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I doubt it very much but no harm in trying, other than wasting time.

If you did a full reformat, there is nothing that can recover the data.

See Luke's forum topic Platter Swap Without Alignment Issues for a good collection of examples.

Sam, long time no see! :)

You should be able to take the connector off a discarded 3.5" drive and transplant it to yours, assuming you have the requisite equipment and skills. Check with local PC repair shops for used or Digi-Key if you need new.

If the other recovery programs don't work any better, you could try Amok Exif Sorter to rename the files based on their EXIF data, i.e., Date taken, etc.

I would definitely add UFS Explorer Pro and ReclaiMe File Recovery to the list. ReclaiMe File Recovery does an excellent job of reassembling FS fragments into an NTFS directory and putting the rest into RAW recovery results. If UFS Explorer Pro is too expensive, you can go with just the...

Welcome, @Othersteve!

Have you had a look at he Python script Marcus Bauer posted on this DataRecoveryCertification group thread? It may help.

HDD Recovery Services, Northridgefix and IFixIt Youtube channels often feature precision tools.

Okay, thanks Jared.

Porn link

Good move -- I love Xenforo (as used on Technibble.com). Thanks for the PW caution.

Not true. See this post by Fraser Corrance on DataRecoveryCertification GoogleGroup.

I can't answer your questions but just want to suggest you try ReclaiMe File Recovery. It is exceptional at rebuilding file systems.

Thanks for sharing!

Wow! Amazed that it was recoverable after all that beating. :lol: It's called a limiter, no?

No offense was intended. It's just that so many spammers make an innocent-looking post, to be followed by posts by another new pseudonymous member who extol the virtues of the program in question. I searched for comments about and reviews on DiskGenius before my comment and found nothing...

Thanks, Nuno. Rather useless then without that unreleased app? Strange that they would publish the viewer then, unless there is something else out there that produces DRL files?

"ValiData Viewer For Windows ValiData Viewer for PC is a utility designed for our customers so that they can see the data that we have recovered prior to paying for their recovery." However, I have never come across a DRL file -- the only type of file this program opens. No idea how one...

I smell spam. :roll:

Oops! Just realized this (below) doesn't really address the question. If heads are required to determine what is recoverable, they have to pay for the donor before it is ordered and agree that if the required data is not recoverable, they owe just the cost of the donor (which they will have...

Do a Google search for "deepspar reallocate sectors" and you will find several really helpful white papers or articles on the topic.

Sorry, but I don't know.

Have you tried DFL's solution?

Where do you live? That should hep us refer you to someone local.

Can you post a clear, close-up picture of the ROM?

I'd suggest trying ISOBuster and see what it finds. It's terrific at recovering data from otherwise impenetrable optical media. It's also affordably priced.

The left-most two are the read channel.

This post by fzabkar should help you to identify which is the read channel and which is the write channel.

If the corrupted files have a fill pattern because of bad blocks, you can use Corrupted Files Finder to vet files that contain more than your choice of % of fill characters. Not perfect but sometimes helpful.

See what ReclaiMe File Recovery trial finds. It's excellent at rebuilding file systems from bits and pieces. Also consider a trial version of UFS Explorer. I just finished a case where ReclaiMe did a great job on a HFS+ file system but a poor job on the Raw recovery, and UFS Explorer did the...

The WD Warranty Check says it's a 160GB Jamaca:

I find that downloading their videos (using Free Download Manager) then playing them in VLC lets me crank up the volume substantially using the mouse wheel. That helps make them more intelligible.

I forget the size but have never had a problem using a Wiha Philips screw driver. Maybe they are a better fit.

See HDDOracle.com for fzabkar's tutorials on analyzing ROMs. I have no idea why you are having problems finding the WWN value in ROM dumps. What are you using to read and save ROMs? To be clear, it's the ROM.bin file you are searching with a hex editor?

Measured my clean chamber today with my new-to-me Dylos D1100 Pro and the count reduces to zero within half a minute or so as it samples enough air to change the ambient reading.

Hi David. Yeah, haven't been very active in forums lately for no particular reason. Other than being bored out of our minds here, we're fine, thanks. :)

Excellent reference, David. Thanks.

Perhaps keep the spindle from rotating by inserting Bent Snap Ring Pliers into holes where you managed to remove screws, then try with a better-fitting screwdriver.

Marketing, I expect. It's built like a tank and appears impenetrable, so it must be more secure. :roll:

The answer is, to cut through the lid just inside the case edge, using a Dremel tool, and carefully pry it open.

I tried using my iSesamo spudger, which has a knife-like pointed end, but it will damage the aluminum plate insert or container if I get any more forceful with it. I've asked the customer if he minds me damaging the case, so will update if he says no problem.

This thing is built like a tank and is impossible to open without damaging the case, it appears. Any secrets to opening it without using Thermite?

Yeah, the free consulting advice here is lousy. If I were you, I'd take my business elsewhere. Good luck!

... or DMDE.

I think member @nissimezra uses the Pro version but am not certain. I also don't know if he uses it with a relay or not, but PM him and ask.

I was surprised to read that an infected elderly Canadian couple on one of the cruise ships had no symptoms at all, and neither did about 80% of others who were infected. I think it will spread to all of us at some point, so staying away from public places and other people is about all you can...

Thank, Iurii.

And they didn't say where you could download it, per their help page? Strange. The installers on their legacy software download links for V5 don't include it.

Jol, I don't see a separate program for IntelliRAW in Recovery-Explorer's Programs folder, although I see that UFS Explorer has a link to an IntelliRAW rules editor ("C:\Program Files\UFS Explorer\ufsxsci-ruled.exe") in the Start menu. I see in this SYSDEV InteliRAW help page that it says to...

It's not obscured at all. Just open the ROM file in a hex editor and search, in hex, with part of the WWN . When it finds it, verify that the full WNN matches.

