Help finding a matching "donor" Seagate hard disk drive

[johnnywad]

Hi to all of HDDGURU website members!

I am new here, thanks for keeping this forum and sharing around valuable information!

I've been ghosting around the forum, reading and browsing here and there for some time and decided to become a member and ask for some advice.

This is my first post, so here it goes. The thing is one of my old (non-backup up HDD) accidentally fell from the top of my old PC (1 foot height) to the hard floor and now it won't work.

For anyone who cares to help, here is the sound it makes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubcYdHxazIU&feature=plcp

I already read the forum rules and the newbie stickies and know the status quo of the forum regarding DIY data recovery attempts by newbies, still, I don't have any other option! The data is not "mission critical" (it mostly contains audiobooks, mp3s and family pictures from trips, etc) but I still took the HDD to a local data salvage company here in Mexico city (the ONLY around) and they charge me $1,800 USD.

Nowadays, I can't afford to spend that kind of money on this matter, so I will take the risk and try to fix it myself. It decided to replace the heads -guessing it's the damaged part- to be able to copy and backup the info safely IF I ever manage to pull this off succesfully! which is more unlikely than not!

The first question is: Is the sound my HDD is making compatible with a damaged head from the fall? I will not open it until I'm under the clean room cabin environment. if so, whch route ie easier? swapping the platters TO a healthy drive or swapping the faulty head FROM a healthy drive?

So now, I want to try the risky DIY route, I've basic electronic knowledge and technical skills and I don't have access to a clean room specific for electronic repairs but at the hospital I work at as a lab technician I've access to spare clean room cabins for cell culture work.

I've read the procedures and looked at videos, I found the cheap plastic SalvationData "Head Comber" head swap tool online (The excellent precision HDDSurgery tool is not affordable for me right now) and the anti static wrist brace, powder-less latex gloves, torque screwdrivers, etc.

The other specific issue I need help with is:
My HDD is a Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500 GB with the following identifiers:

1) P/N 9BX154-303
2) ST3500320AS
3) STX- ST3500320AS (B)
4) WWN 5000C50009A6B8F4
5) Site code: KRATSG (Thailand)

And the "donor" new HDD is also a Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500 GB but has some discrepancies in the aforementioned identifiers:

1) P/N 9BX154-568
2) ST3500320AS
3) STX - ST3500320AS (B)
4) WWN 5000C5000A07387F
5) Site code: ? -Hasn't been provided by seller yet-

So my real issue here is knowing which of the previous parameters needs to be an "exact match" between the two HDDs in order to ensure an exact read/write head match between the donor and "sick" HHDs.

As I see, numbers 2 and 3 are the exact same, but numbers 1 and 4 are slightly different.. Are these parameters important? i.e. should a mismatch here mean a physical hardware mismatch in the size, configuration or disposition of the actual heads?

I just COUDN'T find the information anywhere in google for the best of my abilities trying for a whole week.

So the recapitulate my long rambling:


1) Does the sound my HDD is making appear to be from damaged heads? (It fell on hard floor from 1 foot height)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubcYdHxazIU&feature=plcp

2) Which can be an "easier" task? or less prone to failure? -needing less parts, expertise, money, etc-
Swapping heads or Swapping platters?

3) Are these two HDDs I mentioned compatible for donor-receiver spare parts? What do these discrepancies in the parameters even mean being they're THE SAME model?

Any information would be greatly appeciated! Thank you for your time and for reading this long rant.

Best regards from Mexico city.

[labtech]

The drive seems to have already been opened.

From the sound recording, to me it sounds like there may be platter damage.

Can you post a quality picture of the platters from like 45 degree angle?

[johnnywad]

I now have the site code: the donor HDD is WUXISG according to the vendor. Anyone knows where it was made?

The drive seems to have already been opened.

From the sound recording, to me it sounds like there may be platter damage.

Can you post a quality picture of the platters from like 45 degree angle?

@labtech: No, its never been opened, it worked fine for years until I accidentally had it drop off the top of my PC... I can't take pictures yet as I have not opened it... I wanted to wait to take it to the clean room..

Would it matter too much if I open it in a non clean room environment just to take the pictures and close it again real quick?

[labtech]

I now have the site code: the donor HDD is WUXISG according to the vendor. Anyone knows where it was made?

The drive seems to have already been opened.

From the sound recording, to me it sounds like there may be platter damage.

Can you post a quality picture of the platters from like 45 degree angle?

@labtech: No, its never been opened, it worked fine for years until I accidentally had it drop off the top of my PC... I can't take pictures yet as I have not opened it... I wanted to wait to take it to the clean room..

Would it matter too much if I open it in a non clean room environment just to take the pictures and close it again real quick?

You mentioned you took the drive to a data recovery company. They did not open it? Because judging from the picture, the label at the bottom seems torn up. OR the drive on youtube is not really yours, which I suspect now. If not yours, do you know how to get a terminal output?

