I have a HTS723232L9SA62 with one failing head. Tried imaging but got nowhere so I am going to attempt HDA swap.

I have none of these drives in my donor stock, does anyone know if i can use any other model for heads? It is a 320GB SATA 2.5" looks very new.

Thanks

what have you used to image the disk? One failing head should not cause any problems. I havent worked on this disk yet so I would suggest you buy donor drive in as a last resort. Utilize the good heads before you discard them!

The head looked ok to start. pattern of green and brown on MHDD indicating a slow/failing head but i thought it would last long enough for an image.

I tried to image using HDD Duplicator left it overnight for approx 3% image, then PC3000 UDMA this morning but the one head is reallllly struggling.

Because the client is time sensitive i was wondering if anyone had done a succesful swap with any different models before.

If not then i will persevere with PC3K over the weekend.

brown and green indicates heads should be good enough. Can't you use data extractor to get the critical data first, then try to clone it. Head selection work with this model?

The drive is HFS+ i have been unable to access the data so far. Mounted drive though PC3K and tried to detect partitions with UFS explorer but it just hung.

The drive mounts fine on my XP and Server PC's, just unable to view any data. raw scan takes a lonnnnnnng time as well. I didnt want to keep pushing it in case the head died completely. Tried it on a Mac-Mini using Data Rescue as well but a thorough scan revealed no data at all.

I will scan the drive again to try and determine a jump size that will speed up the imaging on PC3K.

thanks for your help.

sounds like cloning is best option.

When trying to image does it hang? Or is it just reeeeeeally slow?

Does it make the standard Hitachi head-failing-scratchy-spastic-clicking sound?

Also I guess you're trying to avoid opening the drive to preserve the Apple warranty status?

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You don't have to backup all of your files, just the ones you want to keep.

thanks for the advice everyone. part 2 now...

i have cloned as much as i can. data is retrievable using raw scan but i want to get structure for the client.

however, i think the HFS catalog file (?) cannot be read/has not been imaged.

there are 3 partitions on the image i got
EFI System Partition - 200MB <- readable with structure
HFS (I think) Partition - 269GB <- no structure, unreadable
Fat32 Partition - 106MB <- readable with structure

The largest partition does not have structure. I have completed a scan of the image using R-Studio but still no structure. Is there another copy of the HFS Catalog File on a HFS disk? I am thinking perhaps i can try to reimage the drive if i know that there is another copy of the file system index at the end of the drive for example.

The drive is stable enough, except for the lack of at least one head.

NB - Because i could not disable the head as the family didnt appear to be supported by PC3000 i imaged with a jump size equal to what i thought the failed head would read. You can all shout at me for being stupid if you want but that was the only solution i could think of???

Apologies in advance for any noobishness, I am not all too familiar with HFS file system yet.

you might find that if you increase time outs and read retries you might have more luck. Have you tried Data Rescue on MAC? Also Disk Warrior as suggested in another thread. If this fails, change the heads.

It seems like you are trying to kill your drive.

Your case should have been an easy one.

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www.datarecoveryne.com

I would like to add all of the above to be performed on a clone of the clone.

Hi Friend ,
As Per my experience i always prefer to rectify the problem with orignal componenent as if i get some Read wite head problem than i always prefer to repair with 1:100 usb microscope as many time there is only and only problems with X/Y/Z axis /minor allignment if head is not broken or having more than that but i prefer the orignal hard drive with the orignal component to rerieve the data back.as regarding the donor drive selection 20%of the time we get the refurbuished hard drive with same model no ,part no,firmware,DCM no..

Or many time i ask the donor drive with the same company ,as many companiies purchase more than one computer with same configuration at that time slot ,so dont preffer the purchase the hard drive from market so please ask the donor drive with same company as they want to wish to recover the data..or if the end user is there than i always prefer my first rule to repair /rectify the orignal component to get the data back

what ?!

Hi Friend ,
May be you are having the numerious posts but 95 % are like these type of posts as and above than 2400 posts ..as you are senior member with these type of redeclulious posts and we have to regard as you are the respected member
But we wish to give the perfect answer and guide this forum with fruitful answers

Or ...what ...is the answer or any smiling face with lot of these type of answers are good for this forum ????? to become a seniur member????we have to think ...if having any question then they have to discuss in technical way not like that or they are having any problem to answers or they have to right to discuss in proper manner as i want to give and increase my knowledgebase or as thats my suggestions or we dont want to become this forum BLACK with these type of answer with our knowledgebase..

I agree withyou, thts's the mostest correct idea, here tomorrow, and failing the advises of yesterday, there will be bad solutions to follow form last week when which most people cannot use from last year,
because next summer winter's solutions will work better. Please keep up and down if you choose the solutions you gained from next years experience bewcause it can nhelp many on this forum. Thanks for you professional input, very much valued for future problems.

Hi Friend,
We are here for discuss or to rectify the problems or not give to any answer , as thats the biggest problem regarding swine flue/500 GB Seagate hard drive and more as per of our world as we are from data recovery field and all and we have to discuss.so we are here to rectify the todays problems as for tomorrows we will get diffrent problems with diffrent solutions and we are here to rectify the problems and to discuss..as i know after giving this type of answer i am having numerious problem in future as nobody is with me or any acctive member or including you. as the answers like you and all..

Hi Friend ,
Send some Techy Answer as we want as per the orignal question with proper rectification or i am wrong than send the appropriate answer with proper rectification

WTF?

Have I just dropped some acid and not realised?