The WWN is.

DFL - Dolphin Data Lab.

I use MacDrive 10, and sometimes a MacMini, to format the drive. Have to be careful as some users may have "duplicate" files with the same filename but some letters with different case, and NTFS doesn't handle that.

Hello Kilo_SSK, and welcome to Jared's forum. I want to congratulate you on your command of English. Excellent!

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Nissim. As I said, time to buy a USB-NVME adapter and put it to work. For $40 CAD, one recovery will pay for it. HDDSuperClone should work with it, I believe. Be sure to use the thermal heat sink pad with it as the processor tends to get rather warm.

Time to buy a USB-NVME adapter and start recovering data from these. This one is under $40 CAD.

I don't believe that's the correct model number but they don't need the hard drive to test and repair the laptop. They can just use a Windows PE (Windows on a DVD or USB flash drive) and it should run okay, once the motherboard is repaired. Depending on what got soaked, it may be a total waste...

One does firmware repair and imaging of USB drives while the other just allows imaging of USB drives. As far as the imaging goes, the stabilizer does not facilitate selective head imaging, varied time-outs, variable number of LBAs to skip on error selection, reverse imaging, or multi-pass...

Still would like to see a side-by-side comparison with the Dylos 1100 Pro or a certified particle counter. I can see where having this would help those that use a vertical flow bench, as I suspect the air in the chamber/room needs to be purged of particles over the first few minutes of...

Nice!

I find that cotton swaps leave fibers behind -- a horrible mess. These ones, at least: HUBY-BB-002. Luke, how well did those sensor cleaners work? What cleaning solution did you settle on, if you don't mind sharing?

A side-by-side comparison with a Dylos 1100 Pro would be really interesting. Did the SPS30 come with all the requires software or was the Evaluation kit required for that? The Digi-Key cost for the SPS30 is $70 CAD but for the evaluation kit it's $128 CAD, plus shipping. The costs are...

I'll let Jared answer that question, if I may.

I use the method Jared shared in this video,with 99.9% IPA. Be careful you don't snag a brush hair in the gimbals though.

... in "Found" folders located at the root.

ReclaiMe File Recovery or Recovery Explorer.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks Blizzard!

I asked in the comments and the author replied It's not about the frame sensor cleaning swab. It's the fluid i used. And this one is custom made. Not much help, I'm afraid.

This article should help: http://hddscan.com/doc/HDD_Tracks_and_Zones.html

@Iurii, these things happen with everyone from time to time, given that we are human. I really like R-Explorer and will renew my subscription.

Thanks for the replies. @Iuril, the message I received clearly says "You will not be able to continue using your product unless you renew your subscription before its expiration date." It struck me as almost an extortion -- a very unfortunate typo.

I was surprised to receive an e-mail indicating that the program will no longer work if the license is not renewed when it comes due in a week's time. Their terms, here, say otherwise: It's common to be limited to updates of the current version during the warranty period but this e-mail says...

Ah, okay. Sorry, I don't have that tool so can't help.

Thant's not a review; it's a DFL sales/marketing page.

Yeah, that is pretty short. :shock: Did you forget to provide a link?

I like the foam block he first tried to use to separate the heads. :lol: It's a Gong Show!

Just makes me shake my head, not laugh. :shock:

"But whay do i get this error when writing ROM back?" I have no idea, sorry.

How to back up Seagate ROM without power on the HDD.

Thanks Datahaze.

Thanks David.

I just completed a review of the DeepSpar USB Stabilizer from a DFL-user's point of view. You can read it here.

:lol:

I think it's an excellent choice for those not ready to do data recovery as their only source of revenue, e.g., computer repair shops. I don't know what the current price is for a DFL-SRP All-In-One because I have upgraded from one DFL device to another until I ended up with the SRP All-In-One...

I composed and thought I posted a reply to this but it seems to have disappeared into thin air? :? Anyway, Ace just quoted $6,460.00 + $60 S/H, all USD, for "PC-3000 UDMA System (SATA/IDE HDD repair + data recovery)." I had asked for PC3K Express price but they never mentioned the PC3K...

@Nissimezra, where did you get your prices, please? They seem much lower than I remember. EDIT: Just checked my e-mails from them dated May 2017 and the price then was $5,390 USD + delivery, and included DE, so you are probably right regarding PC3K UDMA. I've asked for the current price for...

The PC3000 price also doesn't include DE.

Welcome Robert. You have a nice collection of tools to start learning with. If you have access to the tools' respective support forum, that should help in a big way.

I see some people recommending HX-DVR, much cheaper at $200 per case or buy. They will also remote in and even modify the program for unique cases, is my understanding but I don't know what they charge for that.

I doubt that's for commercial use, but I could be wrong. At $79.99, I would just buy the full commercial-use license if the previews look promising.

@DellPater looks like a computer bot to me with this totally off-topic necro-post.

Any bets on a new member suddenly chiming in with a recommendation for Stellar?

I think SSL also helps.

It's hard to measure what effect it has. I am number 1 in searches for "data recovery Kanata" but 11th in searches for "data recovery Ottawa" (which includes the formerly separate city of Kanata). I'm having so many problems with my website that I don't want to experiment to see what effect it...

Not me; just the Yoast SEO plugin for me, too.

Welcome, Hamad.

Thanks, Nuno. That was a really weird case (and solution) and I might try it, once I install new heads. After swapping heads so many times, the patient and donor now click. <sigh> I don't know if I have the will to swap them one more time and have pretty much given up hope of recovering more...

You are right, Sam. I can see the platters deflect as I press down and release pressure with the awl, and pressing down alternately on opposite sides of the spindle with tweezers does make the platters visibly raise and lower when viewed at the ramp. So much for my platter wobble theory...

