Data Recovery Ripoff

[Rizzler]

I dropped this old 1Tb Seagate drive on the floor and the platters stopped spinning and couldn't be seen by the OS.
Data recovery company wanted R12 500 to extract the data. I was told there was a catastrophic head failure and a special head extraction tool was needed along with a clean room with negative pressure laminar airflow and gloves etc.
It would take about 2 weeks.
I disassembled the drive myself on the kitchen counter. I took everything apart and cleaned the platters with an alcohol swab. I discovered the dust filter had dislodged and was preventing the platters from spinning. I chucked it away and put everything together again. The whole process took about half an hour. The only tool I needed was a Torque screw driver. Drive is now running perfectly and all data is intact. Just lucky? I think not.

 

[Pho3nix]

Instructions to your magic?

 

[Rizzler]

Instructions to your magic?

Take all the screws out including the hidden ones

 

[Drifter]

And then put them back!!!

 

[Necropolis]

I would suggest maybe copying the data off that drive and then not using it again...

 

[Rizzler]

I would suggest maybe copying the data off that drive and then not using it again...

I have thanks. It's just a backup drive so I just backed up to another drive.

 

[Fulcrum29]

I have thanks. It's just a backup drive so I just backed up to another drive.

Yoh, IDE. How old is the drive, what drive is it?

 

[cpu.]

You took all that apart, cleaned it and reassembled it in about half an hour?
You have the skillz.

 

[SYNERGY]

I'm impressed that you can still read data off the drive.

 

[Rizzler]

You took all that apart, cleaned it and reassembled it in about half an hour?
You have the skillz.

To be honest I didn't think it would be that simple but once the screws are out it's pretty logical. I can fix and troubleshoot basic stuff on a PC but never tried a hard drive before. I really was expecting it to not work.

 

[Rizzler]

Yoh, IDE. How old is the drive, what drive is it?

An old Seagate external drive with a USB connection. I think I bought it in 2008?

 

[gregmcc]

I'm amazed it works. Any dust on the platters will crash the heads.

 

[Grubscrew]

I don't think you know how lucky you were.

 

[LazyLion]

Do NOT try this at home... oh wait... he did.

 

[dadecoza]

I'm impressed that you can still read data off the drive.

agreed! How the hell did he align those platters perfectly? I have seen some videos where they use tape to keep the platters aligned but from his photo he did not use this method.

 

[backstreetboy]

Could've used your help over the years.

 

[aybbleek]

This goes against everything I have ever been told about HDDs and data recovery.... I really wish you had some more pics or a video of your process

 

[Batista]

You are about 1 in a million.Go play the lotto.

 

[Rizzler]

agreed! How the hell did he align those platters perfectly? I have seen some videos where they use tape to keep the platters aligned but from his photo he did not use this method.

As far as I can see when u put it back the platters can only align perfectly. It's precision engineered that way. Seems to be zero tolerance. There is a spacer between the 2 platters which i simply screwed back in place once the first platter was on

 

[Rizzler]

This goes against everything I have ever been told about HDDs and data recovery.... I really wish you had some more pics or a video of your process

Agreed. And that's the whole point. Is what these recovery specialists say just to scare you into not doing it yourself? I remember the days when we were told never to change a CPU at home and other such stuff. I think I may just buy some old 2nd hand drives and try repeat this a few times