Transfer Platters from bad HDD

tadgh

Has anyone ever transferred the platters (with data still on them) from a hard disk (read/write heads not working) to an identical drive (working).
Is it possible to do this successfully, or does anyone know someone who can do this (at a reasonable cost).
Any help apprecaited.

SouperComputer

It can be done without a cleanroom but your are taking a big risk. It all depends on how much you value your data. Even one spec of dust is enough to have a major issue. Sometimes you can get away with it, but as I say, if the data is important, I wouldnt chance it.

Computers Unlimited in phibsboro may do it, they claim to have a clean room, but im not sure if that is true or if they just ship the drives to the UK.

If you want a pro job done, ship it to CBLtech in the UK.

mathias

I used to work in a hard drive manufacturing plant in Clonshaugh ,( Applied Magnetics , long since gone !! )
What you want to do is damn near impossible outside of a cleanroom and the equipment needed to do it costs a bomb.

You are talking Guzik read/write heads and a spinstand at least.

No one does this on any king of regular basis , there are too many variables that can go wrong. The chances of removing the platter and re-inserting into another drive without damaging the HGA ( head gimbal assembly or heads )are very remote to say the least.

Platters come in many different surface topologies , the head gimbal assemblies are pretty much unique to each particular model , the read write frequencies and areal density of the data varies with each drive etc . etc.

The only option you may have is to get a data recovery crowd to mount the platters on a spinstand and retrieve the data , and this is so delicate and time consuming that no data recovery place will guarantee success and will charge a lot regardless of whether the operation is successful or not.

tadgh

Thanks for replies
It looks like this can't be done cheaply.
The hard disk in question contains a large database of customers and details for a business ( & no backup).
Apparently the data is still on the platters but can't be retrieved as the read/write heads no longer move in and out.
Any other ideas?

ZygOte

your only option is to have the data retrieved professional by a 3rd party company, we do this all the time for our customers who come to use with dead disks or deleted data etc.

have a look at ontrack

http://www.ontrack.co.uk/

they are based in the uk and i cant recommend them enough , theese guys can work miracles.

Capt'n Midnight

you needed special gear to do it back when drives held 20MB of data
now they hold 10,000 times that, so they are a lot more susceptible to dust and stuff.

gamer

If you can find it,buy another hd,the same brand ,model no , and just swap ,the pcbs,if the data is valuable its worth trying,or theres some trick to bring it back to life.I think heating it up abit, like put near cental heating rad,for 3 hours.then swap it in working pc, set it up as drive d.Copy everthing to a folder on drive c.POST hd model no here and someone may have an identical drive.If you contact the hd company directly they may help,if the data is VALUABLE.i find some electronic gadgets work when warm,cos the resistance of circuits can change in,cold/versus warm environment.

tadgh

Thanks
We have already located an identical drive.
just looking for info. on the best way to proceed

gamer

be really carefully,take antistatic precautions,be gentle,1 knock can crash the drive platters,examine pcb, make sure pcbs are identical.www.pcinspector.de has free download, programs to recover data.or folders from hard drives.

Alun

tadgh wrote:

Thanks
We have already located an identical drive.
just looking for info. on the best way to proceed

Personally, I'd say you're wasting your time trying to do this yourself. It all depends on how much this data is worth to the company concerned, but if you screw it up by trying to do this yourself, and you almost certainly will, believe me, then you've basically ruined any chance a proper data recovery company has of getting the data off for you afterwards. Just bite the bullet, get it done professionally, and in the future BACK UP YOUR DATA!

gamer

there are specialist hd data recovery,that will copy that hd,mirror image it .cost 3 to 400 euro,approx, if this is vital,financial/accounts,customer ,records , business records you should leave it to the hands of the experts.Some companys have lost millions cos they lost,invoices or customer records,meaning they could not bill customers for work carried out ,or reclaim vat paid on company stock .If data is worth more than 300euro pay the experts to fix,they can use special tools to revive the hd which gives em enough time to copy,image all the data.Fixing a hd is a very delicate operation,you might end up with a working hardrive,which has all the data,folders,scrambled up ,or deleted,beyond recovery.the experts can do things like rebuild the boot sectors,or file allocation table in order to acess the data on the hardrive. I think there are some irish companys that do this type of work,do google.ie search.if transporting this hd you,d need to make special arrangements,you dont want some postman dropping the hd into a sack,in a van.I dont think the post office are experts in hard drive trasnsport/handling.

secret_squirrel

This is for a business and they arent willing to pay a professional data recovery company?

Then they deserve what happens to their data. I cant see any amateurish efforts working tbh, you'll only fúck it further.

For the record I have used CBLTech in the UK and they were excellent. Cost around €700 though. But if your data is worth it.....

gamer

if this is for a company ,or you are self employed you can reclaim expenses, you,ll get a tax allowance for ,this ,as its a vital business expense to fix your pc, thats why some companys buy new pcs every 3 years, cost they get 100 percent tax allowance on basic pc hardware,spend 500 to 700e and you,ll get at least 90percent of your data back,on a dublicate hardrive.JUST hold onto all email/invoices or reciepts for this job.like if you are a taxi driver you can in theory buy new car engine,and get 100percent tax allowance,by putting it in your 3year old taxi.

tadgh

OK. It looks like the professional route.
Will update on the final outcome.