Need Urgent Advice from all HDDGURUS

[AshwaniGaur]

Hi,
i am new here but not in electronics, from last 30 years i have been doing all kind of electronic equipments repair and service jobs including industrial and bio-medical device, also in teaching of the same.i am internet addict for electronics related data, and like all others i also face many times data lost in my own various HDD, which i was always able to recover. now as i am getting older and having eye sight problem, i can nomore do regular electronics repair and service job and i wanted a change. Luckily i got 8 Seagate Portable HDD out of which One with Controller board damage due to water,Two of them are detected by system but with data read error, remain 5 are with clicking/ticking sound.
My Question is that if i buy one new same brand and model HDD and swap only platters from damaged one to new one, will i be able to recover data successfully.
i knew clicking/ticking is due to R/W head but as all data is on platter, so i assume if i put these platters in to a new same model/make hdd, will it work,

Regards
AshwaniGaur

[higgsboson]

Dear mr. Gaur
I can understand your problem ,however platter swap is the most challenging and last option in data recovery as precision servo alignment is done in factory using sophisticated devices like servo writers.
You must have a clean room & in depth knowledge , skills ,equipments for the same. I suggest to take professional help if data is important. Clicking sound may come because of carious reasons and not necessarily because of heads only. A correct diagnostics must be made in order to conclude.

[BlackST]

Hi,
i am new here but not in electronics, from last 30 years i have been doing all kind of electronic equipments repair and service jobs including industrial and bio-medical device, also in teaching of the same.i am internet addict for electronics related data, and like all others i also face many times data lost in my own various HDD, which i was always able to recover. now as i am getting older and having eye sight problem, i can nomore do regular electronics repair and service job and i wanted a change. Luckily i got 8 Seagate Portable HDD out of which One with Controller board damage due to water,Two of them are detected by system but with data read error, remain 5 are with clicking/ticking sound.
My Question is that if i buy one new same brand and model HDD and swap only platters from damaged one to new one, will i be able to recover data successfully.
i knew clicking/ticking is due to R/W head but as all data is on platter, so i assume if i put these platters in to a new same model/make hdd, will it work,

Regards
AshwaniGaur

Good will and "background electronics knowledge" (?!?) is not enough especially if it is the 1st time you approach a platter swap . The problems of your drives can also be elsewhere or blended, so why do something that is difficult, not simple, require premises and also maybe useless ?

[AshwaniGaur]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I already got one Platter Swap Tool for 2.5 HDD from EBay. they claim that it will keep platters intact in terms of alignment.

OKi, now How do i knew that main reason of Clicking/Ticking sound, as Client told me that all Hdd'S are dropped from table or something like that, as i can guess that you are saying Platter Swap is more complicated job rather than R/W Head change, can i swap R/W Head from same make and model???

as i can understand that there are only three sections in a HDD ,First is Logic Board, which needed to be the same HW+SW version, as i found all of these HDD (Total 8 Nos) are having different marking all together from each one, can not find even single maching pair, so i assume it will be very difficult to find and buy new board for each HDD. moreover i feel that there is no problem with these board, i cannot find any missing part or desoldered part or any sign of physical damage to the board.
2nd id R/W Head assembly, i am not sure if they are compatible from same make and model, kindly suggest how to match R/W Head for Swap.
3rd is Platter which contains data, maybe very critical to change, but i felt if platter change tool can retain alignment, it will work, ya with very steady hands and a kind of Clean room environment.
Remains only Spindle motor, either it will work or not, it can be due to both either self stuck due to bearing or some other mechanical failure or due to Logic Board problem, in my case all motor's seem to be good, as i can feel them.

if i missed something kindly forgive me.
i wanted to recover data myself, for that Kindly Suggest Best Correct way, as you said there can be someother reasons for clicking/ticking sound how to find those???
if platter swap tool can not do the job, can a R/W Head from other good same make/model swap work.??

Regards and Thanks
AshwaniGaur

[Cleanroom]

Just because you have the tools does not mean you are going to successfully do this... for the same reason I cannot just go out and buy the tools to do open heart surgery and expect the patient to live after I am done.

You are going down a very dangerous path that may lead to your data being lost forever. If you mess up your platter swap there is usually no going back and your hard drive is now a paperweight.

If the data is important... Stop what you are planning on doing and get professional assistance.

