Water-damaged drives are often recoverable — if you act fast and don't power them on. The data lives on the platters or NAND, not the water. The real enemy is corrosion and short circuits from powering a wet drive. Don't dry it with heat, don't use rice, and don't switch it on. Get it to a cleanroom quickly — sooner is better before corrosion sets in.
The first 24 hours: what to do
Powering a wet drive shorts the electronics and can destroy recoverable data instantly. This is the single most important rule.
Heat warps components; rice does nothing useful and leaves dust/starch residue. See the myths below.
Seal it in a bag/container. A drive kept damp corrodes less than one dried unevenly in open air.
The sooner we clean and stabilise it, the less corrosion. Call us or start online.
Water-damage myths that make it worse
What water actually does to a drive
The threat isn't the water itself — it's what happens next. Powering a wet drive causes short circuits across the electronics. Over hours and days, water (especially flood, sea or sugary liquids) causes corrosion and oxidation on the PCB, contacts and platters. In our cleanroom we clean and desiccate the components, replace corroded parts, and image the platters before corrosion becomes permanent — which is why speed matters so much.
Is a water-damaged drive recoverable?
Often yes — if it hasn't been powered on and reaches us promptly. The data sits on the platters (HDD) or NAND (SSD/USB/SD), which usually survive immersion. We clean off contamination in the cleanroom, repair or replace corroded electronics, and image the media. Odds are best for drives brought in quickly and never powered on; they drop with time, drying attempts, and power-ups.
Water-damaged devices we handle
How much does water-damage recovery cost?
Water-damaged recoveries are physical, cleanroom cases — indicatively $400–$1,800 (SGD) for hard drives, with flash devices assessed individually. Your free diagnosis confirms the exact fixed price. Full detail on our cost guide.