Here is a video of the platter wobble I mentioned. I couldn't detect any wobble judging from the separation between the ramp and the platter, but there is clearly wobble there in both drives. Scanning the user area of the donor showed no issues at all -- it's a healthy drive. There is no...

Thanks, Nuno. I don't know how to read from the UA by the COM port on DFL-SRP and I don't think I want to invest the time to figure it out for this case. Maybe another time. The cloning is 65% through the drive reading from just 2 heads and was progressing at about 1% per day. that means it...

Thanks for the suggestions, Sam. Yes, I used virtual translator and set DE to automatically apply it whenever a reset occurs. I rotated the platters using tweezers in one of the cover cap holes, IIRC. Not sure it would be different if I just used the centre screw but will try that next time I...

I don’t know if the drive was dropped or not. The partition table is not found on MacBook Pro from whence it came, or by DFL. Lots of bad sectors at beginning LBAs and it really struggles to read everywhere. Heads 2 & 3 fail head test and heads 0 and 1 struggle to read throughout drive -- in...

Nissim, thanks for the invitation. I'll PM my Skype ID so we can chat when you are bored. Nice website, BTW, but one of your images got blocked by Emsisoft as being suspicious. My site was hacked recently and it was an alarming wake-up call. I had it cleaned up by WordFence and now use their...

:lol: :lol: :lol: May the two of you have many more good years in the business; you're both way too young to retire.

Hahaha. I hope I don't outlast you, Luke!

I'm 78 but know better than to try to master it. :) Unless you are younger and make it your career, the best you (I) can do is learn and invest enough to make the effort and expense worthwhile. As a sole source of income, it wouldn't be feasible for me. But it's enjoyable and the income does...

Wow, David. Nice job!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

No, I was a victim of my poor reading comprehension. The item was clearly stated to measure thousands of particles per cubic foot at 0.5 micron sensitivity and Dylos confirmed that that was it's correct spec, that they did indeed refurbish the unit to spec, and that the seller was an honourable...

No, it reads thousands of particles per cubic foot, so no way to measure 100 particles per square foot. That would be 0.1 on the display but the display doesn't read to tenths, just units. Lowest non-zero reading would be 1, i.e., 1000 perticles per square foot. A zero reading could mean 900...

There is no such thing as "Mrt Lab Pc3000." I assume you mean "MRT or PC3000"?

The Dylos DC1100 Pro seems to be commonly accepted as good enough. It measures hundreds of 0.5 and 2.5 micron particles per cubic foot. Don't make the mistake I made and buy one that measures thousands of particles per cubic foot as it doesn't have the resolution to know if your chamber meets...

I assume "Fulfilled by Amazon" means it's shipped locally (or at least from outside Russia).

You could always image first then do selective file recovery from the patient, as mentioned. However, that really increases time required for the job. With the job currently underway, I started a selective file recovery but saw that the customer's most important folder is empty ("vids and...

If I do a selective file recovery, I set the task to append ".bad" to files with errors. I normally leave those files where they are and explain to the customer how to find them. I also quote the number of files & folders recovered and their total size, and add "... of which xxx files (yyyGB)...

Thanks @emir_has. That's very interesting and encouraging.

Nice surprise! Could it be that removing then reinstalling the heads has improved their readability. That's what I have found many times when practicing head swaps. Before and after scans with HDDScan showed the difference.

Congrats, Jared!

Perhaps @Amarbir's laptop has an eSATA port?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I should be so lucky as so many DR jobs on the go at the same time that it takes a CRM to manage them. LOL I just place the work orders on a long table along with associated parts. Work orders, e-mails with the client, and case reports detail what has been done, results and what's next.

I don't know. I haven't seen any "spam" but that subtly hidden link and his apparent irrelevance does not inspire trust. PS - the modification was apparently made today; I'd say, hammer him! :lol:

.. and spamming with the subtly hidden text in your opening post?

Of course. :D I was just trying to confirm that this was the sole source you found.

From here?

... that was dragging the manure spreader, perhaps? :o

Here's one but delivery may take a while: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/HDD-PCB ... 43436.html The price is right.

Start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_recovery

He has no idea what the alternatives are and their cost. Neither does he have any idea what other tools and equipment are required and what they cost. Can't fault him for that; that's why he's here. @mayanksharmaggc, I understand that you have some computer knowledge and possibly related...

So the PCB or ROM is faulty, or you perhaps have incorrect COM settings. Even if the heads are bad you should be able to read the ROM. Have you viewed this DFL video on how to read and write RON on Seagate DM series drives? If you followed the procedure correctly and had the correct COM...

Yes it does: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxVyWYH0WUY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8i6x55Kzg8.

I second pclab's advice. Also, don't rush it by using too high a temp, lest you kill the ROM. You might wish to get some ChipQuik low-temp solder alloy (bismuth) and use that to lower the melting temp of the native lead-free solder. After using ChipQuik, be sure to fully remove any ChipQuik...

...and how about "Do you run a data recovery company, just interested in learning, other?"

... :lol:

I preheat the PCB to 215C then use hot air at 350C (focused on thePCB/legs, not the top of the ROM), and flux of course.

Try Blizzard Data Recovery; they're in GA. And David Blizzard is a member of this forum.

I think the first thing to do is to decide the value of the data to you. With dropped drives, best practice is to examine the read/write heads under a microscope after removing them in a cleanroom environment. If the heads are deformed/damaged or have platter lubrication-layer residue on them...

Welcome, COD.

Awk! I realized 10 minutes after making my post that my unit displays thousands of particles per cubic foot, whereas the units normally display hundreds of particles per cubic foot. So, Jared no doubt read 12 on his meter in unfiltered air, meaning 1200 particles per cubic foot. .... so a...

The Dylos read-out is in thousands of particles per cubic foot, so how can you tell it's 1200 particles? I assumed you meant it read 1200, which would be 1200 thousands, no?