[AshwaniGaur]

oki, if all i wanted to do it myself, there is a reason for that,as this is not about my own HDD , its a job with me, and i have to do it myself success fully.
all experts just started like me someday, correct me if i am wrong.
i also learned electronics 30y back same way

as all of you hddguru's are giving red flag for platter swap, will R/W head be good with a kind of clean room.

can i change R/W head assembly from a good one(NEW) same model and make but with different FW/SW version.

regards
AshwaniGaur

[loki]

Hi AshwaniGaur,

Regarding your quotes "oki, if all i wanted to do it myself, there is a reason for that,as this is not about my own HDD , its a job with me, and i have to do it myself success fully"

Firstly I mean nothing nasty & am sorry to say this but you are way way way out of your depth here. As you dont have the experiance or knowledge or equipment to do this successfully all you will be doing is destorying your customers drive & data. Dont put their data at risk so you can learn.
When starting out learning to do head swaps & platter swaps you need to do lots of practice (practice & practice) on working test drives until your sure about your skill level. Dont over estimate this otherwise your fooling yourself.


Loki

[AshwaniGaur]

Thanks loki for the suggestion with my quote.
what about i also said

all experts just started like me someday, correct me if i am wrong.
i also learned electronics 30y back same way

anyway, i respect all of you and thanks all of you for all of your time .
just can anyone answer my 2 question
1. can R/W Head assembly from new HDD with same model and make be replaced, ignoring hdd FW and Logic card FW/SW

2. Can Platter swap from BAD HDD to new same model and maker HDD will enable data recovery.

Regards
AshwaniGaur

[loki]

Thanks loki for the suggestion with my quote.
what about i also said [b]

all experts just started like me someday, correct me if i am wrong.
i also learned electronics 30y back same way

Your electronic skill set will help you with pcb diagnosis but this is no help on platter swaps or head swaps.
& regarding saying all experts just started out like me someday? wrong they didnt start on customers drives straight away without reseaching & practicing a lot on other test/old drives first.


Anyway this site is worth looking at http://www.donordrives.com/hard-drive-p ... swap-match

I wish you all the best on your dr learning

Loki

[northwind]

Does your client know you are experimenting with their data?

[AshwaniGaur]

Thanks again @Loki for the link, i already been there.
@northwind:- NO, but what the big deal, if i can repair and service VENTILATORS and other Human Life Saving Equipments alongwith Industrial Equipments, I can easily do HDD, already gone through hours of video,s and other related stuff. Trying to understand more thats why i am here.

My only question still remains unanswered:-

1. can R/W Head assembly from new HDD with same model and make be replaced, ignoring hdd FW and Logic card FW/SW

2. Can Platter swap from BAD HDD to new same model and maker HDD will enable data recovery.

still waiting
regards
AshwaniGaur

[freakzy]

Thanks loki for the suggestion with my quote.
what about i also said

all experts just started like me someday, correct me if i am wrong.
i also learned electronics 30y back same way

anyway, i respect all of you and thanks all of you for all of your time .
just can anyone answer my 2 question
1. can R/W Head assembly from new HDD with same model and make be replaced, ignoring hdd FW and Logic card FW/SW

2. Can Platter swap from BAD HDD to new same model and maker HDD will enable data recovery.

Regards
AshwaniGaur

Assuming you REALLY KNOW how to diagnose what the real problem(s) is/are, know exactly how to resolve it/them and manage to do it properly with the right tools/hardware+software and already found the correct healthy drive (there are criteria for them) as donor :
1. You must know the criteria first for finding suitable donor disk. Everything depends on manufacturer requirements. Some are tolerant, some are not and very strict. You must match every information given from sticker and service area. A Seagate Momentus 5400.6 will not always be a compatible donor disk for another Seagate Momentus 5400.6, even they are both manufactured by same site plant. Some additional parameters must be known first. So, FW info and PCB FW at least have something to do with it.
2. Same as 1

I would like to remind you again. It will NOT be easy at all. There will be a lot of possible problems than just simply swapping heads or platters. It's Seagate. Don't be surprised.

PS : You'd better practice with other drives first to understand what I'm writing about.

Just my 0.02
Regards,

[Cleanroom]

The big deal is that you can cause irreversible damage to the drive making the data permanently unrecoverable by any means.

I just do no understand why people think that just because they work with computer, work with electronics, built space shuttles, cured cancer, it suddenly makes them a professional in Data recovery and nothing that Actual data recovery professionals tell them will not sway them.

Plain and simple you should not be working on these drives if they contain actual client data. This is not a hobby, you should be man enough to tell the client... "look I cannot work on these since I have zero experience doing this kind of work, I would recommend a professional service".... But apparently your ego is stopping you... by all means FUBAR the drives, not like it is YOUR data that is on there. I bet if the tables were turned you would be a little more cautious.

