This is more of a theoretical question. I'm not actually looking for help on this one.

I'm just curious if anyone has ever tried imaging a platter surface by putting the platter in another location in the cylinder.

Example: WD Hard drive has headmap 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, all heads read except #4. Is it possible to switch the top two platters (after imaging from all other heads) so as to use head 6 to read it, then adjust in RAM accordingly?

I would assume it's possible, but I don't know if the headmap would go haywire. Anyone ever tried this with any success?

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Data Medics - Hard Drive, SSD, and RAID Data Recovery Service Company

As i know platters are synchronized with each other, if you move one platter from its location you lose alignment with other platters, this would mean data lost permanently.
Never tried!

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My firmware database:
https://mega.nz/folder/O01DkBRI

I'm pretty sure that older drives were that way, but I think newer drives have the servo data written on each platter surface parallel to the data and can handle a reasonable amount of rotational misalignment. (I know that's contrary to what the guys pushing platter exchangers will tell you )

What I don't know is if the servo data is platter specific.

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Data Medics - Hard Drive, SSD, and RAID Data Recovery Service Company

Hi michael chiklis and data-medics!

Not all drives supports misalignment, but some HDD supports it, i tested it.

about your question data-medics, is very interesting, maybe we can try it

Theoretically speaking if you could image each platter independently may be some software could be then created to try and work out the alignment?
Ie Rotate the images somehow?



Loki

Unfortunately the simple answer is NO and the keyword is TIMING.

Theoretically and in practice - but you should know too many things, you can read single platter individually - hw support needed. And only for customers that can afford it.

Don't ask me anything else...