Need Data Recovery for HDD with Possible Illegal Content

[anon05]

I have a 250GB 3.5” Western Digital HDD that clicks. Replacing the PCB and swapping the ROM IC didn’t resolve it. By illegal, I mean something that could land me in prison. I’m uncertain if the material which I don’t even want was on that HDD or not. Who should I send it to without landing in prison? Could sending it to another country where it’s not illegal work? I also work for a computer repair shop, so perhaps I could send it under the business instead of linking to myself. Only issue with this method is the drive could get confiscated. Also if I specify for them to not do any data integrity testing, must they abide by this?

[jermy]

...that clicks. Replacing the PCB and swapping the ROM IC didn’t resolve it.

Of course not, most likely internal problems

Who should I send it to without landing in prison?

Why would anyone want to touch it, and go in prison for you ?

Could sending it to another country where it’s not illegal work?

Why do you think that something illegal in your country will be turned legal in another country ?

[LarrySabo]

You should consult a lawyer to verify that the content is indeed illegal. If he says it's illegal, you should smash the drive with the largest hammer you can find.

[anon05]

Why do you think that something illegal in your country will be turned legal in another country ?

Laws differ by area: city, state, country, etc. We are not all under the same laws.

[data-medics]

The OP's profile says he's in the USA where the laws are quite liberal compared to most parts of the world. I'd say if it's "probably illegal" here, it's most likely illegal everywhere and shouldn't be touched with a ten foot pole by any professional.

[anon05]

When I mention “possible”, I mean that it may or may not be on the HDD. If it’s on there, it would be illegal.

I do not need to recover the “illegal” content nor do I want it, and it may not even be there in the first place. If anyone has a solution, I would appreciate it. Would it be possible to just bypass the verification process?

[mr_spokk]

Recover it first, worry about the contains later...It's not your drive, so you have nothing to fear about it.
If the contains is disturbing, contact your local police...and let them decide.

[anon05]

Recover it first, worry about the contains later...It's not your drive, so you have nothing to fear about it.
If the contains is disturbing, contact your local police...and let them decide.

It is my hard drive.

[jermy]

Why do you think that something illegal in your country will be turned legal in another country ?

Laws differ by area: city, state, country, etc. We are not all under the same laws.

consult a lawyer from the country you intend to ship it to recover

[guru]

If I was the FBI I would be tracking you like a bloodhound...

[fzabkar]

I'm waiting for someone to put his hand up to take on the job, or give a backhanded compliment to someone else by recommending him.

[LarrySabo]

I'm waiting for someone to put his hand up to take on the job, or give a backhanded compliment to someone else by recommending him.

Oh, yeah! I bet DataPlanet would do it (unless the OP is DataPlanet in disguise).

[data-medics]

I'm waiting for someone to put his hand up to take on the job, or give a backhanded compliment to someone else by recommending him.

Oh, yeah! I bet DataPlanet would do it (unless the OP is DataPlanet in disguise).

Oh no....here comes another religious rant from a maniac. I keep hoping that guy will go away, but it's like his ears start ringing whenever someone mentions his name.

[anon05]

If I was the FBI I would be tracking you like a bloodhound...

They can't just barge right into my house. If they can, they're not going to do it over an Internet posting...

I'm waiting for someone to put his hand up to take on the job, or give a backhanded compliment to someone else by recommending him.

Yeah, I do also. I just don't know who to trust here.

Do you know countries where the content would be legal or is it something considered illegal all over the world ? And how did it get on the drive on the first place ? Was it something you downloaded ?

I know it's legal in some places. I don't want to get into specifics. Like I said it might not even be on the stinking drive in the first place. All that matters I think is whether it's actually on there, and that's what it boils down to.

---------------

Anyway I've fixed thousands of computers, smartphones, and other electronics. If I had access to a clean room, could I do this myself, or would I need expensive equipment? I know some schools have clean rooms that maybe I can somehow get access to one. I've got dozens of bad HDDs from customer computers to practice on first if need be. I was also wondering if all those bad hard drives I kept are worth money like the PCBs? Also heard from a tech that data recovery is possible without a clean room if one is very careful, but he does not do data recovery work, so I don't completely trust what he said.

[northwind]

I find all this a little exaggerating.
Most DR firms I know don't care about the contents of the drive, nor have the time to sit down and look at clients' data.
We usually test 2-3 random files to ensure everything looks ok with the recovered data and that's it. We deliver data and move on to the next case. However, if child porn gets into our attention we will report it the next minute.

Once, a client sent us his own NDA and asked us to sign it, requesting us to not test the data at all, not look at the file listing, nothing. He claimed he had patents inside worth 6 figures. We explained that it is of his own risk whether data will work or not and he agreed.

Just saying.

[northwind]

Anyway I've fixed thousands of computers, smartphones, and other electronics. If I had access to a clean room, could I do this myself, or would I need expensive equipment? I know some schools have clean rooms that maybe I can somehow get access to one. I've got dozens of bad HDDs from customer computers to practice on first if need be. I was also wondering if all those bad hard drives I kept are worth money like the PCBs? Also heard from a tech that data recovery is possible without a clean room if one is very careful, but he does not do data recovery work, so I don't completely trust what he said.

I don't think this is a good idea.
Since this is a WD 250GB, there is chance you're looking at a drive with the famous alignment problem, which means that when you remove the head screw and open the lid, alignment is gone, on top of all the other problems you'll have to deal with (equipment, clean room, know-how, imaging etc).
How exactly does the drive behave?

[F_ARG]

I find all this a little exaggerating.
Most DR firms I know don't care about the contents of the drive, nor have the time to sit down and look at clients' data.

I think he has that content in his own drive. I don´t get why don t you make it dissapear, if that info can cause you so many troubles, why do you want to recover it? I don´t see another way out for you. I don t think any DR expert wants to become an accomplice.

[northwind]

I think he's saying he doesn't want to recover the illegal stuff, he needs to recover this particular drive which *might* have something illegal inside.

[F_ARG]

I think he's saying he doesn't want to recover the illegal stuff, he needs to recover this particular drive which *might* have something illegal inside.

I see.

[anon05]

Once, a client sent us his own NDA and asked us to sign it, requesting us to not test the data at all, not look at the file listing, nothing. He claimed he had patents inside worth 6 figures. We explained that it is of his own risk whether data will work or not and he agreed.

Just saying.

I'll probably have to do something like this.

I don't think this is a good idea.
Since this is a WD 250GB, there is chance you're looking at a drive with the famous alignment problem, which means that when you remove the head screw and open the lid, alignment is gone, on top of all the other problems you'll have to deal with (equipment, clean room, know-how, imaging etc).
How exactly does the drive behave?

It clicks. From what I remember, BIOS detected it as a different model: ROM HAWK or something of the like and stated 8GB.