--- title: "Blog - Technologies and insights not only from the world of data recovery - EXALAB" description: "Practical examples from IT and data recovery across all media types including HDD, SSD, RAID, mobiles, and more. Interesting reading for both amateurs and profe" url: "https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice?start=10" date: "2026-06-19T22:57:43+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- # BLOG - From Practice Practical examples from the world of IT and data recovery, across all types of media including HDD, SSD, RAID, mobiles, memory cards, and more. ![Data Recovery from an Older Mobile Phone. After Years in a Drawer, It Refused to Turn On](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2501121-w1200-fw.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from an Older Mobile Phone. After Years in a Drawer, It Refused to Turn On ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/data-recovery-from-an-older-mobile-phone-after-years-in-a-drawer-it-refused-to-turn-on) When switching to a new mobile phone, some users transfer and back up their data immediately. Others postpone this step for various reasons, leaving the old device stored away until the "right" time arrives. This was exactly the scenario with this Lenovo phone. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![Data Recovery from OCZ SSD: Data Flow Managed by SandForce Controller](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2411261-main-1200-fw.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from OCZ SSD: Data Flow Managed by SandForce Controller ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/data-recovery-from-ocz-ssd-data-flow-managed-by-sandforce-controller) For successful data recovery from an SSD, it is crucial that the memory chips are intact and the device controller is functioning correctly. One of the most critical complications with SSDs is the failure of their controller, which ensures communication between the memory chips and the computer (or other device). If the controller fails, recovering data from such an SSD can be very challenging – and with SandForce controllers, often impossible. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![Data Recovery from a Toshiba External Hard Drive](https://www.exalab.cz/images/blog/EN2404172-Zachrana-dat-z-disku-Toshiba-fw-1200.jpg) ## [ Data Recovery from a Toshiba External Hard Drive ](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes/data-recovery-from-a-toshiba-external-hard-drive) The Toshiba external hard drive served as additional storage for several years before it spontaneously failed. However, with external drives, it is impossible to completely rule out the possibility that an accidental drop or impact may have contributed to the issue. Fortunately, there was no evidence of extensive mechanical damage to the read heads or data platters, and the disk could be partially initialized. However, the data was only partially accessible, so it was essential to choose the correct procedure from the very beginning. Details By Frantisek Fridrich Frantisek Fridrich Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) ![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 Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [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 Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [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 Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [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 Parent Category: [Blog](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog) [From Practice](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) ![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 Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [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 Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [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 Parent Category: [Z praxe](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice) [LABnotes](https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice/labnotes) Page 2 of 5 ## 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" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "From Practice", "item": "https://www.exalab.cz/en/blog/from-practice.md" } ] } ```