Compaq desktop PCs are widely used in educational institutions for teaching, administrative work, and student resources. However, when files and folders suddenly disappear, it often indicates a corrupt Master File Table (MFT) or a malware attack, making valuable data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered teacher materials for a local high school from a Western Digital 3.5″ hard drive inside a Compaq desktop, after a corrupt MFT or malware attack wiped important folders.
As Leeds Data Recovery, with 25 years of experience, we used MFT reconstruction, malware-infected file recovery, and forensic-level data extraction techniques to restore lost educational materials.
Disappearing Files and Folders on a Western Digital Hard Drive
A high school teacher contacted us after their Compaq desktop PC lost all files and folders, with the following issues:
- Previously accessible documents and teaching materials had disappeared.
- Some folders remained, but they were empty or displayed error messages.
- Attempts to restore files using Windows tools failed.
- The drive contained coursework, lesson plans, and educational resources.
Since continued use of a compromised drive can overwrite lost data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Western Digital 3.5″ hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full file system and malware diagnostic. Our findings:
- Master File Table (MFT) corruption – The file system had lost references to stored files.
- Possible malware attack – Hidden or encrypted files were detected.
- No mechanical failure detected – Meaning logical data recovery was possible.
Since standard recovery software could not access the missing files, we focused on forensic MFT reconstruction and malware removal.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging the Hard Drive to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve the original data, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector clone of the Western Digital hard drive.
- Used write-blocking tools to prevent malware from spreading.
2. Rebuilding the Master File Table (MFT) & File System
Since the MFT was corrupted, we:
- Analyzed the NTFS structure to reconstruct lost file entries.
- Recovered missing directory structures and restored file paths.
3. Identifying & Extracting Malware-Hidden or Encrypted Files
Since malware may have altered file visibility, we:
- Scanned for files hidden by ransomware or malicious scripts.
- Recovered documents, spreadsheets, and lesson plans from encrypted storage.
4. Verifying & Restoring Teaching Materials for the High School
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Checked all recovered educational resources for integrity.
- Repaired corrupted lesson plans, student records, and PowerPoint presentations.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external storage device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our MFT repair and malware data extraction techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the teacher’s lost materials, including:
✅ Lesson plans, worksheets, and presentations
✅ Student reports, coursework, and exam files
✅ Educational resources, PDFs, and interactive learning tools
The teacher was able to continue delivering lessons without losing any vital educational materials, preventing disruptions to students’ learning.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading hard drive data recovery specialists in Leeds and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ MFT corruption repair & NTFS file recovery
✔ Malware-hidden & encrypted file extraction
✔ School & academic document retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential educational data recovery
If your computer is missing files, showing empty folders, or has been affected by malware, stop using it immediately and contact us for professional data recovery.