Yes, I still have that one. I thought Jared already made a comparison with his Dylos? I'll look for that post. If I can't find it, I'll do a test myself. Edit: Here's Jared's post of his findings with the cheapo meter vs his Dylos 1100 Pro. IIRC, my Dylos measures 30-50 thousand particles...

Thanks, @pclab. I love case studies!

My apologies, Nuno. I somehow didn't see the OP and wondered why you made your post. Didn't realize you were responding the an end user.

It's a superb value, no doubt. However, to use it on customers' drives one needs the professional license, the price of which is $95 USD (still a terrific bargain!).

Nice to see another DFL user in the forum. Welcome!

My DR prices page says ... • Prices assume the patient drive will be donated for recycling after the data is recovered, otherwise add $50. • Prices shown are for drives up to 3TB. Add $50 per additional terabyte for larger drives. • * If a donor drive is required for parts and we use one of...

I don't recall, to be honest. It was quite a while ago. Sometimes when I click my desktop shortcut to open the donor database in OO Base, it has lost the link to the program (or database) or needs to recover/restore the database. I can't be sure it isn't a problem with my system rather than...

I've been told by Dylos that they have recently cleaned units for this reseller, and re-calibrated them for 0.3 and 0.5 microns, and also that this reseller is known to them and honest. :mrgreen:

Yes, welcome, Sathyan.

Thanks, @datahaze. OO Base is not as stable as Access but it's fine. (I just realized that I designed the db using Access but access it using the OO Base app.) The db design and form I created suck, but they're adequate. In retrospect, it would have been good to have different forms for each...

Thanks Luke. I should be so lucky as to have that problem. LOL I have just a few hundred but could always buy more racks or shelving and separate bins if I needed more storage capacity. That's what I did to hold the 3.5" drives and they work fine.

Same here. For organization, I built a Open Office database app to key in donors, with an auto-incrementing inventory ID field and fields for typical match parameters. Drives are stored in storage bins, organized by Brand then ID. Works for me.

That looks like the one in the middle of my last pic, except the leads go up instead of down.

Mouser has some that may be suitable (although not with that part number) and more quickly available. Where did you get that part number?

DigiKey and probably many other parts suppliers sell SATA connectors; examples here. I haven't seen any of just the data portion but it would be easy enough to split them using a Dremel tool.

I'm not sure how I could use it to advantage but that's probably just a reflection of my lack of knowledge/skills. It's ingenious, nevertheless, especially getting such depth of field at those magnification levels and withing such a confined space. How would this be handy for you, Luke?

I have seen a video made using a tool prototype for inspecting between the platters and it seems to work really well. I'll inquire about permission to post it. Permission granted (Thanks, Nikola!). Here is what the tool shows, inspecting a scratch between platters.

We'll soon find out. I have asked the manufacturer what they have to say about them and will report back.

Thanks for the tip, Nuno! That was an excellent price, so I bought one. I'm pleased to say my clean chamber is at least Class 100. It reached that reading in about 3-5 seconds; it's very responsive meter! :mrgreen:

Okay, thanks @jinarto. I sold my URE so can't help you with that. sorry. You will have to transfer the ROM to a compatible SATA PCB to make the slow init. fix, and then continue with URE to recover the data. Not such a difficult thing to do, although it does add a little extra time to the job.

@jinarto, what version of DFL-DDP utility are you using? Does it have Slow Init. Fix (1) and (2)? Have you tried both?

Yes, nice to welcome another computer repair shop that also does data recovery. I cringe when I read forum advice to "take it to a DR pro, not a computer repair shop" (although I know they mean shops that know squat about data recovery, likely to run HDD Regenerator or similar).

... not to mention collecting a ton of potential donor drives.

... but forgot to update the "Last Updated" field. <ducks and runs>

:lol: Someone has to keep you in line. LOL

See this thread: st2000vm003-headmap-t1864.html#p8880

I believe that video is a fraud. Going over that scratch would have ripped the heads off or at the very least, damaged them severely. There is going to be platter dust everywhere throughout the drive as a result of that scratch, destroying all the heads and contaminating all the platters. At...

Thanks for the update, @slingshot!

...and?

Has anyone experimented with using a dial indicator/gauge to measure eccentricity? My thought was, perhaps mark each platter edge to facilitate restoring rotational alignment and use the dial gauge to measure eccentricity at that mark, to facilitate eccentricity restoration. I doubt it's...

Oh, I misread it then. My apologies to @datahaze!

Shame on you! That's what the Chinese do. If you don't like their prices, buy Apex Tools or design and make your own. There's enough IP being stolen already.

Think of it as my contribution to the quality of the forum. :lol:

Thanks for maintaining this, Jared Gentle reminder re. "Last Updated: 10/20/2017" footer.

Yes, I know. I'm a bit puzzled by why they would come out with this product, unless RapidSpar is not doing well and they thought this might be more affordable. I'm not familiar enough with RapidSpar to contrast their capabilities and costs.

Looks decent, and coming from DeepSpar it should be respectable and well supported. For those not ready to commit the considerable time and money to get into the DR business, I think it's appealing. It's like a RapidSpar on steroids. Thousands of computer repair shops would be their primary...

Welcome, @kilgor.

Check the heads for patter contamination before installing new ones. If there is platter damage, new heads won't help.

??? (scratches head) Oh, you're referring to Snap2IMG, no doubt. I'll have to try that to cut down on the file size.

Same as PCLAB. I have also used remote support with "switch sides" so the customer can watch me browse through the data and ask to see anything in particular. Snap2HTML is great but Snap2IMG often generates way too may thumbnails and I sometimes spend too much time removing folders with just...

LOL! The secret key to success! :lol: :lol:

Welcome, @peon.

