Hitachi Travelstar hard drives are widely used in laptops, external enclosures, and business storage systems. However, when a hard drive emits a burnt smell or sparks, it often indicates PCB (Printed Circuit Board) failure, power surge damage, or internal electrical short circuits, making stored data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered business-critical data for a local gym in Guildford from a Hitachi Travelstar 1TB hard drive, after electrical damage prevented the drive from functioning.
As Guildford Data Recovery, Surrey’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using cleanroom component repair, donor PCB replacement, and forensic data extraction techniques to restore lost files securely.
Hitachi Travelstar Hard Drive Emits Burnt Smell & Sparks
A Guildford-based gym contacted us after their Hitachi Travelstar 1TB hard drive stopped working, with the following issues:
- The drive emitted a burnt smell and showed visible burn marks.
- When plugged into a laptop, the drive sparked and failed to spin up.
- The PC did not detect the drive, preventing access to essential business files.
- The drive contained gym membership records, financial reports, and staff schedules.
Since electrical failure can worsen if power is repeatedly applied, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Hitachi Travelstar hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full hardware and electronic diagnostic. Our findings:
- PCB (Printed Circuit Board) failure – The board was burnt due to a power surge.
- No platter damage detected, increasing the likelihood of full data recovery.
- Firmware corruption – The drive’s firmware was affected, preventing normal operation.
Since continued power attempts could cause irreversible platter damage, we prioritized PCB replacement and firmware restoration.
The Recovery Process
1. Cleanroom Hard Drive Disassembly & PCB Replacement
To restore access to the drive, we:
- Carefully disassembled the Hitachi Travelstar drive in a dust-free ISO 5 Class 100 cleanroom.
- Replaced the burnt PCB with a compatible donor board.
- Transferred the original drive’s firmware chip onto the donor PCB to ensure proper drive recognition.
2. Imaging & Cloning the Repaired Hard Drive
Once the burnt PCB was replaced, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector forensic clone of the Hitachi Travelstar hard drive.
- Used specialiSed imaging tools to extract all readable data while avoiding further damage.
3. Extracting & Verifying Business-Critical Gym Data
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Recovered all gym membership records, financial reports, and employee schedules.
- Rebuilt damaged file structures to restore missing directories.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 98% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our PCB replacement and forensic imaging techniques, we successfully recovered 98% of the gym’s lost data, including:
✅ Gym membership records and payment history
✅ Financial reports, staff schedules, and business documents
✅ Organized file structures restored for easy access
The client was able to retrieve all essential files, preventing operational disruptions.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful hard drive recoveries, we are England’s leading electrical failure data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ Burnt PCB repair & donor board replacement
✔ Firmware restoration & data extraction from failed drives
✔ Business document, financial record, and membership data retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential data recovery services
If your hard drive has stopped working, is emitting a burnt smell, or has suffered power surge damage, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert data recovery.