Buffalo MiniStation external hard drives are a popular choice for business and personal data storage due to their portability and reliability. However, when a hard drive spins but is not recognised by a computer, it often indicates logical corruption, firmware failure, or mechanical issues, leading to data inaccessibility.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical business and personal files from a Buffalo MiniStation external hard drive, after the drive stopped being recognised despite spinning up normally.
As Glasgow Data Recovery, Scotland’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using firmware repair, file system reconstruction, and forensic data recovery techniques to restore lost files.
The Challenge: Buffalo MiniStation Spinning but Not Recognised
A client contacted us after their Buffalo MiniStation external hard drive became inaccessible, with the following issues:
- The drive was spinning, but it was not detected in Windows/macOS.
- Disk Management showed the drive as “Unknown” or “Unallocated.”
- Attempts to access data using different computers and cables failed.
- The drive contained important work documents, family photos, and financial records.
Since forcing a failing HDD to work can worsen data loss, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Buffalo MiniStation hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full hardware and software diagnostic. Our findings:
- Firmware corruption – The drive’s internal microcode was preventing proper initialization.
- File system damage (NTFS/exFAT) – Making stored data unreadable.
- No severe mechanical failure detected – Indicating a high likelihood of successful data recovery.
Since firmware issues prevent HDDs from being recognized, we prioritized firmware repair and deep sector imaging.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging the Hard Drive to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve all recoverable data, we:
- Created a forensic sector-by-sector clone of the Buffalo MiniStation hard drive.
- Used specialized imaging tools to extract readable sectors while avoiding further corruption.
2. Repairing the Firmware & Rebuilding the Partition Table
Since the firmware was corrupted, we:
- Reprogrammed the firmware using advanced HDD repair tools.
- Rebuilt the partition table to restore missing file directories.
3. Extracting & Verifying Recovered Data
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Recovered all business documents, family photos, and personal data.
- Repaired corrupted spreadsheets, Word files, and PDF documents.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our firmware repair and deep sector-level recovery techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the client’s lost files, including:
✅ Business documents and financial reports
✅ Family photos, personal files, and digital archives
✅ Organized file structures restored for easy access
The client was able to retrieve all important files, preventing financial and emotional loss.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are Scotland’s leading external hard drive data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ Buffalo MiniStation firmware repair & data extraction
✔ Partition table reconstruction & file system recovery
✔ Business document, personal file, and photo retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential data recovery services
If your Buffalo MiniStation external hard drive is spinning but not recognized, showing as “Unknown” or “Unallocated,” or preventing access to important files, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert HDD data recovery.