Expert and Fast Data Recovery Services in the UK

Creative IT is a leading data recovery centre based in London, delivering fast, professional data recovery services for individuals, creative studios, SMEs and enterprises across the UK. Our engineers operate in a static-controlled cleanroom and use industry-standard platforms such as PC-3000 and Rusolut to maximise the chance of success when dealing with damaged hard drives, SSDs, external drives, USB flash media and multi-disk arrays. Whether the fault lies in the hardware, the file system or the drive firmware itself, we apply the least-intrusive method first and escalate only when necessary — preserving media integrity and your data.

We support all major drive brands and interfaces, and we’re comfortable working with complex setups such as encrypted laptops, RAID/NAS and hybrid storage. As a repair centre as well as a recovery lab, we can also repair your laptop if required, then migrate recovered data back to a healthy system so you can resume work with minimal disruption.

• HDDs: Toshiba, Hitachi, Seagate (Barracuda/ST), Samsung, WD (Blue/Black/Red/Gold), Maxtor, Fujitsu, LaCie
• SSDs: Samsung (EVO/PRO), Crucial (MX/CT), Kingston (A/SA), SanDisk (Ultra/Extreme), Intel (660p/760p), WD (Blue SN)
• Media & interfaces: 2.5"/3.5" SATA, IDE/PATA, SCSI/SAS, M.2 NVMe, mSATA, U.2, USB, FireWire, ZIF; USB flash drives; SD/microSD
• Filesystems: NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, APFS, HFS+, EXT3/4, XFS, Btrfs, ReFS (where supported)

What We Recover & Typical Scenarios

Every case is different, but patterns are common. Home users often bring us external drives that were dropped or unplugged during a copy, now clicking or reporting “needs to be formatted”. Businesses encounter RAID members failing after a power event or a long-deferred rebuild that never completes. Creatives see NVMe SSDs throttling or disappearing after heavy workloads. We regularly recover documents, Lightroom catalogs, video projects, email archives, accounting data, virtual machines and database files — validating integrity before delivery.

Our Proven Process

1. Intake & Triage: We log serials, capture symptoms and note any previous attempts. The device is write-blocked and stored in an ESD-safe area.
2. Non-invasive Diagnostics: SMART review, terminal access (where available), surface scans with conservative timeouts, and ROM checks to determine fault class: physical, logical or firmware-related.
3. Stabilisation & Imaging: We stabilise the drive (cooling, power conditioning, head-map tweaks) and create a sector-by-sector image using controlled read strategies. Imaging first ensures we work on a safe copy.
4. Reconstruction: We rebuild file systems, translate logical structures, and in RAID cases reconstruct array parameters (order, stripe, parity) virtually to avoid destructive writes.
5. Verification: We verify sample files from each type (docs, photos, DBs, VMs) and provide a file list where appropriate so you can confirm priorities before export.
6. Delivery & Aftercare: Data is returned on a new drive or SSD (optionally encrypted). We can reinstall your OS, restore profiles and ensure applications see the data in the correct locations.

Physical Data Recovery

When a drive suffers a head crash, seized spindle, contamination or electronics failure, we perform cleanroom work as needed: head swaps with compatible donors, alignment checks, stuck motor mitigation, ROM transfers and PCB repairs. Imaging then proceeds using gentle head-bypass and targeted re-reads to reduce stress on weak areas. Where platters are severely damaged, we salvage as much as technically possible and report any unrecoverable regions clearly.

Logical Data Recovery

If your data loss stems from accidental deletion, quick-format, partition damage, malware or a failing update, we rebuild the directory structure and MFT/MFTMirr (NTFS), restore APFS/HFS+ containers or perform raw signature extraction when metadata is too damaged. We never write to your original media; all work happens on clones or images.

Firmware Data Recovery

Problematic firmware — for example corrupted modules, translator issues or microcode faults — can render a disk invisible or unstable. Using vendor-specific access via PC-3000 we can often repair SA modules, regenerate translators and restore access. For NAND-based devices (USB/SD), Rusolut tooling allows ECC correction, page translation and data reconstruction at low level.

RAID & NAS Array Recovery

We recover from RAID 0/1/5/6/10 and JBOD sets from popular NAS vendors (Synology, QNAP, WD, Netgear, Asustor). Each member is imaged first; we then virtually rebuild the array, detect parameters and mount volumes read-only. This approach avoids the risks of a forced in-place rebuild and helps preserve evidence of prior failures when needed for audit.

Accidental Damage & Liquid Ingress

For drops and liquids we inspect heads, platters, spindle bearings and electronics (TVS diodes, capacitors, controllers). Corrosion is treated promptly to prevent track damage; components are replaced or transplanted where feasible. We then image to a stable target and continue recovery at the file-system layer.

Pricing & Transparency

Our data recovery services start at £79 + VAT for basic logical cases such as deleted files or minor file-system damage where the drive is healthy. Advanced or cleanroom cases typically average around £450 + VAT, but complex projects (severe head crash, donor sourcing, multiple RAID members) may exceed this — we always obtain approval first. Quotes outline scope, estimated timelines, optional donor parts, and delivery media costs. If your primary goal is cost control, tell us your must-have folders so we can prioritise those in partial recoveries.

Turnaround Options

• Standard Service: Most logical jobs complete in 1–3 working days after approval.
• Priority Service: Front-of-queue handling where time is critical (subject to lab capacity).
• Cleanroom/RAID Projects: Timelines vary with part availability and media condition; we update you at each stage.

How to Package & Send Your Device

• Power down immediately if the drive clicks, scrapes or spins up and down repeatedly.
• Wrap the drive in anti-static material (or its original bag), then cushion with bubble wrap.
• Use a rigid box with at least 5 cm padding on all sides. Include your contact details and a brief fault description.
• For NAS/RAID, label drive order and include the chassis if possible; do not attempt a rebuild.

Data Security, GDPR & Aftercare

Confidentiality is built into our workflow. We use write-blockers, controlled access storage and encrypted transfer options. On request we can provide certified data erasure for your original drive after recovery. For sensitive projects, we’ll agree a chain-of-custody and communication plan, and we can return data on encrypted media pre-configured with your passphrase. After delivery we’re happy to assist with restores, email re-indexing, catalog relinking and basic application hand-off to ensure everything opens as expected.

What You Should (and Shouldn’t) Do

• Do: Keep the device powered off; note symptoms and recent events (drop, spill, update); provide encryption keys if applicable.
• Don’t: Run CHKDSK, fsck or “repair” utilities on a failing drive; open a hard drive outside a cleanroom; attempt RAID rebuilds without full images.

Speak to a Data Recovery Specialist

Call 020 7237 6805 or email info@creativeit.net to discuss your case. You can drop off at our Central London lab (Monday–Saturday, 09:00–18:00) or arrange an insured UK-wide collection today.