File system corruption can make stored data unreadable, inaccessible, or appear as gibberish, putting critical information at risk. This case study explores how we successfully recovered important research data from a Sony Vaio laptop hard drive, where files and folder names had become corrupted due to file system damage.
As Ireland’s oldest and most experienced data recovery company, we used advanced file system repair techniques to restore the lost research files.
The Challenge: Corrupted Files & Gibberish Folder Names on a Sony Vaio Hard Drive
A researcher contacted us after noticing their Sony Vaio laptop hard drive had become unreadable. The symptoms included:
- Files and folder names displaying random symbols or gibberish instead of their original names.
- Some files refusing to open or showing “corrupt file” errors.
- Windows asking to format the drive, preventing normal access.
- Critical research data at risk, with no available backup.
Since the hard drive contained years of research data, a fast and secure recovery solution was essential.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Sony Vaio hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full hardware and software diagnostic. Our findings:
- File system corruption (NTFS/FAT32 errors) – The file allocation table (FAT) or master file table (MFT) had become unreadable, causing files to appear as gibberish.
- Bad sectors on key system areas – Some parts of the disk containing critical file location data were unreadable.
- Logical corruption, not physical damage – The drive was still spinning and functioning, meaning recovery was highly possible.
Because the data was still present but not properly indexed, we focused on file system reconstruction to restore access.
The Recovery Process
1. Creating a Forensic Clone to Prevent Data Loss
Before attempting repairs, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector image of the drive to preserve all data.
- Used specialized tools to bypass bad sectors and recover as much raw data as possible.
2. Rebuilding the Corrupted File System
Since the file system structure was corrupted, we:
- Analyzed the NTFS/FAT32 metadata to locate missing file indexes.
- Repaired the Master File Table (MFT) to restore folder and file names.
- Extracted and reconstructed fragmented data to restore missing research documents.
3. Verifying & Restoring the Research Data
After recovering the files, we:
- Checked data integrity to ensure research files were not damaged.
- Repaired any partially corrupted files to restore missing content.
- Transferred the recovered data to a secure external drive for the researcher.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our file system repair techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the research data, including:
✅ Word documents, spreadsheets, and PDFs
✅ Specialized research files & datasets
✅ Project notes, reports, and academic materials
The researcher was relieved to have their years of work restored, avoiding significant setbacks.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading hard drive recovery specialists in Ireland and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ File system corruption recovery (NTFS, FAT32, APFS, HFS+)
✔ MFT and directory structure repair
✔ Hard drive imaging & bad sector recovery
✔ Secure & confidential data restoration for professionals
If your files appear as gibberish, are corrupted, or your drive is asking to be formatted, stop further use immediately and contact us for expert data recovery.