Data recovery
Data recovery
Photos, messages and files off a phone, MacBook, SSD or hard drive that won't turn on, took water, or got dropped — recovered at the board level, not guessed at with software. Walk in at our Arlington, VA lab, or mail your device in from anywhere in the US with tracking both ways.
Yes, in most cases we can recover your photos, messages and files from a phone, MacBook or SSD that won't turn on, took water, or was dropped. The storage chip is usually fine; the board around it died. We repair the board at chip level to bring it online and pull your data. A $65 written diagnostic tells you what's recoverable first.
Data recovery is the work of getting your photos, contacts and documents back when the device they live on has failed — and when the only thing you actually care about is the data, not the device. Most lost data isn't gone; the storage chip is usually fine, while the board around it died from liquid, a bad power line, or a failed component. We repair the board just enough to bring the storage back online and pull the files off — the same board-level work shops send to us, aimed squarely at your data. We only ever access what's needed to recover your files, and we never sell or share your data.
Software tools vs Typical shop vs WeFixed
| Approach | DIY/software | Typical shop | WeFixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dead board | Cannot help | Mails out | Repaired in-house |
| Soldered/encrypted storage | No | Chip-off fails | Board-level recovery |
| Water damage | Risky | Often declined | Cleaned and recovered |
| Diagnostic | Guesswork | Varies | $65 written |
| Honest no-go advice | None | Rare | Given free |
Modern encrypted storage only decrypts on its own original board, so repairing that board is the only real recovery path.
Signs of a board-level fault
- Phone or laptop won't turn on and the photos aren't backed up
- Liquid or water damage — and you need what's on it
- Dropped device, black screen, or stuck in a boot loop
- Mac SSD or external drive isn't recognized or mounting
- Hard drive clicking, beeping, or showing as unreadable
- Another shop or carrier said the data was unrecoverable
Honest by default
Every board starts with a $65 diagnostic and a written report — exact cost and timeline before we touch it. The fee applies toward your repair.
My phone won't turn on — can you get my pictures off it?
Usually, yes. A phone that won't power on almost always has a board-level fault — a shorted line, a failed power IC, or liquid corrosion — while the storage chip itself is intact. We repair the board enough to boot the phone and pull your photos, messages and contacts off normally. The $65 diagnostic tells you exactly what's recoverable before any work starts.
Can you recover data from a water-damaged phone?
Often, yes — and the sooner the better. Water doesn't erase your data; it corrodes the board over time, so a phone recovered in the first day or two has the best odds. Don't keep trying to power it on, and don't put it in rice. Bring or ship it to us and we'll clean the corrosion, repair the affected circuits, and recover the files.
Can you recover data from a modern iPhone if the storage is soldered and encrypted?
Yes. On modern iPhones the NAND storage is encrypted and tied to the CPU and Secure Enclave on that exact board, so simply pulling the chip off ("chip-off") gives only scrambled, useless data. Real recovery means repairing the original board so the phone boots and decrypts its own storage — board-level work, which is our specialty. If your passcode-locked board is too far gone, we'll tell you straight.
Can you recover data from a MacBook or SSD that died?
Often, yes. On 2018-and-newer MacBooks the SSD is soldered to the logic board and encrypted by the T2 or Apple Silicon chip, so the data can only be read by getting that board to power on again. We repair the power and data circuits just enough to boot it and transfer your files off. We also handle external SSDs and traditional hard drives, including drives that aren't recognized or mounting.
Do you sell my data, and what can you see during recovery?
No — we never sell or share your data, and we only access what's needed to verify and transfer your files. Your device is logged, photographed on arrival, and handled securely the entire time. Recovered data is returned to you and not kept afterward.
What does data recovery cost, and what if you can't recover it?
Every job starts with a $65 written diagnostic that tells you what's recoverable and the exact price before we begin — and that fee applies toward the recovery. Board-level recovery is more involved than a normal repair, so it's priced per case. If we genuinely can't get your data, we'll tell you honestly rather than run up the bill.
Recovery by the lab, not a middleman
Most "data recovery" storefronts mail your device to a third-party lab and mark up the price. We are that lab. For 11 years we've done the board-level microsoldering that real recovery from dead and water-damaged devices actually requires — bringing soldered, encrypted modern storage back online by repairing the original board. We only touch what's needed to get your files, we never sell your data, and if your data truly can't be saved, we'll say so plainly instead of charging you to find out the slow way.