Apple’s MacBook Pro Fusion Drive combines a traditional HDD and a fast SSD, offering seamless data storage and performance. However, when a MacBook is stuck on the Apple logo during boot, it often indicates a failing drive, Fusion Drive desynchronization, or file system corruption, leading to data inaccessibility.
This case study details how we successfully recovered invoices, tax records, and financial documents for a plumbing business in Guildford from a MacBook Pro Fusion Drive setup, after a hardware failure prevented the system from booting.
As Guildford Data Recovery, Surrey’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using Fusion Drive reconstruction, SSD/HDD data extraction, and forensic file recovery techniques to restore lost business files.
MacBook Pro Stuck on Apple Logo & Failing Fusion Drive
A Guildford-based plumbing business contacted us after their MacBook Pro failed to boot, with the following issues:
- The Mac was stuck on the Apple logo with a spinning wheel.
- Attempts to enter macOS Recovery Mode failed.
- Disk Utility showed one of the two Fusion Drive disks as “Not Mounted.”
- The drive contained essential business invoices, tax records, and client information.
Since continued use of a failing Fusion Drive can lead to permanent data loss, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the MacBook Pro Fusion Drive (HDD + SSD setup) arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full hardware and software diagnostic. Our findings:
- The HDD component had bad sectors, causing slow response and failed mounts.
- The SSD component was partially functional, but the Fusion Drive was desynchronized.
- File system corruption (APFS/HFS+) – Preventing the system from booting properly.
Since Fusion Drives store data across both disks, failure in either disk can cause total data loss, requiring manual reconstruction of the Fusion array.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging Both Fusion Drive Disks to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve recoverable data, we:
- Created forensic sector-by-sector clones of both the SSD and HDD components.
- Used specialised tools to extract readable sectors while bypassing bad areas.
2. Rebuilding the Fusion Drive Array & Extracting Data
Since Fusion Drive synchronization was lost, we:
- Manually reconstructed the Fusion Drive setup outside the MacBook Pro.
- Recovered missing APFS file structures to restore file accessibility.
3. Extracting & Verifying Business Data
Once the Fusion Drive was successfully rebuilt, we:
- Recovered all invoices, tax records, and client financial documents.
- Restored Excel spreadsheets, QuickBooks files, and PDF invoices.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup device.
The Results: 98% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our Fusion Drive reconstruction and file system repair techniques, we successfully recovered 98% of the plumbing business’s lost financial data, including:
✅ Plumbing invoices, client records, and tax files
✅ QuickBooks and financial spreadsheet data
✅ Organized file structures restored for easy access
The plumbing business was able to resume operations without losing financial records, preventing legal and operational disruptions.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful Mac recoveries, we are England’s leading MacBook data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ MacBook Pro Fusion Drive reconstruction & APFS/HFS+ repair
✔ SSD & HDD manual data extraction and recovery
✔ Business invoices, financial records, and tax document retrieval
✔ Secure & GDPR-compliant data recovery services
If your MacBook Pro is stuck on the Apple logo, experiencing Fusion Drive failure, or preventing access to important business files, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert data recovery.