Hello all,
I have a Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA hard drive (ST3500418AS, PCB board 100532367 REVA, Firmware CC34, PN 9SL142-300, date code 09316) which just up and disappeared. The drive is a storage drive... not a system/boot drive so it wasn't accessed very often.

Here's the history: I heard noises (sounded like a squeak/click that happened every once in a while) for about a week, pulled the drive from service (as I ordered a new one), but needed some files off of it, so I plugged it back in and it disappeared shortly after mounting. It still spins up without problem and sounds like it has normal initializing noise, but does not mount, and using Disk Utility (drive was in a Mac Pro) shows that the drive's name shows up, but once I try to mount it I cannot (and I do not hear head noises). I've had several hard drives fail in the past with the click of death, but this drive did not sound like that. However, I'm almost positive it's a head problem.

I've been able to locate a new ST3500418AS, and thought about using a tool from HDDSurgery to replace the heads (I've torn a few HDs apart, and it's a delicate process to replace the heads, and insane to do so without the proper tools), but I also do not do this for a living, and would like to get my data back if possible.

I'm in CA, so are there any companies in the area/U.S. you all would recommend? Or better yet, is there anyone on this forum who runs a DR company and is known for good quality work? Also, what should I should look for as far as recovery costs go for a drive of this size (I believe there was 450GB data). I'm guessing 1-2K?

You are lucky we have a highly recommanded member in Florida that you can send your drive too. He name is quasimodo please send him a PM and he will take good care of you. Send it to him he will do this one for you. Give him a PM and he will contact you right away on this one.

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Iorana Haraharaini

Agree 100 percent is a pro who I am in daily contact with and recommend. Side note - the squeaking and clicking before the failure is a known mechanism of failure on that particular drive, and clicking is not necessarily an outcome of all failures.

Thanks Guys for the kind words

PM has been sent.