iMac Drive Recovery – “Disk Utility Can’t Repair This Disk” & Hard Drive Failure

A client contacted Brighton Data Recovery after experiencing critical data loss on their iMac following a hard drive failure. The reported issues included:

  • The iMac displayed the error message:
    “Disk Utility Can’t Repair This Disk. Back up as many files as possible and reformat the disk.”
  • The client took the iMac to Apple Store support, where they diagnosed a hard drive failure.
  • Apple replaced the hard drive, but the client lost all of their data.
  • The Apple team recommended Brighton Data Recovery for professional data retrieval.
  • The original failed drive contained personal documents, business files, photos, videos, and application data.
  • The client had no backup, making data recovery essential.

Since this type of error typically indicates file system corruption, bad sectors, or mechanical failure, a forensic-level Mac data recovery approach was required.

Our Expertise in iMac Hard Drive Recovery

With 25 years of experience, Brighton Data Recovery specializes in:
✔ Recovering data from failed Mac hard drives with file system corruption and physical failures
✔ Forensic APFS and HFS+ file system reconstruction for iMac users
✔ Advanced Mac data recovery techniques using Acelabs PC3000, DeepSpar imaging, and high-end forensic tools

Diagnosis & Recovery Process

Upon receiving the iMac’s failed hard drive, our engineers conducted a detailed forensic assessment. The key findings included:

  • The drive had bad sectors and degraded read/write heads, causing Disk Utility to fail repairs.
  • APFS/HFS+ file system corruption had prevented macOS from properly mounting the drive.
  • The drive had been formatted as part of the Apple Store’s replacement process, but the data was still recoverable.

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

Step 1: Drive Imaging & Data Preservation

  • Used DeepSpar Disk Imager to create a sector-by-sector forensic clone, preventing further data loss.
  • Applied adaptive read techniques to bypass bad sectors and extract maximum readable data.

Step 2: File System Repair & Mac Data Extraction

  • Used Acelabs PC3000 Mac Edition to analyse and repair APFS/HFS+ file system structures.
  • Rebuilt damaged partition tables, directory entries, and metadata records to restore missing files.
  • Extracted and validated all personal, business, and creative files.

Step 3: Data Integrity Check & Secure Transfer

  • Conducted final validation checks to confirm that all recovered files were intact.
  • Successfully transferred the restored data to a new high-performance external SSD, formatted for macOS compatibility.

The Result

We successfully recovered 99.2% of the client’s lost data, including:
✅ Business documents, spreadsheets, and financial records
✅ Personal photos, videos, and multimedia archives
✅ Software configurations, applications, and email backups

The client was able to fully restore their essential files, ensuring no major data loss despite Apple replacing the hard drive.

Why Choose Brighton Data Recovery for iMac Hard Drive Recovery?

✅ 25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in Mac data recovery and Apple file system repair.
✅ Forensic-Level APFS & HFS+ Repair – Using Mac-specific data recovery tools.
✅ Cleanroom Repairs – Safe handling of physically damaged hard drives.
✅ Fast & Secure Process – Ensuring complete confidentiality and successful recovery.

If your iMac hard drive has failed and Disk Utility cannot repair it, contact Brighton Data Recovery today for expert Mac data recovery services!