If it has not been opened, then I would recommend, if you could, to open it a cleanroom environment.

Site Code:
--------------------------
3 - AMK - Singapore
3 - TK - Thailand
4 - TK - Thailand
5 - WUXISG WU - China
6 - SU - China
7 - ML2 -
9 - KRATSG TK - Thailand

[northwind]

Alrighty then, you have asked a lot of questions. Here are my $0.02:

First off all, I strongly suggest you contact member beto from this forum, he is a well-respected member of this forum, he is from Mexico and can help you at least make a proper diagnostic of this drive.

Secondly, I sadly agree with labtech, by the sound of it, it doesn't look good. Probably media damage. Was the drive working when you dropped it?

I now have the site code: the donor HDD is WUXISG according to the vendor. Anyone knows where it was made?

China.

Would it matter too much if I open it in a non clean room environment just to take the pictures and close it again real quick?

Yes.

The first question is: Is the sound my HDD is making compatible with a damaged head from the fall? I will not open it until I'm under the clean room cabin environment. if so, whch route ie easier? swapping the platters TO a healthy drive or swapping the faulty head FROM a healthy drive?

Yes. It sounds like bad heads WITH probable media damage too.
As per your other question, swapping platters is a difficult task even for a very experienced pro. Having said that, your chances of success is ... zero. No offense.
Almost same thing applies to swapping heads. If you wish to go DIY on this one, buy 20 or 30 drives and practice on them. I am sorry to say but even after 30 attempts you will have no success with these drives, even if you think you've done everything right.

The other specific issue I need help with is:
My HDD is a Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500 GB with the following identifiers:

1) P/N 9BX154-303
2) ST3500320AS
3) STX- ST3500320AS (B)
4) WWN 5000C50009A6B8F4
5) Site code: KRATSG (Thailand)

And the "donor" new HDD is also a Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500 GB but has some discrepancies in the aforementioned identifiers:

1) P/N 9BX154-568
2) ST3500320AS
3) STX - ST3500320AS (B)
4) WWN 5000C5000A07387F
5) Site code: ? -Hasn't been provided by seller yet-

[/quote]

Those will not be compatible. Site code is different (as per your later message) and experience has shown that it is important.

As a sidenote, if you care about the data, contact beto. Then see if you can afford the recovery (assuming your drive IS recoverable). If not, wait until you can afford it. ANY other solution is simply not plausible.

Sorry.

[johnnywad]

@labtech: yes its mine I bought it 3 years ago and I've never opened it, though I bought it at a discount pc parts store, so it may have been already refurbished or repaired, etc. And the tech guys didnt open it just connected to some gear and cables and couldnt read it, so when they offered to open it up they quoted me on the price for repair so I politely declined.

@northwind: The drive wasn't working when it fell to the floor. Would it still be possible the data is damaged?
And yes, I will contact beto. Thanks!

EDIT:
I tried the members search script on this site and couldnt find anyone named beto... any help?

Last edited by johnnywad on September 20th, 2012, 11:48, edited 1 time in total.

[johnnywad]

EDIT: Double posted, sorry!

[labtech]

@labtech: yes its mine I bought it 3 years ago and I've never opened it...

You are misinterpreting. I meant that the drive in the youtube video is not yours.

beto: member243.html

[johnnywad]

@labtech: yes its mine I bought it 3 years ago and I've never opened it...

You are misinterpreting. I meant that the drive in the youtube video is not yours.

beto: member243.html

Haha ok, now I understood your post. Anyways, it is actually MY OWN HD, the same
that is being discussed about here. I recorded its weird sounds and tried to upload to youtube
it didnt let me so I had to make a "movie" i imovie and as I didnt have any picture to attach to the sound I just took a pic of it with my phone and added an scrolling effect.

I guess if its been opened -I didn't know till now that you mention it- it was in the "ghetto" cheap refurbished HDD store in Mexico city where I originally bought it.

[labtech]

Sorry, I am wrong. I interpreted the pic of the drive upside down. With that in mind, then it seems like it has not been opened, which is a good thing.

[johnnywad]

So from what I understand, IF it indeed has platter damaged then the data is beyond recovery?

And from the sound it makes, it appears as if it has head crash AND platter damage somehow?

[labtech]

So from what I understand, IF it indeed has platter damaged then the data is beyond recovery?

And from the sound it makes, it appears as if it has head crash AND platter damage somehow?

Yes

[johnnywad]

So from what I understand, IF it indeed has platter damaged then the data is beyond recovery?

And from the sound it makes, it appears as if it has head crash AND platter damage somehow?

Yes

Ok, is there any way to know for certain if the plates have been damaged other than opening the HD and physically inspecting them? Because if they are then I might as well just move on and forget about the info and next time be more careful and make frequent scheduled incremental backups to optic media.

[labtech]

Opening the drive is the only way to see if there is platter damage. Based on viewing accessibility, keep in mind that there may not be any visible damage, however it does not mean that there is not any.

Beto can likely confirm this to you properly.