D-Link external hard drives are widely used by businesses, including printing companies, for storing design files, customer orders, and operational documents. However, when a hard drive appears as RAW, it often indicates file system corruption due to improper ejection, making stored data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical print design files and business documents for a local printing company in Guildford from a D-Link external hard drive, after file system corruption rendered the drive unreadable.
As Guildford Data Recovery, Surrey’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using RAW drive recovery, partition table repair, and forensic data extraction techniques to restore lost files.
D-Link Hard Drive Showing as RAW & Unreadable
A local printing company in Guildford contacted us after their D-Link external hard drive became inaccessible, with the following issues:
- The drive was detected but showed as RAW in Windows Disk Management.
- The operating system prompted “You need to format this drive before you can use it.”
- The company’s design and order files were completely inaccessible.
- The drive contained customer print orders, Photoshop files, and invoices.
Since formatting the drive would erase all data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the D-Link external hard drive arrived at our secure cleanroom facility, we conducted a full partition and file system diagnostic. Our findings:
- File system corruption (NTFS/exFAT) – Likely caused by improper ejection.
- Partition table damage (MBR/GPT issues) – Preventing the OS from recognizing the data.
- No mechanical damage detected, meaning logical recovery was possible through partition repair and raw data extraction.
Since RAW file system issues do not immediately erase data, we prioritized rebuilding the partition table and repairing the file system.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging the Hard Drive to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve all recoverable data, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector forensic clone of the D-Link hard drive.
- Used specialized recovery tools to extract readable sectors while avoiding further corruption.
2. Repairing the File System & Rebuilding the Partition Table
Since the partition table was missing or corrupted, we:
- Rebuilt the MBR and partition structures to restore lost file directories.
- Repaired the NTFS/exFAT file system to regain access to stored data.
3. Extracting & Verifying Printing Company Data
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Recovered all customer orders, graphic design files, and invoice records.
- Restored Photoshop (PSD), Illustrator (AI), and PDF files.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAW file system repair and partition table reconstruction techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the printing company’s lost data, including:
✅ Graphic design files (PSD, AI, PDF, and InDesign formats)
✅ Customer print orders, invoices, and financial records
✅ Organized file structures restored for easy access
The printing company was able to resume operations without losing customer orders, preventing financial loss and business disruptions.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful external hard drive recoveries, we are England’s leading data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ RAW drive recovery & NTFS/exFAT file system repair
✔ Partition table reconstruction & logical data extraction
✔ Graphic design file, invoice, and customer order retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential data recovery services
If your external hard drive is showing as RAW, prompting for a format, or preventing access to important files, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert data recovery.