WD10TMVW - Do i need to worry about encryption?

[senordingdong]

I have a WD10TMVW that was dropped (owner claims it wasnt). It appears as though the bottom heads jumped off of the ramp and stuck together. At this point it spins and buzzes. The heads dont move.

So this is a head replacement at least. Anything to worry about as far as encryption goes? I am thinking not, but it does seem to have a chip on the PCB responsible for encryption.

I see a great many PCB and PCB repair services for this model on Ebay. This usually suggests some known issue with a component or assembly. Does anyone have any insight on this?


Thank You

[mr_spokk]

Was it fit into a Passport or Elements?

[senordingdong]

This is a WDBACX0010BBK‑00 Western Digital My Passport Essential


I had read on this forum and others that this model is extremely tolerant of alternate head stacks. Donor drives are showing as prohibitively expensive so i am wondering if anyone has any experience using heads from another model to any degree of success. Of course physically matching.

At this point i am also happy to outsource it if anyone is interested in getting involved.

[labtech]

This is a WDBACX0010BBK‑00 Western Digital My Passport Essential


I had read on this forum and others that this model is extremely tolerant of alternate head stacks. Donor drives are showing as prohibitively expensive so i am wondering if anyone has any experience using heads from another model to any degree of success. Of course physically matching.

At this point i am also happy to outsource it if anyone is interested in getting involved.

Hi, senordingdong.

Indeed, the data is likely hardware encrypted by the USB bridge.

Please, can you send pictures to info@datarecoveryguru.com of the following:
1) top cover label showing the specs - want to see the model and so on, so we can have an idea about parts cost
2) internal drive disks/platters from the top at 45-60 degree angle in fairly good light - would like to get an idea about disk damage, fingerprints, etc.

To have a price idea, we charge a flat $600 for labor and you [or your customer] pay for the parts upfront as a deposit. This is non-refundable. If you want us to cover the parts, then it will likely be a flat $1600. Only pay for the labor if the files are successfully recovered.

Chances of success are very low, less than 10% confidence, as the disks are likely damaged due to physical damage. So, recovery expectations should be pretty low.

Visit www.datarecoveryguru.com for more info.

Best regards,

Petri

[mr_spokk]

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