Exactly! :)

@nissimezra, there will always be people ("pizza techs") willing to do any computer job cheaper. Competing with them is a race to the bottom. I don't mind losing all the potential (cheap) customers to pizza techs. In my experience, they tend to be the most trouble anyway. I focus on...

Other than by removing the platters, taped to prevent individual platter rotation, as in Andy Watson's article.

I charge $125+HST to install/re-install Windows, including up to 50GB of data back-up/restore. That's on top of $100-$125 (ave.) for a new HDD. But you're right -- people are reluctant to spend money repairing computers and too quick to just buy a new one, or do without and just use their phone.

Ugh! Not to mention the solder bridges...

No need to apologies, JaredJol. No offense taken.

Thanks, Nuno! I did recoveries from a couple of Canvios sent to me from Guam, of all places. He somehow got he impression I know what I'm doing with PCB repairs. :shock:

Thank you, Joep! I also left a comment on your JpegDigger website page, suggesting an improvement. Thanks for such a terrific program! NEF files displayed in Nikon’s View-NXi on PC or Mac looked perfect but exported JPGs and TIFFs were a mess. JpegDigger extracted perfect JPGs! The only...

Perhaps edit-own-posts permissions of those in the new users group can be restricted, but I'm not sure you can do that if you also want to moderate and approve posts by new users.

I just used Disktuna's JpegDigger to extract JPG files from corrupted NEF files and it did a terrific job. It's freeware and did what several other programs I tried couldn't do. Files recovered from a drive image looked perfect in Nikon's View-NXi but when they were exported as JPG/TIFF or...

Even those of us with just DFL tools. :lol:

Perhaps 771629-002/006 if the motor controllers match, per this post by @300DDR.

Nice work, Martin. I've not had anything close, fortunately, but will keep your suggestion in mind. Thanks for sharing!

Upgrades to the next major level are free for those who purchased their license withing the past 6 month (or whatever). Beyond that 6 months, upgrades to the next major level are 30% off the new-user price of that new level.... or something like that.

I think mine was about a week. How can you afford to tie up an imager for a month, unless you have multiple or so very little business (which I doubt)? ,,, or can stop the job when the imager is needed for another job then restart it when it would otherwise be dormant. Personally, I find it...

Sounds good to me, so long as "long term" is defined, e.g., 3 years or 5 years.

Addition: WD500LPLX-08ZNTT0 is MAKALU family.

Jared mentioned losing a day's worth of posts a few days ago when he had to restore from backup after a WP plugin update. Perhaps that was among the collateral damage.

Hilarious!

Welcome, @ansmith!

I went ahead and bought Recovery Explorer for a job today and what a treat! Recovered the files from the clone of a failing ST3000DM003 that came out of a Seagate Central in a heartbeat. With the 50% discount, it only cost me $54.77 CAD for the Standard Business license upgrade from my UFS...

I tried that a week or two ago and the head got so dirty it could not be cleaned, even after two sessions in the UC with 99% IPA. The top surface of the platter ended up quite a mess and my donor was a write-off, which makes me hesitant to try that again, unless I use dead heads. :( Here's...

Welcome, Tim!

I've solved the comb-falling-out-while-examining-heads-under-the-microscope issue, with a paper clip. LOL Works really well. I bent the clip so the ends are parallel and just a bit closer together than the width of the comb+actuator arm. The lower portion fits between the actuator arms and...

Sam, in the case I mentioned, the HDA connector was in place and the comb just barely touched it but it didn't provide enough of a block to allow pushing the comb between the actuator arms. It just kind of tipped the comb, IIRC. Anyway, I'll be interested to hear if you find an idiot-proof...

Hi again Sam. I tried your technique last night with no joy. The comb does not extend below the HDA case edge so there is nothing to push it towards the actuator arms. These combs fell out of place again, allowing the heads to come together. On top of that, the gasket was askew and I managed...

We'll find out when the new donor arrives. I sure hope they work but I'm doubtful. The drive was sent to another DR lab and it wouldn't surprise me if they did something to make recovery by someone else impossible. The fact that the donor could not be unlocked gives me some hope that a new...

Thanks Sam, I'll try that.

Thanks Sam; wish I could say the same. It helps if I press the tool down to ensure it's snug against the actuator arm before rotating it into final position but it's kind of difficult to do that and hold the arm from rotating at the same time. I'll see what i can do to improve its...

Hahaha. No, not a trick question. Their prices are out of my league, as are DFL/RecoveryRUs's, so I'll just do the best with what I have, or perhaps try modifying them to make them attach more securely. Thanks for the quick reply.

Which ramp tool do you use, David? I only have the Apex Lab Tool but am finding it is not well secured to the commutator and apt to fall off/out of place or to have the locking pin fall out. I ended up with the heads on the platter once but corrected that without damaged. The Apex Tool Lab...

Thanks, Jared. I was able to read and save the patient's modules but unable to disable background processes or read anything in the user area. I guess 5 months difference in DOMs is just too great. I can't get the patient to calibrate again but the donor heads work perfectly after...

Ha, mystery solved! When I re-sealed the drive with Kapton tape after the RnR, I accidentally covered one spindle motor contact. No wonder it wouldn't spin up. Cleared that and it spins up fine. Phew! Thanks to Jol for the suggestion to try it with the HDA connector isolated. It was after...

it would be the patient PCB that would have fried the donor heads. There was no point putting the donor PCB to the patient, because it clicks as received (because it likely has bad heads).

Jol, it's "Boot 0x80M" followed by 22 of the following. I just realized the drive is not even spinning, at any time after power-on. It sure seems like the heads are toast. :( FAIL Servo Op=0100 Resp=0003 0100 0000 0000 0001 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000...

