Watch how we recover data from a clicking WD20NMVW in this real clicking hard drive recovery case study.
Clicking hard drive recovery requires filtered air and technical skill. In this real case study, we recovered vital files from a failed WD My Passport USB drive (model WD20NMVW) for Sarah, a Sydney client. Her drive started clicking and wasn’t detected by her laptop. Years of family memories were at risk - but we brought them back safely with our expert in-lab process. Learn more about the WD My Passport series.
What happened in this WD My Passport recovery?
Case study summary
Client: Sarah, in Sydney
Device: WD My Passport, model WD20NMVW
Problem: The drive was clicking and she could not access it. This is the most common fault the lab sees, usually caused by a drop, or simply by a drive more than five years old
Findings: A bad head, confirmed by the clicking on examination
Solution: The head was replaced with an identical module, with the drive opened in a dust free environment to prevent contamination. The connection was then converted from USB to a SATA circuit board for full access
Complication: On the SATA board the user data came back encrypted. The key was found and the data decrypted
Outcome: Personal files were cloned first, photos and family videos, before the rest of the drive. All of the critical data was recovered
The engineer’s tip: Modern drives are harder to recover from than older ones when they fail, so the tools and experience of whoever you send it to matter more than they used to
Service: Hard drive data recovery
Sarah’s 2TB WD20NMVW began making a faint clicking sound and failed to mount. These symptoms pointed to damaged read/write heads. Sarah hadn’t backed up her files and feared permanent loss. She turned to our team at the Rhodes, NSW lab for WD My Passport file recovery. This is a common issue with portable Western Digital drives, especially after minor bumps or wear over time. Explore current models on Western Digital’s website.
Can a clicking hard drive be recovered?
Yes - but only by professionals using the right tools. Clicking means internal components are failing. DIY attempts can worsen the problem. We specialise in recovering data from damaged heads using matched donor parts, firmware calibration, and precise tools like PC-3000. Sarah’s case is one of many where expert handling made all the difference.
Our recovery process for clicking drives
- Diagnosis: At our Rhodes lab, we confirmed damaged heads using diagnostic tools. No platter damage was present.
- Approval: Sarah reviewed and approved a recovery plan. She was relieved to hear the issue was repairable.
- Head Swap: Dmitri performed a successful head replacement inside our ISO 5 certified laminar flow cabinet using matching donor heads from another WD20NMVW.
- Firmware Calibration: We swapped the USB PCB for a SATA-compatible board and fine-tuned the firmware to stabilise the drive.
- Cloning & Extraction: Using PC-3000, we cloned the drive and extracted all her data.
Why trust Payam for clicking hard drive recovery?
- Australia’s oldest data recovery company since 1998
- 300,000+ devices recovered
- ISO 5 certified laminar flow cabinet for safe repairs
- Real labs in 6 cities - Sydney, Rhodes, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth
- No outsourcing, all work done in-house
- Specialists in WD, Seagate, Toshiba, and Samsung HDDs
Testimonial: “They recovered every single photo of my kids’ first years. I can’t thank Payam enough for saving memories I thought were lost forever.” - Sarah, Sydney NSW
Signs of a failing hard drive
- Clicking or beeping sounds on startup
- Drive not detected by your computer
- Repeated reconnection attempts or slow access
- Drive spins up then stops
How to prevent clicking hard drive failures
To minimise risk of data loss, always eject your drive safely, avoid moving it while connected, and use surge protectors. Regular backups to the cloud or another device can protect you from disaster. Drives like the WD My Passport are convenient, but they’re sensitive to impact and wear. If it clicks, act fast and seek help from professional hard drive repair professionals.
Frequently asked questions
My drive is clicking. What does that actually mean?
Usually a bad head. The clicking is the head assembly repeatedly failing to read and resetting itself. It is the most common fault this lab sees, and it normally follows a drop or simply an ageing drive.
Does the drive have to be opened?
For a head fault, yes, and it has to be done in a dust free environment. A single particle on a platter can turn a head replacement into a scratched surface.
Can you use a head from any similar drive?
No. It has to be an identical module. Heads are matched to the drive they came from, which is why a large donor stock matters.
My WD My Passport is encrypted. Does that stop the recovery?
No, but it adds a step. On these drives the encryption sits in the USB controller, so once the drive is read over SATA the data comes back encrypted. The key has to be found and the data decrypted, which is what happened here.
Which files do you recover first?
The ones that matter most to you. Personal files were cloned first in this case, photos and family videos, before the rest of the drive. On a drive with a failing head there is no guarantee how long it will keep reading, so the order matters.
Are newer drives easier or harder to recover?
Harder. Higher capacities, tighter tolerances and built in encryption all make modern drives less forgiving when they fail than the drives of ten years ago.
Video transcript
Click to expand full transcript
Dmitri was once again helping a customer with a hard drive issue who was hearing a clicking noise and could not access the drive. This is the most common problem that the team encounters in this lab, and it is typically caused by dropping the hard drive on the floor or if the drive is more than five years old.
After examining the drive, Dmitri could also hear these clicking noises, which likely signalled a bad head. The head was replaced with the exact same module. In order to work on the drive safely, it was operated on in a dust free environment to prevent contamination of the drive.
In order to work on the drive more conveniently and efficiently, Dmitri converted from a USB to a SATA PCB. One issue he ran into with the SATA PCB was the user data was encrypted, but he found the key and decrypted the data.
He then first focused on preserving user critical data by cloning personal files such as photos, family videos, et cetera, before copying the rest of the drive. This was another successful case where we managed to recover all of the user’s critical data.
Dmitri’s pro tip is modern hard drives are more difficult to recover from when they fail compared to older models. So make sure to use a recovery company that has the experience and advanced tools needed.
Devices we recover like this one
- WD My Passport 2TB (WD20NMVW)
- WD Elements 1TB and 2TB
- WD Ultra USB-C 4TB
- Samsung M3 Portable
- Seagate Backup Plus Slim
Need Help with a Clicking Hard Drive?
Get a free assessment or call us at 1300 444 800. We can recover your files from clicking WD drives with professional hard drive repair methods. International? Post your device from anywhere. Read real customer reviews.
Our labs across Australia
- Sydney: Level 11, 65 York Street, NSW 2000
- Rhodes: Suite 213, Level 2, 5 Rider Boulevard, NSW 2138
- Melbourne: Level 11, 456 Lonsdale Street, VIC 3000
- Brisbane: Level 10, 95 North Quay, QLD 4000
- Adelaide: Level 30, 91 King William Street, SA 5000
- Perth: Level 28, 140 St Georges Terrace, WA 6000
Real engineers. Real labs. Real results.