A real-world case study of how we helped a local Harrogate business recover critical data after a server failure.
Client details have been changed to protect confidentiality, but the technical details and outcome are accurate.
A Harrogate-based architectural firm contacted us in a panic. Their main file server—containing 10 years of project files, client records, and financial data—had crashed overnight. The server wouldn't boot, and their IT consultant had determined the RAID array was critically degraded. Without this data, they couldn't complete current projects or access historical client information worth millions of pounds.
The situation was complex:
We collected all four drives and immediately assessed each one. The physically damaged drive required clean room repair before imaging. We provided an honest assessment: 70-80% chance of complete recovery, with emergency service available for faster turnaround.
Our technicians worked in the clean room to replace the failed read/write heads on the damaged drive. Once functional, we created sector-by-sector images of all four drives using specialized RAID recovery equipment. Total imaging time: 36 hours.
Using the drive images, we reconstructed the RAID array virtually. This required determining the original RAID configuration (stripe size, drive order, parity arrangement) and rebuilding the file system. Advanced RAID recovery software combined with our expertise allowed us to piece together the data from multiple failed drives.
We extracted all files from the reconstructed RAID array and verified their integrity. Random sampling of AutoCAD files, documents, and databases confirmed everything was readable and uncorrupted.
We recovered 98.7% of their data, including all critical client files and financial records. The small percentage of unrecoverable data was temporary files and system logs—nothing mission-critical. The client made their scheduled presentations on time and avoided potential financial disaster.
After recovery, we helped the client implement a proper backup strategy:
"Yorkshire Data Recovery saved our business. Not only did they recover our data, but they helped us set up systems so this will never happen again. Their expertise and professionalism were outstanding." – Managing Director