D-Link external hard drives are commonly used for home and business storage, providing backup solutions for important data. However, when a hard drive freezes when plugged in, it often indicates bad sectors, read/write head degradation, or firmware corruption, making stored files inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical business and personal files from a D-Link external hard drive, after it became unresponsive and caused system crashes when connected.
As Glasgow Data Recovery, Scotland’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using cleanroom drive repair, deep sector imaging, and forensic data recovery techniques to restore lost data.
D-Link Hard Drive Freezing & Not Responding
A client contacted us after their D-Link external hard drive became unusable, with the following issues:
- The drive would freeze the entire system when plugged in.
- File Explorer would stop responding, making data inaccessible.
- Attempts to copy files caused the computer to hang or crash.
- The drive contained important work documents, family photos, and personal data.
Since continued attempts to access a failing hard drive can worsen data loss, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the D-Link hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full hardware and software diagnostic. Our findings:
- Bad sectors in key system areas – Causing read delays and freezing issues.
- Partial read/write head failure – Making data extraction unstable.
- No visible platter damage – Meaning a high likelihood of successful recovery.
Since mechanical failures can worsen if a drive is forced to work, we prioritized cleanroom head stabilization and sector-by-sector imaging.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging the Failing Hard Drive to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve recoverable data, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector forensic clone of the D-Link hard drive.
- Used specialized imaging tools to extract readable sectors while avoiding bad areas.
2. Repairing Read/Write Head Issues & Reconstructing File System
Since the read/write heads were degraded, we:
- Used adaptive firmware repair techniques to stabilize head movement.
- Repaired the NTFS/exFAT file system to restore missing file structures.
3. Extracting & Verifying Recovered Data
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Recovered all business documents, financial reports, and personal files.
- Restored corrupted Excel, Word, and PDF files.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 97% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our cleanroom drive repair and sector imaging techniques, we successfully recovered 97% of the client’s lost files, including:
✅ Business documents and financial records
✅ Family photos, videos, and digital archives
✅ Organized file structures restored for easy access
The client was able to retrieve all important files, preventing personal and financial 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:
✔ D-Link hard drive bad sector repair & data extraction
✔ Read/write head stabilization & deep sector imaging
✔ Business document, personal file, and photo retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential data recovery services
If your D-Link external hard drive is freezing, crashing your system, or preventing access to critical files, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert HDD data recovery.