Good Luck and may the force be with you....since experience is not

[northwind]

@northwind:- NO, but what the big deal, if i can repair and service VENTILATORS and other Human Life Saving Equipments alongwith Industrial Equipments, I can easily do HDD, already gone through hours of video,s and other related stuff. Trying to understand more thats why i am here.

Really? OK then, since I am a pro in Data Recovery, therefore I can perform brain surgery? Oh, I forgot you service VENTILATORS!

I just hope your client does not read this forum... Then again, on a second thought, I hope he is.

[lcoughey]

AshwaniGaur, I don't think that you are going to get the answers you are looking for here. Those of us with the knowledge to answer your questions care too much for end users to encourage you to destroy any chances that they will get their data back.

[mr_spokk]

AshwaniGaur, I don't think that you are going to get the answers you are looking for here. Those of us with the knowledge to answer your questions care too much for end users to encourage you to destroy any chances that they will get their data back.

+1

[AshwaniGaur]

Thanks loki for the suggestion with my quote.
what about i also said

all experts just started like me someday, correct me if i am wrong.
i also learned electronics 30y back same way

anyway, i respect all of you and thanks all of you for all of your time .
just can anyone answer my 2 question
1. can R/W Head assembly from new HDD with same model and make be replaced, ignoring hdd FW and Logic card FW/SW

2. Can Platter swap from BAD HDD to new same model and maker HDD will enable data recovery.

Regards
AshwaniGaur

Assuming you REALLY KNOW how to diagnose what the real problem(s) is/are, know exactly how to resolve it/them and manage to do it properly with the right tools/hardware+software and already found the correct healthy drive (there are criteria for them) as donor :
1. You must know the criteria first for finding suitable donor disk. Everything depends on manufacturer requirements. Some are tolerant, some are not and very strict. You must match every information given from sticker and service area. A Seagate Momentus 5400.6 will not always be a compatible donor disk for another Seagate Momentus 5400.6, even they are both manufactured by same site plant. Some additional parameters must be known first. So, FW info and PCB FW at least have something to do with it.
2. Same as 1

I would like to remind you again. It will NOT be easy at all. There will be a lot of possible problems than just simply swapping heads or platters. It's Seagate. Don't be surprised.

PS : You'd better practice with other drives first to understand what I'm writing about.

Just my 0.02
Regards,

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

thanks +1
This is informative post
Yes, its sure i am not going to start work directly on these drives, am ready to kill few of mine first.
but at the i have to do this job myself.
regards
AshwaniGaur

[AshwaniGaur]

@northwind:- NO, but what the big deal, if i can repair and service VENTILATORS and other Human Life Saving Equipments alongwith Industrial Equipments, I can easily do HDD, already gone through hours of video,s and other related stuff. Trying to understand more thats why i am here.

Really? OK then, since I am a pro in Data Recovery, therefore I can perform brain surgery? Oh, I forgot you service VENTILATORS!

I just hope your client does not read this forum... Then again, on a second thought, I hope he is.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NO you can not NOR i,
but if you understand electronics, you sure can repair any equipment, success depends upon various factors
There is a BIG difference between HUMAN and MACHINES

Regards
AshwaniGaur

[AshwaniGaur]

The big deal is that you can cause irreversible damage to the drive making the data permanently unrecoverable by any means.

I just do no understand why people think that just because they work with computer, work with electronics, built space shuttles, cured cancer, it suddenly makes them a professional in Data recovery and nothing that Actual data recovery professionals tell them will not sway them.

Plain and simple you should not be working on these drives if they contain actual client data. This is not a hobby, you should be man enough to tell the client... "look I cannot work on these since I have zero experience doing this kind of work, I would recommend a professional service".... But apparently your ego is stopping you... by all means FUBAR the drives, not like it is YOUR data that is on there. I bet if the tables were turned you would be a little more cautious.

Good Luck and may the force be with you....since experience is not

************************************************************************************************************************
i can only say that we till date donot use ALIEN TECHNOLOGY in HDD,

Regards
AshwaniGaur

[slack]

If you are very lucky you can have success from time to time. After at least 10.000 hours of working in this domain you will understand some things, until then all you background is ~3-5%. This domain is not like learn something in 10 days .... and one more little detail nobody will tell you important things because you don't have capacity to understand. Is like somebody from kindergarten wants to be engineer.