HDD data recovery services

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gzt

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#296285 4-Jun-2022 16:22

I'm recovering some data from an old photography pc for a friend. Googling around most places quote $400-$600. This is expensive for a home user.

The drive is a 7200 Seagate 750 probably 2011 vintage. I don't see any immediate donor drives on TradeMe. The drive powers up and spins. It is not recognised in external sata enclosure. Maybe it's a simple board failure and swap required.

Any suggestions for reasonably priced data recovery in Auckland?

Mehrts

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#2922754 4-Jun-2022 16:48

Have you tried to see if you can see anything on the drive under Linux?

lxsw20

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#2922758 4-Jun-2022 17:04

I'd consider that cheap for drive recovery from quotes I've had in the past.

If they really really want it back I would suggest you don't mess with the drive, get it to a specialist. If they're not too bothered, then yeah give it a crack. You might have better luck finding a board on ebay.

gzt

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#2922761 4-Jun-2022 17:35

Mehrts: Have you tried to see if you can see anything on the drive under Linux?

Not yet. I expect not. Seems like a basic device detect problem.

gzt

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#2922762 4-Jun-2022 17:37

lxsw20: If they really really want it back I would suggest you don't mess with the drive, get it to a specialist. If they're not too bothered, then yeah give it a crack. You might have better luck finding a board on ebay.

Yeah they are not interested in paying much and not too concerned. I'll kick some in maybe if the total is around $200. Thanks for the ebay suggestion!

Lias

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#2922840 5-Jun-2022 10:01

A: As above, if he wants the data, just power it off and pay the $4-600 (very good price for a hardware repair recovery FWIW)

B: Even if it just the board it's not as simple as doing a straight board swap, you need an identical PCB (not just same drive model, exact same PCB revision usually), and then you need to desolder the ROM/NVRAM with the drive specific microcode and transfer that to the donor board.

C: I recommend Datalab (I have no ties to them other than having been a customer for both personal and business recoveries and being happy with their service)

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup. Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

gzt

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#2922845 5-Jun-2022 10:37

Some overnight research. Obtaining a specific board looks easy enough. Helpful website:

https://www.hddzone.com/st3750528as-seagate-pcb-100574451-rev-a-p-836.html

Similar available on ebay and aliexpress at lower prices. This almost certainly requires a bios chip swap. 8 pins. Reflow guns are cheap enough on aliexpress.

Seller warnings hint master chip replace is sometimes also required but don't point out the chip. I'm going to guess it's 40 pins or something not fun. Youtube videos I've seen don't mention this maybe it's rare.

HDD failure symptom and cause list:

http://www.datarecoveryspecialists.co.uk/about/data-recovery-symptoms

On this symptom list I have similar to #2. Not detected by bios + sounds like a start and then park with no further attempts. That could mean controller is functioning correctly while physical parameters are exceeded. Board replace won't help if true.

HP

Shop now for HP laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

gzt

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#2922849 5-Jun-2022 10:56

Lias: A: As above, if he wants the data, just power it off and pay the $4-600 (very good price for a hardware repair recovery FWIW)

The data was given up for dead years ago. It's the only reason I'm taking a hobby fun approach or finding some cheap option. The service you recommended has a list of symptoms and potential causes too:

https://datarecoverynz.com/2022/01/07/how-expensive-is-data-recovery/

Looking on the bright side I could be in the firmware corruption category meaning board replacement is back on again.