A customer recently reached out to PITS Data Recovery Services after their second-hand iMac stopped booting. The system relied on a Fusion Drive, which combines a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) with a solid-state drive (SSD) into a single logical volume. Unfortunately, the internal hard drive had failed, rendering the iMac unusable and the data inaccessible.
With no backup in place and critical personal and work files on the system, the customer turned to our team for help.
The Situation: Fusion Drive Failure on iMac
The user had been operating the iMac for over two years when it suddenly failed to load macOS. When attempting to boot into recovery mode, the drive was no longer detected. Despite researching DIY solutions online, the customer quickly realized that Fusion Drive recovery isn’t straightforward. Losing the HDD component meant the entire logical volume was broken.
They discovered our website and were impressed with our remote file verification process, success rate, and customer testimonials. After speaking with our support team, they shipped their iMac to our lab using a secure prepaid label we provided.
Initial Diagnostics and Evaluation
Upon receiving the iMac, our engineers carefully disassembled the device and evaluated both components of the Fusion Drive. The SSD was functioning correctly, but the mechanical HDD had suffered a read head failure.
Fusion Drives depend on both drives working together. If one fails, especially the hard drive, the full volume becomes inaccessible. Our technicians confirmed the mechanical failure and contacted the client to explain the issue and provide a detailed recovery plan.
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Recovery Approach in Our Cleanroom Lab
The failed HDD was carefully opened inside our ISO-certified cleanroom environment, where we replaced the faulty head assembly with compatible donor parts. Once stabilized, we created a bit-level clone of the drive to avoid working on the original hardware. This ensured data safety throughout the recovery.
We then integrated the cloned HDD image with the functional SSD image to virtually reconstruct the Fusion Drive’s logical structure.
Rebuilding the Logical Volume and Extracting Files
Fusion Drive recovery requires advanced handling, as macOS uses Core Storage or APFS to manage data distribution across the two physical drives. Using proprietary tools, our team was able to rebuild the metadata structure, locate critical volume headers, and extract the full directory tree.
Once the volume was restored virtually, we recovered all user files in their original folder hierarchy. Documents, photos, videos, and macOS configuration data were successfully extracted.
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Data Verification and Return
The client was invited to a secure remote verification session where they reviewed their recovered files. We confirmed that everything personal documents, media libraries, and software files was intact and functional.
After approval, the data was securely transferred to a new external drive and shipped back to the client.
Why Fusion Drive Recovery Requires Expertise
Apple’s Fusion Drives are complex. They split file storage across the SSD and HDD, dynamically moving frequently accessed files to the SSD and archiving larger ones on the HDD. Without access to both parts, data recovery is not possible using software alone.
Additionally, these drives often use APFS (Apple File System), which is more resilient than HFS+ but much more complex to reconstruct manually. Our engineers are trained in advanced Mac recovery methods, including reconstructing Fusion Drives with damaged partitions or missing metadata.
Turn to PITS Data Recovery Services for iMac Fusion Drive Failures
If your iMac won’t boot and you suspect a Fusion Drive failure, avoid using DIY tools. Continued use or repeated power-ons may worsen mechanical damage and permanently destroy your data. Contact PITS Data Recovery Services for a professional evaluation and secure recovery process.
We specialize in recovering data from failed iMac Fusion Drives, APFS volumes, and SSD + HDD hybrid setups with no upfront fees for evaluation.
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