A little rectangle.... can be a UCD / NFD ... a picture ?

You mean like THIS?

It's probably a magnetic signature according to this: "n this case, the head lifts off the media and smacks back down with enough force to deform the magnetic layer of the disk. Sometimes you can see them as anywhere from 1 to 4 dots in a rectangular pattern on the surface of the disk. The four images on this web page show a visible image next to the magnetic signature of the same area."

I will post a picture once my camera and microscope arrive.

Will a 80x stereo microscope be enough? 60x? 40x?

I can't find a good price on a magnetic force microscope, but I don't need one of those anyway. Just want to align the platter to the spindle motor.

Really sure it will help?

It might, or it might not. I was very clean so if the drive lasts 60 seconds I will be happy. Without ALIGNMENT It's pointless. If you could tell me the magnification I need for alignment, I will try and post the results. (or not post them if you prefer)

You are correct it is pointless now. No matter what you do you can not align this drive on your own. Nobody here will tell you the magnification for alignment. That is why it was said "Really sure it will help?"

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Iorana Haraharaini

I think what he meant is it might not matter if I know the magnification because the platter or heads will be already ruined. I don't think they are, it just seems to have a seeking issue. No grinding or headcrash noises yet, only ran it about 40 seconds.

If what you say about "nobody here will tell you the magnification for alignment" is true, then I would like to know where the real hdd forums are. Instead of a big advertisement posing as a forum.

As I suggested before, you can follow the path that we took to gain the knowledge. After you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in tools, facilities, time and training to figure out how to do this, you are welcome to come back and share how to do it for free.

For those of us who want to put food on our tables, we will continue to advise on the simple things that people can do on their own and encourage users to seek pro assistance before they start moving platters and heads without the correct tools and knowledge.

If you are looking for training, you may want to contact Ace Laboratory in Russia or DeepSpar in Ottawa. They may be a start, but they certainly aren't going to provide you with the information you seek without a price.

You may also want to call the drive manufacturer, perhaps they will give you all the schematics of their drives.

_________________
Luke
Recovery Force Data Recovery

Here Here I agree on this one. It is beyond me why people do these sort of things and when they mess up come here seeking help. After all is lost we are to give answers to fix this. They shuold realize that some answer are not possible to explain and if we give the wrong answer according to what they have said then we help them loose their data.

Here is one to think on. If you really want an answer as to align this HDD again. Do this one. Go out on EBay and buy like 30 of these HDD, all same make and model as the one you have. Then open each and every one of them and play around with the platters and heads on them until you figure out how it is aligned. If you fail on all 30 of them start over. One day after all your research, time, and money invested you will find the answer. That is how we did it. We had to spend our time, money, and doing the work to find our answer. In this case there is no simple one step answer or after what you did a way to explain to you how to fix this mess.

You seem to want to answer us like we are idiots or we are holding back on your. We do not want to give yu an answer or we are not willing to help you. From all your answers and what I have read that you have said is to attack us to try to fix a mess you created. The only way to gain your knowledge is not here on this forum, not on the internet, but in your own office with a stock full of donor drives, time, and trail and error. We have all been there and taken the plunge into the unknow of how to work on these drives. If you would like to fix your drive your only hope now is this

One go and buy 30 drives all the same and start to do some research on them. Taking them apart and putting them back together. Find out what worked for you and keep notes on your progress

Two give up and use this as a clock, mirror, or what ever else you can find on the Internet to do with a drive is that trashed

Three contact cleanroom in Texas and see if he still might be willing to help you on this one. But after some of your answers I am not sure he will still do this one for you

Four put this drive away and go on. One day when you have some money try step one or step 2

Once finished post here a collections of your notes, all your finding, photos, and what ever else you find important on this drive for all for free. Now you will see why we can not give you a simple answer on how to fix this mess you have created.

Sorry your answers back to us are almost rude.

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Iorana Haraharaini

I don't see any problem : according to the "160 GB single platter, Seagate" description, it's an NH, NH2+ or similar - on these drives (but it's me ! ) I can throw the platter from the opposite corner of the room, landing on the hub and it will work. You do the same in Dallas, Odessa and so on with horseshoes ....
SO, the problem can perfectly be elsewhere or mixed.

Just another thread where people think we just push a button and recover people's data.
We are not magicians, we have spent enormous amounts of time and money (and brains!) to this, and gain knowledge as to how to treat drives that have problems.

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

If that's true, then I might have actually put it in upside down... I should probably try flipping it before ordering a random microscope. I figured I would go ahead and invest in one, but if you don't want to share the proper magnification then I have more research to do on my own as Tahiti suggested..

If it was not upside down and you start it that way, you'll partially or totally screw data depending on what happens.

Sounds like I have nothing to lose then!

Just data and time.

Totally agree with you

Totally Agree too

_________________
Tawfeek Mokhtar
http://alsafwapc.net
Alsafwa Data Recovery Egypt

Now now, don't go getting all butt hurt because my data wasn't worth $1,000.

I know it is complex and I don't blame you for the secrecy. Just annoyed at the use of the word "forum".

I spent a good 6 hours total in preparation and execution of the dirty platter swap. Trust me when I say I realize you don't just push a magic button.