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Data recovery and disk repair questions and discussions related to old-fashioned SATA, SAS, SCSI, IDE, MFM hard drives - any type of storage device that has moving parts
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Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 23rd, 2025, 10:52

As written in the title, I am interested in whether there are ways to check the heads without using high-end tools like PC3K. I asked in a very general way, without having a specific HDD model or brand in mind. But perhaps there are individual solutions, perhaps someone has ideas or solutions or has already thought about it. I look forward to your answers.

thanks in advance
Elvis

Re: Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 23rd, 2025, 14:29

Not that I am aware.

There is a lot involved to create a heads map and the complexity of such a task is highly dependent on the manufacture and drive model.

Some options would be the use of serial / checking resistances (Seagate example below)

Code:
F3 7>X
X

Head 00 Resistance 0131
Head 01 Resistance 0159
Head 02 Resistance 00FE
Head 03 Resistance 0120
Head 04 Resistance 014D
Head 05 Resistance 0124


http://en.mrtlab.com/head-replacement-t ... gate-disks

Re: Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 23rd, 2025, 15:13

yes, but it is not much less difficult or cheap, involves other complexities, but gives a better idea about heads' condition.

Re: Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 23rd, 2025, 16:54

Thank you. Could such function be included into the better DR software solutions like UFS/R-Studio etc.? I was hoping there would be an inexpensive solution. PC3K is extremely expensive, I do not get so many cases, so its not affordable nor economical. What ist the cheapest solution, to handle USB/SATA HDDs and SSDs in general? And towards my initial head check question: Does deepspar have a tool that can check heads?

Re: Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 23rd, 2025, 19:16

then you should consider some different job. If you cannot make enough money for a decent tool, there's something wrong, really.
in Deutshland...
sorry.

Re: Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 23rd, 2025, 23:41

Elvis wrote:Thank you. Could such function be included into the better DR software solutions like UFS/R-Studio etc.? I was hoping there would be an inexpensive solution. PC3K is extremely expensive, I do not get so many cases, so it's not affordable nor economical. What ist the cheapest solution, to handle USB/SATA HDDs and SSDs in general? And towards my initial head check question: Does deepspar have a tool that can check heads?


If it was that simple you'd already see toolsets in the wild. Further, drives with dead or weak heads will require much different solutions than what UFS / R-Studio can provide... Otherwise you'll likely destroy data / cause surface damage / create bigger issues. Really, it's totally useless without a heads map anyway.

Re: Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 24th, 2025, 7:22

OpenSuperClone / HDDSuperClone?

https://old.reddit.com/r/datarecoveryso ... lone_guide

Example https://youtu.be/1uWjlZixnT0

Or look into RapidSpar.

Re: Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 24th, 2025, 7:55

Any sw is very weak without fw support. For a DR business...
Cloning is just the tip of the iceberg.
this is how insanely low dr prices get onto the market usually with very low capabilities, often making normal cases extremely difficult.

pepe

Re: Is there a way to tests heads w/o PC3K etc.

January 26th, 2025, 16:59

WebClaw wrote:If it was that simple you'd already see toolsets in the wild. Further, drives with dead or weak heads will require much different solutions than what UFS / R-Studio can provide... Otherwise you'll likely destroy data / cause surface damage / create bigger issues. Really, it's totally useless without a heads map anyway.


That is true. But having a test to know whether a head is weak/dead or not and whether replacing the heads is indicated would be helpful.

pepe wrote:then you should consider some different job. If you cannot make enough money for a decent tool, there's something wrong, really.
in Deutshland...
sorry.


Good that you know my exact circumstances so you can answer so intelligently and contribute meaningfully. Of course 15k euros isn't a lot of money in this business, but I'll think about your suggestion. Thanks.

Arch Stanton wrote:OpenSuperClone / HDDSuperClone?
https://old.reddit.com/r/datarecoveryso ... lone_guide
Example https://youtu.be/1uWjlZixnT0
Or look into RapidSpar.


Thanks Tuna, this is helpful and I will look into your suggestions.
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