Laptops like the Razer Blade are known for their high performance and portability, but accidental drops can lead to serious hard drive failures. Traditional SATA hard drives (HDDs) have moving parts, making them vulnerable to mechanical damage if the laptop is dropped while the drive is spinning.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical data from a physically damaged SATA hard drive inside a Razer Blade laptop, after the laptop fell and stopped working.
As Oxford Data Recovery, with 25 years of forensic data recovery experience, we used cleanroom head replacement and platter stabilization techniques to restore lost files.
The Challenge: Razer Blade Laptop Dropped, HDD No Longer Working
A Razer Blade laptop owner contacted us after their laptop was accidentally dropped, with the following issues:
- The laptop failed to boot after the drop.
- Clicking or grinding noises were coming from the SATA hard drive.
- The drive was no longer recognised in BIOS.
- Important work files, gaming data, and personal documents were at risk.
Since physical damage to an HDD can worsen with continued use, an immediate cleanroom recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the SATA hard drive from the Razer Blade laptop arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full hardware-level diagnostic. Our findings:
- Read/write heads were damaged – The heads had been dislodged during the fall and were stuck on the platters.
- Minor platter surface damage – Some scratches were detected, but data recovery was still possible.
- Motor was functional – The drive’s spindle motor was intact, meaning data could be recovered with a head replacement.
Since further use could cause more platter damage, we proceeded with precision cleanroom repairs.
The Recovery Process
1. Cleanroom HDD Head Replacement & Platter Stabilization
To safely access the data, we:
- Opened the drive in our cleanroom to prevent contamination.
- Replaced the damaged read/write heads with a donor head assembly from a matching SATA drive.
- Carefully realigned the platters to prevent further damage.
2. Imaging & Extracting Data from the HDD
Once the drive was stabilised, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector clone of the HDD to avoid working on the damaged drive directly.
- Used specialized imaging tools to bypass unreadable sectors.
3. Verifying & Restoring User Data
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Checked all recovered files for corruption.
- Repaired damaged work documents, videos, and game save files.
- Transferred the restored data to a secure external SSD.
The Results: 95% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our cleanroom head replacement and data imaging techniques, we successfully recovered 95% of the client’s lost data, including:
✅ Work documents and business files
✅ Gaming data and personal photos
✅ Videos, software files, and downloads
The client was relieved to have their important files back, allowing them to continue their work and gaming without major loss.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading laptop hard drive recovery specialists in Oxford and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ Dropped laptop HDD recovery
✔ Cleanroom head replacements
✔ Platter stabilization & mechanical repair
✔ Secure & confidential data retrieval
If your laptop hard drive has stopped working after a drop, is making clicking noises, or is not being recognized, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert data recovery.