Unfortunately, a burnt-out external hard drive is not that unusual. These devices are fairly sturdy, but they do have some common failures.
With physical damage, software and home repairs can make the case worse. In those cases, external hard drive recovery is done in a lab, starting with a free diagnosis.
Because they contain electronic components, external drives can burn out while in use. This usually happens because of power surges, lightning strikes and other problems in the electrical supply, but also because of overheating, contact with water or even a fire that damages part of the device.
In these situations, can you recover the external drive and its data? If your device has burnt out, here’s what to do!
Burnt-out external hard drive: can the data be recovered?
Hard drives are robust enough that, even when they fail, the data stored on them can often be recovered.
Damaged or burnt-out external drives are no exception. Below, you’ll learn what happens when a drive burns out and how the data stored on it can be recovered.
What happens when a hard drive burns out?
To understand what happens when a drive burns out, let’s first recall how it works.
The data is stored on magnetic platters, which are rigid and durable. A read/write head mounted on a moving arm reads and writes the data while the platters spin at high speed – without the head ever touching the platter surface.
So far, the drive sounds like an essentially mechanical device. But it also depends on a logic board (or controller board), which drives the head movements, controls the spindle motor and communicates with the computer.
When we say a drive has burnt out, it usually means the logic board has failed. Electrical faults, overheating, contact with water or fire can cause a short circuit or other damage on the board. The drive then stops working and the data becomes inaccessible.
The good news is that the platters holding the data are usually intact – it’s the logic board that burns out. Even in a fire, it’s common for only the casing to be damaged while the platters survive, which makes it possible to recover the files stored on them.
How do I recover data from a burnt-out external hard drive?
To recover data from a burnt-out external drive, you first need to make sure the platters weren’t affected. If they are fine, the drive can usually be made readable again by replacing the logic board with a compatible one and, when necessary, repairing the drive’s firmware.
But don’t try this at home! Swapping a board without the right knowledge can damage the drive further, and opening it outside a clean room, without the right equipment, lets dust inside and contaminates the platters. Either mistake can make it impossible to recover the data.
Also, if your external drive burnt out after getting wet, don’t plug it in or switch it on, don’t try to dry it with a hairdryer or fan, don’t leave it out in the sun and don’t open it to dry it.
Remember: hard drives are tough, but they’re also delicate. Any handling mistake can lead to permanent data loss.
For a safer recovery and better chances of success, rely on a specialist company like Bot, which has the right professionals, equipment and facilities – and plenty of experience with burnt-out external drives.
One of the biggest advantages of a specialist company is its clean room: a controlled environment, built to international standards, for data recovery work that requires opening the drive.
This way, technicians can carry out the right procedures safely. To replace the logic board, they need a compatible donor board – from the same model and with matching revision and firmware – and they must transfer the drive-specific data, usually stored in a ROM chip on the original board, so that the new board can read the drive’s data again. If the heads or other internal parts were also damaged, those repairs are done in the clean room.
What data can be recovered from a burnt-out external hard drive?
When a burnt-out drive only needs a new logic board, it’s usually possible to recover all of the data stored on it – as long as the right procedures are followed by a specialist data recovery company.
However, if the platters have been damaged, some of the data may be lost. To find out, the company has to diagnose the drive before quoting for the job.
How much does it cost to recover data from a burnt-out external hard drive?
The price varies a great deal depending on the company’s assessment of each case. You can get an idea of our prices on our pricing page.
It depends on how complex the case is, the damage to the device, the drive model and the donor parts it needs, among other details.
Also check whether the company charges for the diagnosis and for collecting the drive. At Bot, standard diagnosis is free, and so is collection (islands not included).
If you’d like a quote for recovering data from your burnt-out external drive, fill in the form and we’ll get back to you!