Working on my first Rosewood case and swapped patient PCB with donor HDA to see if donor would spin, implying HSA would likely be compatible. That was probably foolish, given the Rosewood tech nightmare. Anyway, the swap seems to have killed my donor, as explained below. Anyone else tried...

I would also recommend the hddoracle.com forum as a place to learn. Look for fzabkar's tutorials.

Talking to myself but the answer is "yes." They offered me a discount of 50% off the Standard and 33% off the RAID versions to upgrade from my UFS Explorer Standard Business license. (I didn't ask about the Pro version.). I notice they currently charge 120 Euros for UFS Explorer Standard...

My apologies, David. I meant to write Commercial, not Corporate.

Hi David. Yes, that's true. it's 180 Euros/ $290 CAD/ $221 USD for the RAID, Corporate Commercial license, which is what I would need given that I would use it for providing DR service to others. I rarely use UFS Explorer and ReclaiMe Ultimate, for which I have licenses, so adding another...

At 470 Euros ($757 CAD/$578 USD) for the Professional, Commercial version, it's certainly not cheap. Only the commercial version is licensed for use in a data recovery business. I guess if you can live without some of the Professional-version features, the Standard, Commercial license would be...

1) Thrown into a wall. 2) Freezer trick. 3) Opened outside of a cleanroom environment. 4) Run with the lid off. I'd suggest a platter and head swap; throw the current platters in the garbage and install fresh platters and compatible heads. That should help as much as what's been done so far...

I just received the packing back from Canada Post today, saying it was unclaimed. Luckily, there was no charge that the delivery person could figure out. I'm not sure what to do with the test drive. Perhaps use the largest hammer I have to do some percussive maintenance on it. :evil:

At that price, some people might consider the StarTech cloning tool instead, even though it offers almost no user control. Read Luke's review of several different imagers here: https://www.recoveryforce.com/forums/vi ... lenge#p624

The shipping form indicated two options for cases where the package was undeliverable: 1) dispose of it 2) return it at my expense. However, you might be right.

@jol, I would have to pay the cost to return it, plus the shipping cost again ($70 CAD) to send it to someone else. I'd rather let Spildit figure it out (or pay whatever). Given that I also paid to ship another drive containing my results, and these same two drives currently being held ransom...

Same thing for Portugal. That's what Spildit says of the drives I shipped him. They were shipped early November and have been sitting in Customs since arrival.

Use some flux (Kingbo works great!) when you solder. Looks like you did a good job on the ROM. What kind of noise did it make? Perhaps all it had was stiction. If it was a clicking noise, it was probably bad heads/media. Why start with a PCB swap?

Hi Luke. Yeah, left it for a couple of hours after Ctrl+z many times throughout. Could never get F3 T>. I'll try another PCB and see if any change. Thanks for the suggestions. EDIT: Tried with a known-good PCB and no change. Cleaned the grungy HDA connector pads on the patient and checked...

Okay, thanks Amarbir. Is there an article in their Blog or some other reference that discusses this? It would be good to know just what they are modifying.

No, just DFL-SRP. What mod did you have in mind, Amarbir?

Thanks for the reminder, Sam. I'll try that. EDIT: Tried that and after 11x “FAIL Servo Op=0100 Resp=0003” the drive came ready. However, as soon as I try to calibrate ("Get Details" on DFL-SRP), it goes busy but retains DRD and DSC status. Hard reset clears Busy but it returns as soon as I...

It immediately comes busy with power on.

I have a Grenada (ST2000DM001 9YN) with a media cache problem and I'm finding it impossible to get F3 T>, no matter when I short the read channel. I've tried shorting immediately before "(P) SATA Reset" and immediately after that, but no joy in either case. Tried holding the short for 5 - 10...

That's not unusual. I have several programs with keys like that. Copy/Paste of the key is not a problem.

Sounds good to me.

You're welcome, @slingshot.

I use Snap2HTML from RL Vision to generate lists of what was recovered. The html file can be read on all OS platforms, which is handy for iOS recoveries. My DFL-SRP appends ".bad" to files that were not recovered without error using selective file recovery and I tell the customer to just type...

Cool! Thanks Andrey!

It's a little overwhelming, but helpful, I think. Smaller fonts and graphics alignment would help. (I don't understand why the first column is above the others and highlighted in blue.)

Thanks David. I like your site!

:D

... but forgot to update...

They look fine, but the customer has no idea what category or tier his drive falls into so all jobs end up being a custom quote whose value depends upon your assessment of the drive. Perhaps a general description/list of what comprises logical and physical and indicate "Prices depend upon the...

Sounds about right for a Seagate!

Agreed. Customs shouldn't even be involved in Jared's case.

The package containing the Spildit Challenge hard drive and another with my results has been sitting in Portugal Customs since November 9th. I don't know how countries like Portugal and Poland expect to be part of modern commerce,

I would highly recommend the Reveltronics Revelprog-IS.

+1 for XenForo. Love it on Technibble.

I would suggest checking the solder job. That chip looks skewed, to my eyes.

I use a preheater set to 215C, so it takes very little hot air to melt the solder holding the ROM. Works well. I thought Toshiba CPs were in the ROM, so if you fry the ROM, recovery is not possible?

Good job, Luke!

Mine don't seem to feel that way, given that they walk away when the price is too high. Some may, but there's nothing one can do about that. The risk is that some DR shops will sabotage the drive to make recovery by others impossible; if customers fear that's the case, I can understand their...

It all depends. I use price ranges for my recoveries but don't charge if the data recovered is not worth my final asking price. Sometimes you waste time, other times everyone is happy. So, it depends if he has a similar policy.

Yes, but they disclosed their association in the video, so I have no problem with that. I guess one has to decide whether the tests were conducted without bias and whether they presented test results accurately and fairly, or not. I'm inclined to accept the results at face value.

Thanks for the link to that series of tests, pc3000. Really interesting.

