Western Digital WD Elements external hard drives are widely used for business and personal data storage due to their reliability and affordability. However, when an external hard drive fails to power on, it often indicates a damaged USB controller, power circuit failure, or internal component malfunction, making stored data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical project files for a business professional in Glasgow from a WD Elements external drive, after the device stopped powering on.
As Glasgow Data Recovery, Scotland’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using PCB repair, firmware restoration, and deep forensic data extraction techniques to restore lost business files.
The Challenge: WD Elements External Drive Not Powering On
A Glasgow-based professional contacted us after their WD Elements external hard drive stopped functioning, with the following issues:
- The drive would not power on when plugged in.
- No spinning sound or LED light activity was present.
- Attempts to use different power cables and ports failed.
- The drive contained essential work project files, reports, and documents.
Since attempting DIY repairs on a non-powered drive can worsen damage, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the WD Elements hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full electrical and mechanical diagnostic. Our findings:
- USB controller failure – The drive’s PCB was not regulating power correctly.
- Power circuit damage – Preventing voltage from reaching internal components.
- No mechanical damage detected – Indicating a high likelihood of successful data recovery.
Since damaged PCBs prevent HDDs from initializing, we prioritized circuit repair and firmware restoration.
The Recovery Process
1. Cleanroom PCB Repair & Power Restoration
To restore access to the drive, we:
- Repaired the power regulation circuit on the USB controller board.
- Replaced faulty capacitors and voltage regulators to allow stable power delivery.
- Bypassed the USB interface and connected the drive via a direct SATA interface.
2. Cloning & Imaging the Repaired Hard Drive
Once the drive was successfully powered on, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector forensic clone of the WD Elements drive.
- Used specialized imaging tools to extract all readable data.
3. Extracting & Verifying Work Project Files
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Recovered all Word documents, spreadsheets, and presentation files.
- Restored project reports, research documents, and client data.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our PCB repair and deep data extraction techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the client’s lost project files, including:
✅ Business reports, financial documents, and project files
✅ Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs
✅ Organized file structures restored for easy access
The client was able to continue working on their project without losing essential data, preventing business delays.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful hard drive recoveries, we are Scotland’s leading external hard drive data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ WD Elements power circuit repair & USB controller recovery
✔ PCB component replacement & voltage regulation fixes
✔ Business project, work document, and report retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential data recovery services
If your WD Elements external hard drive is not powering on, showing no LED activity, or preventing access to important files, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert HDD data recovery.