Macs fail like every other computer: when an Apple laptop will not boot, when an iMac gets stuck at the loading screen, when one of your Fusion drives splits, when you go to restore from an external Time Machine backup and it says “unreadable”. So why does Mac data recovery have to be different? Because of how they store their information: APFS (Apple File System), and Fusion drives, which are really just two disks working together (a very fast SSD with a larger HDD). We can recover both, once the drive has been taken out of the Mac. T2 chip and Apple Silicon computers are the exception: their storage is soldered to the board and encrypted, so it can’t be removed, and we can’t recover it. If you typed in macbook data recovery or mac data recovery, then there is no charge for us to diagnose your problem. In fact, in most cases, unless we can recover your data, you don’t owe us anything.
The “reinstall”, “erase” or “repair” options within Disk Utility for an ailing Mac will wipe away recoverable information; you should avoid using these, instead allowing us to create an image of your failed storage device.
There are three key elements which differentiate Mac recovery from other forms of recovery. First, there is APFS (Apple’s File System), utilising snapshot and clone functionality to both provide a benefit when done correctly, but also cause harm when improperly utilised. Second, there is the concept of Fusion Drives. A Fusion Drive combines a smaller solid state disk (SSD) with a larger hard disk drive into one single logical volume. If either half of this volume fails, it results in the loss of access to all data stored on that volume. Therefore, each half must be accessed individually and then merged in order to understand the data. Lastly, T2 and Apple Silicon Macs encrypt their storage in hardware, tied to the logic board, and the storage is soldered to that board, so it can’t be taken out; as we only work on drives that have been removed, these are Macs we can’t recover. When recovering a Mac, getting any of these elements incorrect makes what could be a recoverable device look unrecoverable.
The first thing we do with a Mac drive is image it, which means we make an exact copy of all the files and folders on it. Once the drive has been imaged, we then rebuild the APFS or Fusion volume from the copy. If your Mac had a Fusion drive at the time of failure, both the SSD portion and the hard disk portion will be imaged and put together again. When the hard drive from one of these iMacs has failed mechanically, we repair it on our bench before making a complete clone of it. We only work on drives that have been taken out of the Mac, so please remove the drive (both drives for a Fusion Mac) and send it on its own; we don’t accept complete Macs. On T2 and Apple Silicon Macs the encryption is tied to the logic board and the storage is soldered to it, so there is no drive to take out, and unfortunately we can’t recover those.
We recover the drives from MacBook Air and Pro, iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro models with a removable drive, as well as all external Time Machine drives and Thunderbolt storage devices. Once you have a quote, take the drive out of the Mac (for a Fusion Drive Mac, both drives) and bring or post us just the drive; we don’t accept complete Macs. T2 and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs, and MacBooks with soldered storage, have no drive that can be removed, so we can’t recover those.
Yes, usually, as long as the drive can be taken out. We create an image of the disk and then recreate the APFS volume from that image (regardless of whether the Mac will boot). T2 and Apple Silicon MacBooks have their storage soldered to the board, so there is no drive to remove, and we can’t recover those.
Frequently. When one half of a Fusion Drive fails, we create images of both components, and after that we will combine them back into one single volume. Take both drives out of the Mac and send them to us together; we don’t accept complete Macs.
Only if the drive is encrypted with FileVault: then we need your password or recovery key to read it. We work on the drive once it has been taken out of the Mac, and an unencrypted drive needs no password at all. Macs whose storage is soldered and tied to the machine (T2 and Apple Silicon) are ones we can’t recover.
No. Erasing, using Disk Utility to “repair”, or reinstalling will most likely destroy what you are trying to recover. Please turn off your Mac and allow us to take an image of your drive prior to performing any other operation on it.
Yes, in many cases, if the drive can be removed. A failed MacBook is generally a failed device and not failed storage, so once the drive has been taken out we can image it. Soldered and T2 storage can’t be removed, and we can’t recover it. We provide a no-cost evaluation prior to charging for services, so you will know where you stand before you pay anything.
A complimentary diagnosis first, with a fixed written quote provided for each job prior to starting any work, and no charge at all for most of these services if we can’t recover the data. Our typical pricing for recovery of an unencrypted Mac drive will be a flat rate, and our pricing for rebuilding a Fusion Drive will depend upon the results of the free diagnosis. When we provide you a quote, please drop off the drive at our location in The Pinnacle in Leeds (drop-off hours are available without an appointment); or send us the drive by fully insured post from anywhere within Yorkshire. In either case, your drive will be handled entirely in-house by our staff and will never be sent out to a third party contractor.
Typically, searching for Mac data recovery near me or MacBook data recovery near me will begin when a machine will no longer start after years of storing all of your photos. Although most of these types of problems are beyond software, due to Apple’s design decisions using APFS and Fusion Drives, there are still solutions available for recovering your lost data once the drive is out of the Mac.
Once you have received a price quotation from us, you may either leave your device at The Pinnacle, Albion Street in the city centre (no appointment is required) or you can send it to us insured and tracked as part of our data recovery UK-wide service, with the same free diagnostics as well as the same fixed written quote, and in most cases, you do not need to make payment unless we successfully recover your lost data. Each project will be completed by one of our own engineers.
We will provide a free evaluation, provide a fixed written quote for work, and on most jobs there will be no charge for our services unless your data is recovered. Do not reinstall your operating system (macOS) or attempt to use Disk Utility repair. After obtaining a quote from us, take the drive out of the Mac and send it to us so we can create a complete image of it first.