It's shown as $79.00 + $10.98 USD S/H in the eBay ad @PCLAB included (but you must have not noticed).

A spreadsheet with capabilities columns might be helpful. :roll:

Thanks for the feedback, Jared. I'm going to send mine back, if I'm allowed to do so.

Not for me. Loads almost instantly (sub-second).

Thanks, Jol!

I thought you were asking how to convert a Toshiba G3959A USB PCB for SATA access and I was thinking of this post: toshiba-usb-to-sata-guide-t1305-40.html#p7205

This was discussed earlier in this thread.

I'd be very interested in such a tool. Given the butter-soft platter surfaces on these, the regular technique is not very successful, for me.

Perhaps this post regarding the C commands by @fzabkar on the HDD Oracle forum is helpful: http://forum.hddguru.com/viewtopic.php?p=251854#p251854

Here you go. Front Back Top Left Side Right Side

I just ran another test and varied the direction in which the counter was pointing to see how it affects results. The counter sensor seems to have a very wide field of view. If I have the counter pointing directly into the air flow, its readings vary a bit, as described earlier. If I raise it...

Amarbir, let us know what you think of it. My BIL (physicist) and family were over for Thanksgiving dinner last night and I showed him the meter. He suggests that with such low particle counts, one should expect a lot of variability. In my clean chamber, I was pointing the sensor into the air...

I received a quote from one company today that wanted $115 CAD to test the meter, plus another $50 CAD if I wanted a written report, presumably plus 13% HST (harmonized sales tax). I've decided I'm not that interested, especially given the variability of the readings.

Not yet, Nuno. I have to find a lab with one that's willing to test my unit or loan me their professional-grade counter. I believe there are local businesses that re-certify clean rooms, but they want an arm and a leg to do the calibration. I need to do some searching.

Thanks, Jared. I had seen that standard discussed here. I was more curious to just know where my clean chamber ranked and it ranks as an ISO 5, which has the same specs as Class 100. If I were rolling in the big bucks from DR like you and Luke, sure, I'd go for something cleaner. :lol:

I received this particle counter yesterday but it came with no user guide. At the moment, I am unsure of the units of measure in the "USA" display. I made a few measurements in my clean chamber and on the desk beside it, and noticed that the values varied considerably over time, so I took...

Ask the wife; she will know. :o

:lol: I have an excellent memory, but it's really short.

@lcoughey is right. I found the post I was thinking of and it was about finding matching donors.

Someone reported that everything in that one (on motor/platter balancing) was plagiarized from HDD Guru and Deepspar forum posts.

I looked for this program but was challenged figuring out who the legitimate author is. A portable version of "OfficeRecovery 2013 Ultimate 13.0.40450" is listed by 10 or 65 security programs on VirusTotal as being infected. Trusted security programs like BitDefender, Kaspersky, et al, said it...

I've read about it happening in Technibble forum but haven't experienced it myself.

Not yet.

Looks good! I think I damaged my drive when I removed the bottom screw. I don't use a bench, so have to tilt the drive to get at the screw. It was at that time that the tool swung around and cause the damage. If my clean chamber were taller, I'd use a bench and that would reduce a lot of the...

No thanks. :o They usually don't leave the clean chamber so I haven't had any issues (that I can attribute to the gloves).

So that's why you have been so quiet lately, Amarbir -- working too hard/too much! Anyway, welcome back. I reuse my gloves and only toss them when they get obviously contaminated or torn. I'm careful not to touch the platters and just rely on the gloved to keep skin dander and white hairs off...

Just to close my contribution to this thread, my customer returned my hard drives and RAID enclosure yesterday and I refunded all but my attempt fee from the $1,000 security deposit he provided part way through the process. After many weeks of effort running ReclaiMe's Drobo recovery program...

Of course, one would solder on a male connector, not a plug.

:lol: :lol: :lol: Good thing Jared's counting number of posts and not quality or usefulness of the posts, or I'd be considered an end-user!

You guys are a riot! :lol: :lol: :lol: Almost as funny as me having a higher ranking than Luke and Blizzard!

:lol: Naw, here in Canada (and probably other former British colonies other than the USA) it's dd/mm/yyyy. The format I suggested is unambiguous, unlike your having listing "G3959A ----------> G3918A" as both confirmed and unconfirmed. LOL

@jared, wen you move it to the confirmed section, can I suggest you write the date last updated as yyyy-mm-dd so it is unambiguous?

I make mistakes like that all the time. But then, I'll be 77 in another month--what's your excuse. :lol: They say the mind is the second thing to go; I can't remember the first.

@Jared, he was asking if it's confirmed, not confirming it.

Oops! Meant to edit my post, not reply to it. Still working on my morning coffee.

I agree, Nuno. Who do they think they are, HDD Surgery? :lol: I find all DFL prices ridiculously inflated.

Here are HDD Head Tools' (DFL's) similar combs. Considerably more expensive, but for 4 platters as well as 2 platters. They put a screw into the HSA to prevent vertical movement, which should be SOP.

Is thisthe site you refer to?

They did a really nice job with this tool. Tried mine last week and works a treat! I wonder if the Apex Tool Group will complain about the new name (Apex Tool Lab) for Ace Tool Lab? Andrey would have to make up a new name like the pharmaceutical industry does for its products, by randomly...

I think there's a risk of being seen as opportunistic if word gets out that recovery is not free in some cases.

I'm confused at how they came up with such astronomical failure rates for those Seagate, with the figures provided, but I don't doubt them. No doubt they are projecting failure rates on a daily basis, rather than the quarterly results shown.

Congrats, Nuno!

Thanks for the video link, Michael. My incentive to build the tool had nothing to do with getting the timing right -- it was trying to get both tweezer tips to connect and stay connected as I started to hit Ctrl+Z. The spacing of the tips would change and one tip would become disconnected from...

