Hi
I tried to solve the stuck head on the platter but the case is dented and it happened again. It was in a bag whilst traveling and it catches the head when it moves.
I've watched some YouTube videos and read the guides and I think based on it being encrypted that I should do the following:

1. Buy an identical drive £25 - this is a good start. Remove the metallic sticker entirely.
2. Buy a platter removal tool.
3. Swap the microcontroller across from one drive to the other so it can decrypt the data (I know there is no problem with this).
4. Take clean precautions in dust free environment.

It looks from a mechanical perspective fairly easy to do it.

Some questions are whether I am missing anything?

1. Removal of metallic sticker, any ideas on how to do this easily and completely? It took me ages to uncover the screw holes and to clean it off this time around.
2. Will the microcontroller swap out easily and lead to the decryption working seamlessly if it is undamaged and transferred into the donor?
3. Can anyone recommend the cheapest kit to remove the platter? They vary in price quite a lot. I aren't in a huge rush but it has a lot of data on it I want to try and get back. I have some of it backed up but some I can't get back.
4. Once you have the platter removal tool in a clean environment if it unscrews easily is it just a matter of lifting it off and replacing it on the spindle? It appears to be.

Thanks for your help!

This wont end well.

What for? you need a head comb
That would be a laminar flow bench.

Having bought those you will have already paid probably 3 times the cost of professional recovery.

You're way out of your depth here, you shouldn't have opened the drive in the first place and it sounds like you've run it with the case off too. It needs to go to a pro for examination to see if there's too much damage to even warrant a recovery attempt.

You'll also get hit with an open drive fee.

_________________
Data Recovery Services in the UK.
https://www.usbrecovery.co.uk/

pepe

_________________
Adatmentés - Data recovery

Hi thanks for your replies.

I can't afford to take it to someone for repair.
Rather than throw it in the bin I want to try to do it myself.
So given the decision to make between throwing it in the bin or spending £25 on an identical drive and trying to swap out the platter I want to try to do it.

My logic is that the data is stored on the platter and the microcontroller board needs to be transferred over too in order for the decryption to work. Is this correct?

So I think if possible can people help answer the questions I asked.

- Sourcing the removal tool cheap
- Removing the metallic sticker efficiently

Bon journée

Can't afford a pro, so you are going to spend a lot more to likely fail?

_________________
Luke
Recovery Force Data Recovery

Welcome to the reality of DR in the UK.

@hargr-recov
Cheapest tools are here https://apextoollab.com/ or more refined from https://hddsurgery.com/ there are no cheap tools in data recovery. Head combs, platter key, platter extractor, stand and a pump.

Or you can old school it with bits of heat shrink tubing instead of a head comb and YOLO it with the platter tools. The label can be peeled slowly with a scalpel/spudger coated in some IPA. Starting at each of the sides and working towards the centre. You will also need to transfer the PCB from the patient.

_________________
Data Recovery Services in the UK.
https://www.usbrecovery.co.uk/

I hate (but who cares...) when label is bruteforced and removed from a drive. why not just cut it at the screws????
you would better bin it, the world was a happier place if you just did.
We help where we can, this is not one of those cases.

pepe

_________________
Adatmentés - Data recovery

Me either, specially when the customers remove it from (Rosewood, Charger and big bear) and insist they just opened the drive and didn't touch anything inside.

What we really need is a 3d printed lock tool.
I will create one I think and share the WD option for people with low value data they want to attempt instead of the bin option.
People can use a Dyson vacuum cleaner setup as a hack to try and save themselves money.
I'll create a YouTube video of it.

I used to work in a biochemical systems company and the people who originated a lot of the work were taught or indoctrinated that it was a black art. Of course there were a lot of systemic vested interests. AND of course again, the economics of the situation are complex but to be honest it wasn't a black art.

I was a mechanical engineering student in ~2000 and understand the fine tolerance of gearboxes, I can replace head gasket on a car easily and polish the heads, use induction to fit bearings on industrial gearboxes, and the drive itself has 200GB of machine learning data I am using for robot projects.

I'm not naive.

The platter holds the information, and the WD drives don't need interfering with in a donor drive if they are kept clean.
The platter is the only mechanically moving part that can be removed without interfering with any others with the right tools.

Can I beg you not to?

_________________
http://www.northwind.gr
SandForce SSD Recovery
Ransomware Reverse Engineering - NoMoreRansom! partners

And so the perpetual movement continues...

_________________
http://www.pclab.com.pt facebook.com/PCLAB.A.T
ACELab partner

When you moved the head back the first time, did the drive run okay without any strange clicking sounds from the drive. Also just bend the cover back straight so the head will not hit it. Do you have pictures. If the heads are fine, you have a very limited time to get your data off before the drive dies.

If the drive clicks, or the heads click back and forth then the drive is basically finished.

I personally would love to see it.