--- title: "Blog - Technology and Insights, Not Just About Data Recovery - EXALAB" description: "Insights from the world of data recovery, covering all types of media including HDDs, SSDs, RAID, mobile phones, and more. Interesting reading for both beginners and professionals in the field." url: "https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog?start=20" date: "2026-06-19T23:14:08+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- # BLOG - Technology and Curiosities Interesting news and updates from the world of data recovery across all types of media, including hard drives, SSDs, and more. Engaging reads for both laypeople and professionals in the field. ![Data Recovery from a Western Digital External Drive. It Didn’t Make a Sound When Connected](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2405032-zachrana-dat-z-externiho-disku-WD-1200-fw2.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from a Western Digital External Drive. It Didn’t Make a Sound When Connected ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/data-recovery-from-a-western-digital-external-drive-it-didnt-make-a-sound-when-connected) A WD external drive was used years ago for backing up important data and then forgotten in a drawer. Over time, this backup became the only existing version of the data. Years later, the user needed to access the data again, but the hard drive thwarted their plans. After connecting, it did nothing. The issue could have been caused by the external power these drives require, but it could also be a more complex problem involving the internal drive. In this case, it was a combination of electronic failure and surface damage to the data platters, specifically affecting one of the disk’s magnetic heads. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![Inexpertly opened, underwent foreign diagnostics, then ended up with us. Data recovery from a 5TB Seagate hard drive](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN240507-Zachrana-dat-z-5TB-pevneho-disku-Seagate-fw-1200.jpg) ## [ Opened by an amateur, passed through another lab's diagnostics, then it came to us. Data recovery from a 5TB Seagate hard drive. ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/inexpertly-opened-underwent-foreign-diagnostics-then-ended-up-with-us-data-recovery-from-a-5tb-seagate-hard-drive) Before this 5TB Seagate drive reached us, it had already passed through the hands of a home tinkerer and a competing data recovery company. After several years of service its mechanics failed and the owner lost access to the data. Before turning to specialists, however, he managed to make several mistakes that further reduced the chances of a successful recovery. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![Data Recovery from WD External Drive after Spontaneous Failure](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2404171-zachrana-dat-z-disku-wd-w1200.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from Western Digital External Drive. It Can Fail Without Obvious Cause ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/data-recovery-from-western-digital-external-drive-it-can-fail-without-obvious-cause) The hard drive exhibited typical symptoms of read head and/or data platter failure - it clicked and shut down after a while. The failure occurred without an obvious cause - spontaneously. Western Digital hard drives are usually relatively well manageable when such an error occurs and the cause is not mechanical damage. However, it is necessary to check the condition of the data platter surfaces. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![Data Recovery from iPhone after Mechanical Damage. Expert Diagnostics Can Save Both the Phone and Your Wallet](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EA2111181-zachrana-dat-z-iPhone-po-mechanickem-poskozeni-fw1200.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from iPhone after Mechanical Damage. Expert Diagnostics Can Save Both the Phone and Your Wallet ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/data-recovery-from-iphone-after-mechanical-damage-expert-diagnostics-can-save-both-the-phone-and-your-wallet) Replacing an iPhone screen might seem easy for a handy person. Unscrew a few screws, replace the screen, screw them back in, and... something snaps. An incorrect screw in the wrong place can mechanically damage the motherboard (PCB), turning a simple screen replacement into a complicated data recovery task. But how can a wrong screw mechanically damage an iPhone to such an extent that the problem seems unsolvable even for some specialized companies? Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [From Practice](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) ![File Recovery from LaCie Hard Drives: Ordinary Disks in Stylish Cases](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2405301-Obnova-soubor-z-disku-LaCie-fw1200_3.jpg) ## [ File Recovery from LaCie Hard Drives: Ordinary Disks in Stylish Cases ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/explanations-and-tips/file-recovery-from-lacie-hard-drives-ordinary-disks-in-stylish-cases) LaCie external drives are often considered a higher quality brand by users. Some look more durable, while others may seem more luxurious. For example, some of our professional photographer customers considered them a better choice based on recommendations in forums. However, the truth is that inside the stylish case lies an ordinary hard drive, and thus they suffer from the same issues. Only the drive's case might add a bit of robustness. No miraculous formula has granted LaCie drives immortality. