LaCie Rugged external hard drives are widely used by students and professionals for their durability and large storage capacity. However, when a drive starts displaying an I/O Device Error (“Request could not be performed”), it often indicates severe read/write failure, making files inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical A-Level school project data from a LaCie Rugged hard drive experiencing an I/O Device Error, ensuring the student did not lose their important coursework.
As Oxford Data Recovery, with 25 years of forensic data recovery experience, we used sector-level imaging and advanced read error bypass techniques to restore the lost files.
The Challenge: LaCie Rugged Hard Drive Experiencing I/O Device Error
A student preparing for A-Level exams contacted us after their LaCie Rugged external hard drive stopped working, with the following issues:
- Windows and macOS displaying the error: “The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error.”
- Drive taking a long time to be recognized by the system.
- Some files accessible, but others missing or failing to open.
- The school project, essential for coursework submission, was trapped on the drive.
Since continued use of a failing hard drive can worsen data loss, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the LaCie Rugged hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we performed a full diagnostic analysis. Our findings:
- Read/write head degradation – The drive’s heads were failing, struggling to read sectors properly.
- Bad sectors on the platters – Key parts of the file system were affected, causing the I/O Device Error.
- No physical damage to the platters – The data was still present and recoverable.
Since standard recovery software would not work on a drive with severe read/write errors, we proceeded with specialised imaging and error-handling techniques.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging the Hard Drive to Prevent Further Damage
Since the drive’s condition was deteriorating, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector clone to preserve all recoverable data.
- Used hardware-level imaging tools to bypass bad sectors without causing further stress.
2. Extracting Data from Corrupt Sectors
Since some areas of the drive were unreadable, we:
- Used error-correction techniques to reconstruct lost file segments.
- Recovered missing project files using deep data scanning tools.
3. Verifying & Restoring A-Level Coursework Files
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Checked all school project files for integrity and completeness.
- Repaired corrupted Word, Excel, and multimedia files.
- Transferred the recovered coursework data to a secure external SSD.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our bad sector bypassing and forensic data extraction techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the student’s school project, including:
✅ Word documents, spreadsheets, and research notes
✅ Presentations, videos, and coursework materials
✅ Backup copies of critical school-related files
The student was relieved to have their coursework restored in time for submission.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading external hard drive recovery specialists in Oxford and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ I/O Device Error & read/write failure recovery
✔ Bad sector recovery & drive imaging
✔ LaCie Rugged and all external drive brands supported
✔ Secure & confidential data retrieval for students and professionals
If your external hard drive is showing an I/O Device Error, failing to open files, or not being recognized, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert data recovery.