Sydney, Australia – June 17, 2025 – With Microsoft’s Experience Centre permanently closed in May 2025, thousands of Surface users across Australia are wondering where to turn when their devices fail. The good news? Payam Data Recovery has been providing professional data recovery services for Microsoft Surface users since 2012 when the first model called Surface RT came out, and they’re Australia’s leading Surface data recovery specialists.
Located at Level 11, 65 York Street (a 5-minute walk from where the Microsoft Store used to be), this Australian company has been rescuing data since 1998. While Microsoft didn’t offer professional data recovery services, their knowledgeable staff would help customers understand their options and direct them to specialists like Payam before proceeding with warranty replacements or repairs – which typically meant receiving a refurbished unit or new logic board, resulting in complete data loss.
Mr Payam Toloo, founder of Payam Data Recovery, shared his experience: “I visited the Microsoft Store in April 2025 to purchase a Surface Laptop 6 for work. The staff were helpful, had computers in stock, and I was in and out in 10 minutes. It was convenient having a Microsoft store instead of ordering online. I trusted their advice and found them honest and helpful. I’ll miss the staff there.”
“We’re getting many calls every day from people who used to pop into the Microsoft Store,” says the team at Payam Data Recovery. “They’re panicking because their Surface died and they never used OneDrive or made any backup of their files. They thought SSDs don’t fail and if the computer ever did, they could get local help. That’s exactly the sort of emergency we handle.”
The Sydney flagship Microsoft store originally opened on 12 November 2015 as one of only four Microsoft retail locations outside the United States. The closure eliminates the sole location where Australian customers could receive in-person support, product demonstrations, and technical assistance for Microsoft products including Surface devices, Xbox consoles, and software solutions.
The Sydney Experience Centre was located over two floors and operated for nearly a decade, serving customers across Australia seeking hands-on product experiences and technical support services that were not available through online channels.
Common Surface Problems and Solutions
The most common Surface problems are sudden charging failures, devices that won’t power on, or computers stuck on the Windows boot logo. The SSD storage inside is often fine even when everything else fails, but these failures make it nearly impossible to troubleshoot or remove the SSD yourself.
The smart approach? Get your data recovered first by professionals like Payam Data Recovery, then send your Surface to a Microsoft authorised repair provider for repair or replacement. For more information about Microsoft warranty options, see: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/warranty
Payam operates Australia’s biggest electronics repair laboratory specifically designed for Surface data recovery. Their Sydney facility houses over 30,000 spare parts locally, enabling same-day service.
Their Microsoft Surface Data Recovery Service covers every Surface model from the original Surface RT to the latest Surface Pro 11, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go devices. Each day, they work on several damaged Surface computers, completing over 1000 successful data recovery cases yearly.
Data Recovery Across Australia
Payam has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Over 2000 other IT companies and data recovery labs send their most challenging Surface cases to them. The team handles:
Water Damage Recovery: Salt water and liquid damage from beach trips, pool accidents, and coffee spills. Clean room facilities recover data from severely corroded Surface devices.
Physical Damage Recovery: Dropped, crushed, or run-over Surface devices. If SSD storage chips aren’t physically destroyed, data recovery is usually possible.
BitLocker Encrypted Surface Recovery: Many business Surface devices use BitLocker encryption. Partnerships with encryption specialists help recover encrypted Surface data.
Surface SSD Firmware Failures: When Surface NVMe SSDs develop controller or NAND chip failures, specialists repair these issues at the component level.
Want to know if your dead or broken Surface data can be recovered? Contact Payam Data Recovery to get a free quote – no obligation.
Contact Information
If your Surface has died, help is available. Phone 1300 444 800 or email help@payam.com.au. Their Sydney laboratory is at Level 11, 65 York Street.
Contact Payam Data Recovery to get a free quote to find out if your Surface data can be recovered.
For more details, visit their Microsoft Surface Data Recovery Service page.
About the Microsoft Store Closure
Microsoft’s Sydney Experience Centre was Australia’s only physical Microsoft store. The closure was widely reported as part of Microsoft’s digital strategy.
Location Update
The former Microsoft store space is currently under construction for a new retail tenant. Designer toy retailer Pop Mart, a global collectible toy brand, appears to be preparing for a grand opening at the prime Pitt Street Mall location.
Customer Resources
Current Microsoft customers requiring support can access services through:
- Microsoft Australia support line: 1800 624 449
- Microsoft Australia online support portal
- Authorised Microsoft service providers
- Retail partners carrying Microsoft products
- Community support forums and digital resources
For customers specifically requiring data recovery services, local specialists such as Payam Data Recovery (1300 444 800) offer free consultations for device data recovery needs.
Microsoft Australia has not announced plans for additional physical retail locations following the Sydney closure.
The closure aligns with Microsoft’s broader strategic shift towards digital-first customer engagement, following similar retail closures in other international markets. Microsoft closed its Experience Centre flagship in London on 31 January 2025, leaving only two Microsoft physical locations remaining globally: the New York City Experience Centre and the Redmond Company Store in Washington State.
This represents the end of Microsoft’s traditional retail presence, with the company now focusing entirely on digital sales platforms that reach over 1.2 billion customers monthly across 190 markets worldwide.
The closure affects various customer service touchpoints, including product demonstrations, technical consultations, and direct warranty claim processing that were previously handled at the physical location.
For current Microsoft support options and service information, customers can visit support.microsoft.com/en-au.
Contact Details:
Payam Data Recovery
Level 11, 65 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 1300 444 800
Email: help@payam.com.au
Website: www.payam.com.au
