A drive pulled from a flood, a house fire, a burst pipe or a spilled drink looks like a write-off — but the data very often survives, because the platters that hold it are sealed and surprisingly tough. The mistake that does lose it is the obvious one: drying the drive out and plugging it in to see if it still works. Please don’t. We recover water- and fire-damaged drives for people and businesses across the UK, and we’re happy to work with insurers — post it in or drop it off.
Powering a wet or contaminated drive is what causes shorts and permanent damage. Keep it as it is and get it assessed.
It’s the most natural instinct after a flood or fire — dry the drive off, plug it in, and hope. It’s also the surest way to lose data that was perfectly recoverable. A wet or damp drive that’s powered on short-circuits: current flows where it shouldn’t, burning out the circuit board and, worse, sometimes damaging the heads and platters inside. Water left to dry on a drive leaves behind minerals and, from flood or sea water, corrosive salt and contaminants that eat into the electronics and the platter surface over days.
The reassuring part is that the platters themselves — where your data actually lives — are sealed inside the drive and usually survive water, and even a surprising amount of heat. So the goal is to get the drive to a lab before anyone powers it on and before contamination sets in, so the platters can be cleaned and read in controlled conditions. Handled that way, water and fire damage has a much better outlook than it looks.
Water and spills. The most recoverable of the three. Fresh water is the kindest; the platters are sealed and generally unharmed, and the job is to open the drive on the clean bench, clean and decontaminate the internals, replace corroded parts, and image it before corrosion progresses. Speed matters — the sooner it’s assessed, the less corrosion has to be dealt with.
Flood and sea water. More aggressive, because sewage, mud and salt are corrosive and contaminating. Still frequently recoverable, but the decontamination is more involved, and getting it to us quickly — before the salt does its work — makes a real difference.
Fire and heat. It depends on how hot it got. Because the platters are sealed, they often survive moderate heat and smoke even when the outside of the drive is scorched and the circuit board is destroyed — we replace the electronics and read the platters. Extreme heat that warps or melts the platters is the hard case, and we’ll tell you honestly if that’s what we find. Soot and smoke residue are cleaned on the clean bench.
The same applies to the drives inside laptops, external drives and NAS units caught in the same disaster.
Don’t power it on — not even to ‘quickly check’. This is the one action most likely to turn a recoverable drive into a lost one. Don’t dry it with heat — no hairdryers, radiators, ovens or airing cupboards; heat can warp components and bake contaminants onto the platters. Don’t open the drive to dry it out, and don’t try to clean it yourself. If it’s wet, it’s often better not to let it dry out completely before we see it — a drive kept damp (sealed in a bag) can corrode less than one left to dry with contaminants baking on, so get it to us quickly rather than drying it on the windowsill. When in doubt: leave it as it is, keep it cool, and call us for advice before doing anything.
A water- or fire-damaged drive is opened in a filtered clean bench, where the platters can be exposed safely. We clean and decontaminate the internals — removing water residue, salt, soot and debris from the platters and mechanism — and replace the damaged parts: the burnt circuit board, corroded heads, or a seized motor, using matched donor components. Once the drive can read again, we take a slow, careful forensic image onto a healthy target, working gently over any weakened areas, and recover your data from that copy. Because everything downstream happens on the image, the fragile original is never put at further risk.
It starts with a free diagnostic: we assess the damage, tell you honestly what looks recoverable, and give you a fixed written quote before any chargeable work, with a file listing to check. On most jobs it’s no fix, no fee. Because water and fire damage often follows a flood or house fire, it’s frequently covered by home or business insurance — we’re happy to provide documentation and work with your insurer on a claim. Pricing is per case. It’s all done by post, so you don’t need to be nearby — we help people right across the UK and Ireland.
Very often, yes — water damage is the most recoverable of these situations. The platters that hold your data are sealed inside the drive and usually survive being wet; the harm comes from powering it on while damp, or letting corrosive contaminants dry onto it. Don’t switch it on and don’t dry it with heat — get it to us quickly so it can be cleaned and read on the clean bench before corrosion sets in.
No — please don’t. Powering a drive that’s been wet is the single most common way this data is lost, because it short-circuits the electronics and can damage the platters. And drying it with heat can warp parts and bake contaminants onto the surface. If it’s wet, it’s often better not to let it fully dry out before we see it; keep it as it is, cool, and send it straight in.
It depends how hot it got, but often more than you’d expect. Because the platters are sealed, they frequently survive moderate heat and smoke even when the outside is scorched and the circuit board is destroyed — we replace the electronics, clean off the soot on the clean bench, and read the platters. Only extreme heat that warps or melts the platters is unrecoverable, and we’ll tell you honestly if that’s the case.
It makes speed more important. Flood, sewage and sea water carry salt and contaminants that are corrosive, so the internals need thorough decontamination and the corrosion progresses over days. It’s still frequently recoverable, but the sooner it reaches us — before the salt does its damage — the better. Keep it damp and sealed rather than letting it dry out, and get it to us quickly.
Often, yes — water and fire damage from a flood or house fire is frequently covered by home or business insurance, sometimes including data recovery. We’re happy to provide a written assessment, quote and documentation for a claim, and to liaise with your insurer. Check your policy, and we’ll supply whatever paperwork you need.
No. Our lab is in Belfast, but water and fire damage recovery is done by post, so we work with people and businesses right across the UK and Ireland. Send the drive in (unpowered, and not dried with heat) with insured delivery — the service and pricing are the same wherever you are.
Leave the drive as it is, keep it cool and don’t dry it with heat, and get in touch. We’ll assess the damage for free, tell you honestly what’s recoverable, and give you a fixed quote — with documentation for an insurance claim if you need it.