Mac OS Hard Drive & SSD Data Recovery
If a Mac drive has failed, will not mount or has been erased, Data Retrieval Ltd can help. We recover from internal Mac drives, external drives formatted for Mac, and Time Machine backups, across every version from Mac OS X to macOS Tahoe 26 and the latest release.
This page covers the drive and file system. For the Mac itself – MacBook, iMac, Mac mini and Mac Studio – see MacBook recovery and Apple Mac recovery.
Mac File Systems and Storage We Recover
| Range / family | Example models & notes |
|---|---|
| APFS | Containers, volumes and snapshots, including encrypted APFS volumes when the password or recovery key is available. |
| HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) | Journaled and case-sensitive HFS+ on older Macs and external drives. |
| Fusion Drive | iMac and Mac mini Fusion Drives, where the SSD and hard drive must both be recovered and rejoined. |
| FileVault | FileVault 2 encrypted volumes – recoverable when you can supply the password or recovery key. |
| Time Machine | Damaged Time Machine drives, sparse bundles and Time Capsule / NAS backups. |
| Cross-platform | exFAT and FAT32 drives shared between Mac and Windows. |
Typical Mac Data Loss Problems
- “The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer”
- Mac starts to a folder with a question mark, or a prohibitory sign
- Disk Utility cannot repair the disk, or reports an APFS container error
- Drive erased or reformatted by mistake, or macOS reinstalled over data
- Time Machine drive no longer shows backups
- Clicking, slow or overheating external drives
Apple Silicon and T2 Macs
On Macs with the T2 chip or Apple silicon (M1 through M5), the SSD is soldered to the logic board and encrypted by the Mac’s Secure Enclave. The data can only be read through that same board, so recovery involves repairing the Mac’s logic board rather than removing the storage. We carry out board-level repair in-house – see MacBook data recovery.
Before you send your device – five things to avoid
- Switch the device off and leave it off – every power cycle can make physical damage worse
- Do not run CHKDSK, Disk First Aid, fsck or recovery software on a drive that clicks, beeps or is slow
- Do not open the drive or swap the circuit board – modern boards hold drive-specific adaptive data
- Do not reinstall the operating system or initialise the disk when prompted
- Keep liquid-damaged devices unpowered and bring them in as quickly as possible
Free assessment, no obligation. Call 020 7064 4996 or use the form on this page – an engineer will tell you what can be recovered and what it will cost. Book online · Pricing · Locations