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [Explanations and Tips](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/explanations-and-tips) ![Data Recovery from Adata External Drive: The Computer Wanted to Format It Upon Connection](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2404302-obnova-dat-z-externiho-disku-adata-fw1200.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from Adata External Drive: The Computer Wanted to Format It Upon Connection ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/data-recovery-from-adata-external-drive-the-computer-wanted-to-format-it-upon-connection) Many users use external hard drives for various purposes. They serve to store expendable data that we can afford to lose in case of drive failure, but also important data that should be stored in at least two copies. Neglecting backups can sometimes backfire at an inconvenient time, and the external drive fails. The age of the drive, how it is handled, and other factors can cause the drive to fail to connect. In the best-case scenario, the drive turns on, makes no unusual sounds, but the data is inaccessible. This was exactly the case here. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![Recovery of Critical Files from SSD: Faulty Memory Chips Caused File System Failure](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2404301-zachrana-dat-z-ssd-Kingston-3-fw1200.jpg) ## [ Recovery of Critical Files from SSD: Faulty Memory Chips Caused File System Failure ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/recovery-of-critical-files-from-ssd-faulty-memory-chips-caused-file-system-failure) The system disk in the computer failed, the computer stopped booting, and the user's data became inaccessible. When connected to another computer, the SSD was reported as RAW. Initial data recovery attempts by a regular IT service were unsuccessful, prompting the user to turn to us. The main issue with the SSD was the high error rate of the memory chips, which caused the file system to collapse. By combining multiple reading and data correction methods, we were able to recover most of the data from the SSD. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![How to Recover Data from a Broken Huawei Phone After a Failed Home Attempt? EXALAB Can Help](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2405221-jak-obnovit-data-z-rozbiteho-mobilu-huawei-fw1200.jpg) ## [ How to Recover Data from a Broken Huawei Phone After a Failed Home Attempt? EXALAB Can Help ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/how-to-recover-data-from-a-broken-huawei-phone-after-a-failed-home-attempt-exalab-can-help) The Huawei phone came to us for diagnostics after a home attempt at data recovery. Fortunately, the user's intervention was not too severe, but it highlights the fact that attempting to recover data from a phone at home is not advisable. The phone had a damaged motherboard, destroyed battery, and a broken display. For phones with the Android operating system, it is crucial that the memory chip and processor are not damaged. Luckily, this was not such an extensive defect. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![Data Recovery from an External Drive. Faulty Read Head Prevented Data Access](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2306281-obnoveni-dat-z-externiho-disku-fw1200.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from an External Drive. Faulty Read Head Prevented Data Access ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/data-recovery-from-an-external-drive-faulty-read-head-prevented-data-access) A Western Digital hard drive manufactured in 2009 served well in a laptop for a long time. When it was time to upgrade to an SSD, it continued to serve the user as an external USB drive. However, 14 years is a long time, which can manifest various issues. This drive, in addition to minor surface defects on the data platters, also exhibited a failure of one read head. Such a fault can make all user data inaccessible. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![Data Recovery from Seagate Drive. Failed to Start After Power Outage](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2405022-zachrana-dat-z-disku-Seagate-fw1200.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from Seagate Drive. Failed to Start After Power Outage ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/data-recovery-from-seagate-drive-failed-to-start-after-power-outage) Hard drives have been storing our data for decades. This particular one served well for over 10 years, and if not for an unexpected power failure disrupting the symbiotic hum of its read heads and data platters, it probably would have had a few more years of service left. This older Seagate model has an obsolete configuration where the read heads don't have a safe zone outside the data platters, but instead rest in the middle of the platters. Normally, the heads would retract to this area when powered off, but in this case, they got "stuck" on the data platters. Initially, data recovery didn't look very promising, but it was ultimately successful. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) Page 3 of 9 ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.exalab.cz/en" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Blog", "item": "https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog.md" } ] } ```