Western Digital WD Red hard drives are commonly used by business professionals, accountants, and small enterprises for secure data storage and backup solutions. However, when the Master Boot Record (MBR) or GUID Partition Table (GPT) becomes corrupted, it can render the drive unbootable and inaccessible, putting important business data at risk.
This case study details how we successfully recovered 100 customer accounts and financial data for an accountant in Guildford from a WD Red hard drive, after MBR/GPT corruption made the drive unreadable.
As Guildford Data Recovery, Surrey’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using partition repair, forensic sector recovery, and deep data extraction techniques to restore lost business files securely and confidentially.
Western Digital WD Red Hard Drive with Corrupt MBR/GPT
A Guildford-based accountant contacted us after their WD Red hard drive became unreadable, with the following issues:
- The drive was no longer detected in Windows File Explorer.
- Disk Management showed the drive as “Unallocated” or “RAW.”
- Attempts to repair using built-in Windows tools failed.
- The drive contained accounting records for 100 clients, which were crucial for tax filings and financial reports.
Since attempting to fix a corrupted MBR/GPT with improper tools can overwrite critical data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the WD Red hard drive arrived at our secure cleanroom facility, we conducted a full hardware and partition table diagnostic. Our findings:
- MBR/GPT corruption – Preventing the operating system from detecting the drive properly.
- File system issues (NTFS/FAT32 corruption) – Making stored data unreadable.
- No physical damage detected, meaning logical recovery was possible through partition repair and forensic-level data extraction.
Since a corrupted MBR/GPT can make the entire drive appear empty, we prioritized partition table repair and direct sector scanning.
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 WD Red hard drive.
- Used specialised recovery tools to extract readable sectors while avoiding corruption.
2. Rebuilding the Partition Table & File System
Since the drive’s MBR/GPT was corrupted, we:
- Repaired the Master Boot Record (MBR) or GUID Partition Table (GPT).
- Rebuilt the NTFS file system to restore missing directories.
3. Extracting & Verifying Accountant’s Customer Data
Once the partition was restored, we:
- Recovered all customer account records, tax files, and spreadsheets.
- Restored folder structures exactly as they were before corruption.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our partition repair and deep forensic sector recovery techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the accountant’s lost client data, including:
✅ Accounting records for 100 customers
✅ Financial reports, tax filings, and spreadsheets
✅ Organised file structures restored for easy access
The accountant was able to retrieve all essential business files, preventing financial reporting delays and data loss.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful hard drive recoveries, we are England’s leading data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ MBR/GPT partition repair & sector-level recovery
✔ RAW drive recovery & NTFS file system restoration
✔ Business document, financial record, and client account retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential data recovery services
If your hard drive is showing as unallocated, RAW, or missing important financial records, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert data recovery.