I intend to replace the headstack in my clicking and inaccessible drive. However, I have two issues for which I could use some advice. This is my first attempt at DIY repair/replacement:

1). Where do I find a replacement headstack specific to this drive. Is it best to just buy a new WD80EZAZ-11TDBA0 and transfer the part from the new one to the one with my data?

2). There are no screws on the cover of this drive. The cover on this white label Western Digital drive appears to be without a single screw. How do I get inside the drive?

It's a native HGST helium model. I'd say your DIY chances are absolute zero.

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Thank you for the HGST Helium model name. I previously did not know what to look for. Nothing is impossible. I found out how to do this.

Plenty of DR pros have tried, but only a handful claim to have had any success with headstack replacements in helium models. Good luck. (I'm not a pro, just an interested observer, and I would say that my chances wouldn't be much better than yours.)

BTW, I have written a tool to parse the ROM adaptives, if you need to.

http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?p=23819#p23819

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If you successfully do this, you're hired.

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so interesting

Here is the solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANMtvYnI1gQ

I happen to have a CNC tool to do this.

I think we've all seen that. The real challenge is in getting the donor headstack to work with the patient drive. That seems to thwart people even when it's an air drive.

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if the data is important there are a few labs that could do this that can be recommended.

if the data is not important, sure, why not give it a shot. Would love to hear the result.

i saw the HDD surgery guys end up with shards on the surface, that would worry me as it would mean proper decontamination would be needed so platter swap tools and cleaning which is another step to overcome

Could you kindly name a few? I've been looking for someone who can swap heads and recover Hitachi He drives for years. I didn't know there are a few who can do this.

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Exactly.

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That's what I get for typing late at night on my phone and without checking first. I'll send you a DM once i get clarification but I think yes, some labs can or have done it.

Maybe these guys?

https://www.attingo.com/hard-drive-recovery/helium-hard-drive/

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

If the drive is sealed we take the job.
Otherwise, let's see how Impossible means nothing.

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The problem is that those few people who claim to be able to handle these jobs don't show any evidence for their claims. That said, it must be hard to produce a convincing Youtube video without giving the game away.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

You have a valid point, and also there are NDA's on the mix.

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This video is "useless" and here is a much better way to open this drive. You absolutely don't want to open the drive in a non-clean environment, if there is residue on the platters it makes things much more complex. Opening these drives are piece of cake and replacing the heads is also not that difficult. I can guarantee you are not able to overcome the other problems that you need to solve after head replacement.

There might be some DR god/goddess who is able to work somehow with this drive model, but not with all helium drives.

My purpose is not discouraging you; I am just recommending doing research and contacting DR companies if someone actually could help you with this.

You said, "Here is a much better way" but I don't see your recommendation. I agree that cutting off the cover would be a bad idea if the data were important. I am very curious what your "piece of cake" solution might be. Care to share?

The conclusion of the video is that this is not the proper way to do it.

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Joep - http://www.disktuna.com - video & photo repair & recovery service

https://youtu.be/3LplddyoRuw

https://youtu.be/FeIusS38mU0

https://youtu.be/3uN7wynazQI

Okay, I guess you can get them open, some methods seem more elegant than others. I have the feeling that's just 10% of the problem solved though. But luckily I don't do hard drives.

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Joep - http://www.disktuna.com - video & photo repair & recovery service