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 Post subject: Disabling heads
PostPosted: July 20th, 2009, 11:35 
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Joined: February 11th, 2009, 9:18
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania
Hi Dmitry,

I spoke with your tech support a couple of months back and he had mentioned that you would be adding a feature to disable heads. Do you know if that is still in the works?


Thank you!
Dennis


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 Post subject: Re: Disabling heads
PostPosted: August 1st, 2009, 16:35 
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Joined: September 27th, 2005, 8:21
Posts: 765
Hello Dennis,

If you'd like to disable certain heads for HDD repair purposes, then I am sorry to disappoint: we will most likely not add any HDD repair features in the near future...

If you are referring to data recovery, then could you please clarify what exactly you'd like to do?

Thanks!

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 Post subject: Re: Disabling heads
PostPosted: August 4th, 2009, 14:32 
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Joined: July 16th, 2008, 17:52
Posts: 489
Location: Long Beach, California
Typically disabling heads really isn't useful in an actual recovery, because you are cutting out a large percentage of data. Remember that modern drives don't write data by filling up one platter, then going to the next, so by disable one head you are likely cutting out a huge portion of all the large files of your drive, so your recovery will not likely be very successful in this method (maybe get small files, but large pictures taken with high megapixel camera, etc will not be working correctly)

The only use I see for disabling heads is for matching heads; sometimes you may be able to get a set of heads with samd preamp model, etc, but it has an extra head or two (or more for that matter) and you can then disable the extra heads and use the heads from the larger drive in your smaller drive.

Even so you can probably do without disable the extra heads.


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 Post subject: Re: Disabling heads
PostPosted: August 6th, 2009, 8:22 
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Joined: February 9th, 2009, 16:13
Posts: 2520
Location: Ontario, Canada
I have to disagree with @Russwinters, I find the ability to disable heads almost imperative in doing data recovery these days. If a drive has an unstable head, it can be disabled, the good heads mirrored, then the bad head dealt with. In many cases, you can keep the drive alive long enough to mirror without changing the heads. In the case where a head swap is needed, you need only worry about mirroring the surface tied to the bad head, and not the previously mirrored surfaces with the good heads. I use this feature every day with DDI and DE.

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Luke
Recovery Force Data Recovery


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 Post subject: Re: Disabling heads
PostPosted: August 6th, 2009, 16:06 
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Joined: June 9th, 2008, 12:06
Posts: 213
I had actually written the same thing yesterday, but was too busy to post... Here is a recent example: Last week a law firm brought us modern 120GB Hitachi. I proved that Head 1 was completely BAD. I imaged drive with remaining 3 heads only and was able to recover two of the most important documents and much more. Customer had most documents backed up on server, but needed several recent documents for legal case (deposition) ASAP. IMPORTANT documents client wanted were recovered FAST by imaging with remaining 3 heads. Of the documents recovered, only 1 of them was corrupted (only partially). There were, in fact, many files of 1MB/2MB that were good, even songs, pictures, etc.

We asked if client wanted to retrieve 100% with head swap, but client was satisfied with these documents only, and case was closed successfully...so "modern drives" can benefit from this feature IMHO.

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 Post subject: Re: Disabling heads
PostPosted: August 10th, 2009, 10:03 
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Joined: September 27th, 2005, 8:21
Posts: 765
Thanks everyone for comments!

There are chances that we have underestimated the importance of this feature. Right now I am trying to find for what percentage of DR cases this feature would help getting data. Can you please PM me how often do you use such feature?

Just to clarify: you are not actually disabling heads, right? Literally disabling heads would not do anything good for data recovery purposes. I assume that you rather image by only good heads, right?

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 Post subject: Re: Disabling heads
PostPosted: August 10th, 2009, 10:58 
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Joined: October 13th, 2008, 7:29
Posts: 1493
I often use this feature on PC3000 and have recovered many drives without changing heads. Saves time and money on parts. If possible its always best to image using good heads before head swap. Its always pretty essential if one platter is bad also. I would say its the best feature of it.


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 Post subject: Re: Disabling heads
PostPosted: August 13th, 2009, 4:40 
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Joined: May 2nd, 2009, 0:17
Posts: 89
Location: Brazil
Hi Dmitry

I use this feature almost everyweek!
For me it's a very usefull feature and I think you are right, it should not be called head disabling but imaging from selected heads

-BR-


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 Post subject: Re: Disabling heads
PostPosted: August 28th, 2009, 17:38 
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Joined: September 27th, 2005, 8:21
Posts: 765
Thanks everyone for the wonderful input! I've received A LOT of private messages and now I see we should definitely have such feature (by-head imaging). We will be working on it soon! :)

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