Steffwiz wrote:
...short of sending it in for data recovery (upwards of $1500 quotes).
This is not always the case, unless it is applicable. If it is a heads issue indeed, then yes, it can take you in that range.
Either way, a good professional diagnostic is needed.
Do lot little more research on the industry, get educated about what various specialized DR companies offer (in your case you need a free eval because you seem to be price conscious). There are several companies WD has partner with that provide free evals. Check here for example:
http://support.wdc.com/recovery/index.a ... n=americasShould you not like the quote the company provides you for the service based on their evaluation findings, all you will likely be responsible for is the shipping cost of the device back to you. Good thing, you will at least know what the failure(s) your drive has.
Best wishes.