Overview
A customer from Battersea brought in an Asus N56VM after the internal drive failed and important files could not be accessed.
Symptoms
- Boot failures and drive read errors
- Missing or inaccessible documents
- System instability before total drive failure
Diagnosis
Hardware tests indicated a failing mechanical hard drive. We isolated the drive and assessed data recovery viability before rebuilding the machine.
Fix
We ran targeted recovery to extract available files, fitted a replacement drive, reinstalled the operating system, and restored recovered data.
Result
The laptop returned to normal use with core files recovered and a clean, stable installation.
Prevention / Tips
Keep routine backups in place and respond early to unusual drive noise, freezes, or SMART warnings.