Hi All,
I'm a newbie to this forum. My Seagate 1TB external hard disk crashed on me when I dropped it from 6" high on to a wood floor. Now it keep making a buzz sound but is not recognized. I took it to a shop and the gentleman told me it costs me upto 3000$ to try to recover any data on it. I cannot afford it and at the same time I feel miserable since I'm responsible for wiping out all my kids videos and photos along with ours. He mentioned that recovery can be done at a much lesser price in India. Wonder if any of you have any suggestions on a good company. I have folks in India who may be able to take it to this place and try to recover. Thanks for your help.

$3000 is a good price for this recovery. If the data is that important just get a loan or downgrade your car.

Save money and do it in the USA with a reputable DR firm when you can do it, or you'll feel even worse if drive is lost during shipment or "it wasn't like they said". There are a lot of reputable and respectable members of this forum who can help you right in the USA. Until you don't poke the drive or try to open it, and you keep it wrapped and well stored, your memories are safe and sound INSIDE the drive - if and only if a major crash had not happened. Note that some crashes are catastrophic and is not possible to retrieve what's not in the disk anymore (i.e. magnetic layer blown away).
Good luck !

This is no recovery to joke about; trust your drive with anything less then the best and you will get nothing for this case.

Most companies offer a free evaluation so at least take it to professionals in the USA to have it diagnosed and quoted correctly. Remove the hard drive from the enclosure and inspect the outside for physical damage yourself. Was the shop a dedicated data recovery firm? I hope you maybe more fortunate enough to only have stiction and only cost half that price.

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Wish it was stiction only... !

Very unlikely though, given that it's been dropped.

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I would say that ~95% chance of complete motor seizure, with a small 5% chance of only stiction, and that is being generous.


To make things worse simply freeing the motor on this model seldom does any good as eccentricity is present, and also usually the internet circuit of the motor gives out quickly on these drives it seems.


Platter transplant is the only likely fix, and of course this drive isn't a "walk through the park" for that procedure

iflexsol

Chek your PM.

Always been interested on what basis data recovery price in high-developed country. On a small number of orders or on average wage of insiders?

3000$ its too much for this issue, there is no need to change heads, just replaced plates in donor with 90% will success , and reading by PC3000.

Yes, everything allright, but you have to send drive back and forth "to the place where the prices are lower" and then what about customs and taxes ?