WD Elements Portable Hard Drive Recovery – RAW or Corrupted File System

A client contacted Brighton Data Recovery after their WD Elements Portable Hard Drive became unreadable. The reported issues included:

  • The drive was showing as RAW or a corrupted file system, preventing access to stored data.
  • The client had taken the hard drive to Currys support, but they were unable to recover the data.
  • All personal and business files were missing, making recovery essential.

Since RAW file system errors are often caused by corruption, accidental formatting, or bad sectors, an advanced forensic recovery approach was required.

Our Expertise in WD Elements Hard Drive Recovery

With 25 years of experience, Brighton Data Recovery specializes in:
✔ Recovering lost data from RAW and corrupted file systems
✔ Repairing partition tables and file system structures (NTFS, exFAT, FAT32)
✔ Forensic-level data recovery using Acelabs PC3000, DeepSpar imaging, and advanced repair tools

Diagnosis & Recovery Process

Upon receiving the WD Elements Portable Hard Drive, our engineers conducted a detailed forensic evaluation. The key findings included:

  • The drive was functional, but the partition table was missing, making the file system appear RAW.
  • File system corruption was preventing the operating system from reading stored files.
  • Bad sectors were present, making recovery challenging.

To successfully recover the client’s lost files, we implemented a multi-step forensic data recovery strategy:

Step 1: Drive Cloning & Data Preservation

  • Created a sector-by-sector forensic clone to prevent further corruption.
  • Used DeepSpar Disk Imager to recover data from bad sectors.

Step 2: File System Repair & RAW Partition Recovery

  • Analysed and rebuilt the damaged NTFS file system using professional recovery tools.
  • Restored the missing partition table, allowing access to stored data.

Step 3: Data Extraction & File Reconstruction

  • Used forensic recovery software to extract lost documents, photos, and business files.
  • Repaired partially damaged files using advanced data integrity techniques.

Step 4: Data Integrity Check & Secure Transfer

  • Conducted final validation checks to confirm that all recovered files were intact.
  • Successfully transferred the restored data to a secure external SSD.

The Result

We successfully recovered 99.6% of the client’s lost files, including:
✅ Personal documents, photos, and multimedia files
✅ Business records, invoices, and archived work files
✅ Software backups, spreadsheets, and email archives

The client was able to fully restore their critical data, ensuring no permanent loss.

Why Choose Brighton Data Recovery for WD Elements Hard Drive Recovery?

✅ 25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in RAW and corrupted file system recovery.
✅ Advanced File System Repair – Restoring access to lost partitions.
✅ Forensic-Level Data Extraction – Recovering files even from heavily corrupted drives.
✅ Fast & Secure Process – Ensuring complete confidentiality and successful recovery.

If your WD Elements Portable Hard Drive is showing as RAW or has a corrupted file system, contact Brighton Data Recovery today for professional assistance!