A Gateway PC used in a business environment suddenly failed, displaying:
- A Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on startup, preventing access to Windows.
- Buzzing noises coming from the hard drive, suggesting mechanical failure or read/write head issues.
- The system would not boot into Windows, leaving critical work and personal data inaccessible.
- No recent backup, making data recovery an urgent priority.
Since the buzzing noise indicated potential physical damage to the hard drive, a recovery was necessary.
Our Expertise in Hard Drive Data Recovery
With 25 years of experience, Birmingham Data Recovery specialises in:
✔ Recovering data from failing and buzzing hard drives
✔ BSOD troubleshooting & drive-level data extraction
✔ Forensic recovery of business-critical and personal data
Diagnosis & Recovery Process
Upon receiving the Gateway PC and hard drive, our engineers conducted a detailed forensic evaluation. The key findings included:
- Hard Drive Head Failure – The buzzing sound indicated a read/write head crash, making the drive inaccessible.
- Bad Sectors & Firmware Issues – The drive contained corrupt sectors, preventing normal boot.
- BSOD Due to Drive Read Errors – The system was unable to access critical OS files, leading to boot failure.
To successfully recover the client’s essential data, we implemented a multi-step forensic recovery strategy:
Step 1: Hard Drive Repair & Imaging
- Opened the hard drive.
- Replaced the damaged read/write heads with donor parts from a matching hard drive model.
- Created a sector-by-sector clone of the failing drive to prevent further degradation.
Step 2: Bad Sector Management & Data Extraction
- Used advanced data extraction tools to bypass bad sectors.
- Recovered business files, documents, and personal data before complete drive failure.
Step 3: File System Repair & Reconstruction
- Rebuilt the damaged NTFS file system and restored missing directory structures.
- Extracted and reassembled fragmented or partially corrupted files.
Step 4: Data Integrity Check & Secure Transfer
- Conducted file integrity checks to ensure all recovered data was usable.
- Successfully transferred the recovered data to a new external hard drive.
The Result
We successfully recovered 97.8% of the client’s lost files, including:
✅ Business and work-related documents
✅ Personal photos and multimedia files
✅ Archived emails, software configurations, and system files
The client was able to access all important data and transfer files to a new system, avoiding downtime.
Why Choose Birmingham Data Recovery for Gateway PC Failures?
✅ 25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in hard drive failures and BSOD recovery.
✅ Advanced Forensic Data Recovery – Extracting files from failing or corrupted hard drives.
✅ Fast & Secure Process – Ensuring minimal downtime and 100% data confidentiality.
If your Gateway PC is displaying a blue screen and your hard drive is making buzzing noises, contact Birmingham Data Recovery today for professional assistance!