MacBook or Laptop Won't Boot? Your Files Come First

How we start

• MacBook won't boot: data-first diagnosticWe find the fault and get your files off before any repair. The fee comes off the repair price.from $79
• Windows laptop won't boot: data-first diagnosticDell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer, and more. Files first, then the repair decision.from $89
• External hard drive or SSDNot showing up, asking to be formatted, or clicking. Tell us the drive and what happened.Quote after evaluation
• USB flash drive or memory cardBent, snapped, or unreadable. Camera cards and phone microSD cards too.Quote after evaluation
• iPhone or Android phoneWon't turn on, stuck on the logo, or liquid damage. Photos, messages, and notes back on a working phone.Quote after evaluation

Diagnostic prices are current online estimates, and the fee goes toward the repair. Phone, tablet, drive, and memory card recovery is quoted after the evaluation, before any recovery work starts.

How it works

1. Tell us what happenedSend the request on this page, or text us with a question. Leave the device off and keep its charger or cable with it.
2. Evaluation firstWe check what is recoverable and give you a price and a timeline before any recovery work starts. You approve it first.
3. RecoveryPhones and laptops: board-level repair brings the device back long enough to copy everything off. Drives and cards: we work from a copy, so the original is not pushed any further.
4. Pickup and checkYour files go onto a drive or device you bring, and you check them with us at pickup.

Before you come in

• Power it off and leave it off. Every boot attempt on a failing drive or a wet board can cost data.
• Do not charge a wet phone or laptop, and skip the rice. Ask us for the earliest slot; corrosion grows by the day.
• Do not run recovery software or open the drive. Software keeps a weak drive working and writes to it, and an opened drive needs a clean room.

Common questions

My MacBook has a soldered SSD. Can the files still be saved?

On M1, M2, and T2 MacBooks the storage is part of the logic board and locked to it, so the drive cannot be moved to another computer. Recovery means repairing the board enough to start the Mac and copy the files. If the board cannot be brought back, we tell you.

My phone or laptop got wet. What should I do?

Turn it off, do not charge it, and ask us for the earliest slot you can get. Liquid damage is a race against corrosion. We clean the board first and recover your data before any repair decision.

Should I try data recovery software first?

Not on a drive that clicks, disconnects, or asks to be formatted. Software keeps the drive working and writes to it, and both make a weak drive worse. If you deleted files on a healthy drive, stop using it and bring it in.

What does data recovery cost?

It depends on the device and the fault, so we quote after the evaluation, and you approve the price before recovery work starts. MacBooks and laptops start with a diagnostic at the listed price, and that fee comes off the repair price.

Is my data private?

We access only what is needed to confirm the recovery worked, and your files go onto a drive or device you own. Our privacy page explains how we handle personal information.

Do I need an appointment?

Yes. We are by appointment only, on the second floor at 2505 Channing Way, Suite 6, Berkeley. The request on this page asks for a time, and we confirm it with you. For a question first, text or call.

Repair guides

• Spilled Water on Your MacBook? Do These Four Things in the Next Ten Minutes
• MacBook Repair Near UC Berkeley: A Student's Guide