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Water & Flood Damaged Hard Drive Recovery

Damaged Hard Disk Drive Recovery - Data ClinicIf your hard drive has been exposed to water or flooding, every hour matters. Moisture and contaminants inside a drive cause rapid corrosion and make data loss permanent if not handled correctly. At Data Clinic, we specialise in water damaged hard drive recovery using our Advanced Data Recovery (ADR) service. With industry-leading clean-room labs, chemical drying, and platter treatment techniques, we restore data from drives that most providers consider beyond repair.

Symptoms of Water / Flood Damage

You may need professional recovery if:

  • The hard drive was submerged in water (flood, leak, spill, or storm damage).
  • The drive makes unusual noises (clicking, buzzing) or won’t spin up.Hard Drive Water Damage Recovery
  • Visible condensation, rust, or moisture appears inside the casing.
  • The computer no longer detects the hard drive.

What To Do Immediately (Do’s & Don’ts)

Do:

  • Disconnect the drive and keep it powered off.
  • Place the device in a clean, dry container.
  • Contact a specialist data recovery service as soon as possible.

Don’t:

  • Attempt to power on the hard drive.
  • Try to dry it using heat (hair dryer, radiator, sunlight).
  • Open the drive casing yourself.

Our Advanced Data Recovery (ADR) Process

Recovering data from a water-damaged HDD requires highly controlled techniques that prevent further corrosion or platter damage. At Data Clinic, our ADR process includes:

  • Fresh flow water treatment & cleaning – removing flood contaminants.
  • Platter dismounting & surface treatment – protecting data surfaces.
  • Chemical drying in a sealed clean-room environment – halting oxidation.
  • Platter surface re-lubrication – ensuring smooth future reads.
  • Mounting & recalibration – preparing the drive for secure data extraction.

This specialised process enables us to recover data from drives affected by even the most severe water damage.

How Long Does Recovery Take?

Turnaround depends on contamination level and drive model. Typical timeframes:

  • Standard recovery: 7–10 working days
    Emergency / Priority: 24–72 hours

All recoveries start with a free diagnostic assessment, so you know your chances of success before proceeding.

Why Choose Data Clinic for Water Damaged HDD Recovery

  • UK’s leading data recovery experts since 2002
  • ISO-certified clean-room laboratories
  • Free UK collection service for damaged devices
  • No Data – No Fee guarantee (on most recoveries)
  • Trusted by individuals, businesses, government, and financial institutions
  • High success rates even in severe water damage cases

FAQs: Water Damaged Hard Drives

1. Can all water damaged drives be recovered?
Not always, but our ADR process gives the highest chance of success even with severe flood or immersion damage.

2. What type of water causes the most damage?
Salt water and contaminated flood water are especially harmful because they accelerate corrosion.

3. How soon should I send the drive in?
The sooner, the better. Corrosion begins immediately after exposure, reducing recovery chances over time.

4. Is my data kept confidential?
Yes – we follow strict GDPR and confidentiality protocols to protect all client data.

Get a Free Diagnostic & Quote

Don’t risk permanent data loss. Contact Data Clinic’s water damaged hard drive recovery specialists today.

Call us free on 0800 151 2207 and request a free diagnostic & collection service

We’ll guide you through the process and give you the best chance of getting your valuable data back.