your data can be recovered — even if the system won’t boot or the files were deleted.
At Five Star Data Recovery, we specialize in fast, safe, and secure desktop data recovery. Whether you’ve experienced accidental deletion, file corruption, or a physically damaged hard drive, our team can help you recover lost data and get back to work quickly.
Most modern hard drives have delicate moving parts inside. When a drive is dropped, even from a low height, the sudden impact can damage key components. One of the most common issues is a misaligned or broken read write head—the part responsible for reading data from the spinning disks (platters).
In some cases, the platters themselves may become scratched. Other times, the damage causes bad sectors that prevent the drive from loading properly. The result can be a drive that clicks, spins up without mounting, or is not recognized by your computer at all.
Not all dropped drives show the same signs of failure. Some common symptoms include:
If you notice any of these symptoms, stop using the drive immediately. Continuing to power on or scan a damaged drive can make recovering data much harder—or even impossible.
When dealing with data from a dropped hard drive, the most important thing to do is avoid DIY fixes or recovery software. These tools are not designed for mechanically damaged drives and can make the problem worse.
Here’s what you should do:
We strongly advise against continuing to power the drive on, especially if you hear clicking or unusual noises. These sounds often indicate that the read write head is damaged or misaligned.
At Five Star Data Recovery, we use advanced cleanroom equipment and tools designed specifically for recovering data from physically damaged hard drives.
We inspect the hard drive to assess internal damage, look for platter scratches, and determine whether components like the actuator arm or head stack are affected.
If necessary, our engineers open the drive in a certified cleanroom and replace or reposition the read write head to stabilize the disk.
Once the drive is stable, we create a sector-by-sector image of the entire disk. This preserves the state of the drive and allows us to work off a clone.
We scan the image for recoverable files, even if some sectors are damaged or corrupted. Our software is capable of pulling files out from drives with thousands of bad sectors.
We provide you with a file list of all recoverable data and deliver the recovered content on a new drive.
We’ve recovered lost data from thousands of drives—many of them dropped, water-damaged, or completely unresponsive. Our experience with dropped hard drive recovery helps ensure your best chance at a full recovery.
While accidents happen, there are a few steps you can take to reduce the risk of dropping your drive again:
If your drive is already damaged, remember: trying to fix it on your own can lead to permanent data loss.
If you’re facing data loss due to a dropped drive, don’t wait. The sooner you contact a professional, the better your chances of recovering data successfully.
Call Five Star Data Recovery or start a case online today. Whether your drive is clicking, spinning but not showing up, or completely dead—we’re here to help you recover data from dropped external hard drive systems quickly and safely.
At Five Star Data Recovery, we recover data from all major brands and formats of external and internal hard drives, including:
Each of these models has different mechanical structures. Some may be more resistant to impact than others, but none are immune to failure when dropped. If your external or internal hard drive was dropped and is now acting up, we have the tools and experience to help.
When a hard drive experiences sudden impact, several internal components may be affected:
Understanding which part is damaged is key to recovering data from a dropped external hard drive safely.
We understand that some projects, especially those related to business, legal, or creative work, can’t wait days or weeks. That’s why we offer two levels of expedited service:
Expedited Service
We place your case at the top of our recovery queue during regular business hours. Fee: $200 per drive.
Expedited Plus Service
We work on your case 24/7, even on nights, weekends, and holidays. Fee: $500 per drive.
These services are optional and are added to our standard recovery rate. Please note: all expedited fees are non-refundable and must be paid upfront.
Although our lab is based in Los Angeles, we help customers across the United States. With free round-trip shipping, we make it easy to send us your dropped hard drive no matter where you live.
Simply create a recovery ticket on our website, and we’ll send you a prepaid shipping label. Once your device arrives, we’ll run diagnostics and contact you with a detailed recovery plan.
A: We strongly recommend against DIY recovery if the drive was physically dropped. Running software on a mechanically damaged drive can cause permanent data loss.
A: Success depends on the severity of internal damage. We are able to recover data in over 90% of dropped-drive cases when the drive is powered off immediately after the incident.
A: Opening the drive for recovery will void manufacturer warranty, but most warranties don’t cover data recovery anyway. If your data is valuable, professional recovery is worth it.
Lab Hours
Mon – Friday: 10am to 6pm
Saturday: 10am to 2pm
Lab Hours
Mon – Friday: 10am to 6pm
Saturday: 10am to 2pm
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