Thanks Jared and Sam for sharing. When every swap using tape method failed, I figured it was a balance/eccentricity/alignment problem. I should have used more stable drives to experiment with. LOL! Same here. I have been thinking of how to use a laser and possibly diffraction gratings or...

@jared, did you use the tape method or base replace tool? Do you ever deal with motor balance or platter eccentricity problems after using the tape method? Anyone else?

@RolandJS, it's used to short the read channel on Seagate drives in order to get a F3 T> prompt in terminal. My understanding is that corrupted SA modules prevent normal drive start-up, so shorting the read channel prevents the SA from being read, forcing the drive to look to the serial port for...

The practice drives were all 7200.11s (as was the patient), but 500Gb vs 1.5TB. The practice drives(*) all had issues but could at least calibrate and scan a few million LBAs before the swap. With the patient drive, it clicks as if it's almost going to calibrate but gives up. (I'll try to...

Well, I still have lots to learn about doing platter swaps. I been practicing the tape method on several drives that all were all initially readable but after the swap all clicked and spun down. Time for more research. Any hints appreciated.

Excellent, Andrey!

The YouTube video looks impressive, but it would be better if it were in English. No idea what it costs.

:lol: All it's missing is "... but the platter are okay, I checked."

I finally got fed up trying to short read channel VIAs using tweezers while madly hitting Ctrl+Z, so I just made myself a shorting tool. No way I was going to pay 35 Euros +VAT + S/H ($72 CAD) for a ready-made tool. Ten spear-pointed pogo pins cost me $22.24 CAD and 5 tactile push buttons cost...

Amarbir, I've produced a video but it's 99MB. It's in my DropBox folder, here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9gw374ujiqais ... o.mp4?dl=0 BTW, ignore the dings in the top platter -- they are there because I threw out the platters but dug them out of the garbage and cleaned them a bit just to...

Hi Amarbir, I'll have to make a video and post it later. BTW, the platter swap went without a hitch but the drive clicks. Swapped heads from a perfectly matched donor (19 days apart) but it too clicks. I forgot to transfer adaptives, which I'll do and try again. It could also be platter...

Now that I'm using Scotch 3M Heavy Duty Shipping Tape, as in the video by ACS Data, I'm making progress! Strips about 3/4" wide work best along the sides and at the back. Any wider and the tape tends to stick to platters on the way down while being inserted. Once it sticks, you might have 1...

Cool. Should save time searching in Excel. That would be really handy, especially as supplementary output from a search.

Hi Amarbir. I can't rotate the platters because the bearings are seized tight as a drum. The 7200.10 I practiced on had more room between platters and HDA beside the filter. Also, I can't tape the front and rotate the platters because the dampers block the tape. I see from this video by HDD...

Amarbir, I used aluminum tape used for BGA work (it has very strong adhesive). It worked fine in a 3-platter 7200.10 drive but the design is different, so this problem was a surprise.

I'm practicing for a platter swap on this drive model (ST31500341AS) and am frustrated at trying to get the tape to adhere to the bottom platter at the back of the drive. There is very little clearance between the bottom platter and the HDA beside it. Also, the top of the bottom platter is...

When removing a head stack, I've been lifting the block from inside the case by prying under the block with a pair of curved tweezers. Today I learned that's not a good idea. I thought the block was a little snug but didn't notice until later that I managed to pull the contacts portion right...

I agree with you guys. He found my name because of a post I made about ReclaiMe now offering Drobo recovery as a feature of ReclaiMe Pro, and saw that I was local. He has a strong technical background but didn't have the equipment to clone/image the drives and attempt recovery himself. The...

Not at all. I'd rather just get my equipment back. I was trying to be funny.

@jol, at least not without a deposit of equal value. The ironic part is, he said he could let me do the recovery and nobody would ever know, but being honorable or having integrity is doing the right thing when nobody else would ever know whether you did or not. So much for integrity. If it...

Here's an update on my Drobo case. Just as I finished cloning/imaging the drives, my client decided he would rather attempt the recovery himself, given privacy implications. (He’s a senior consultant with an international consultancy and says my seeing his customer and project names in a file...

+1. I figure it's better to risk damaging a head (because heads are replaceable) by using unstuck tools than ripping a slider off and possibly scratching the platter (thereby rendering data unrecoverable). It's a coin-toss.

Yeah, I thought that was probably the case. Thanks.

I used Ace Tool Lab's unstuck tool on a Grenada a couple of days ago and the damned tool tipped/slipped and ruined H0. :evil: At least I think the tool did that and not the stiction. I find that the tool really separates the heads too much, as Amarbir mentioned. However, I have also...

Weird. Looks like those no-slip plates on trucks, the ones that minimize the risk of slipping as you step up into the cab. I don't understand why the pattern would be so regular and linear.

Ouch!

Hi Amarbir, I watched the latest video completely, whereas I didn't have the patience to view the entire introductory video -- it was just to long and rambling. If I may offer a suggestion: I think you would hold your audience's attention longer (mine at least) if you were more concise/brief...

Amarbir, I've seen you post in it. Anyway, here it is: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum ... tification It's a pretty quiet place. :)

Hi Amarbir, here are the forums I check as a matter of routine every day: DFL Users Forum HDDGuru Forum Data Medics Forum Recovery Force forum Data Recovery Certification Forum HDD Oracle Forum Ace Labs forum There are a few others I may go to on a less regular basis. I also go to Technibble...

Thanks, Jared. I get the following error when I try to access that link, possible because I'm not a current member of that group. I'll do some searching to see what groups are available, and sign up.

@Amarbir, you're right -- I don't frequent Facebook DR groups, so didn't see your video thanking Andy. Perhaps I should start. I had also never heard of the technique until I saw Andy's video of it, and your description was an exact match, which is why I asked if that's where you got it. And...

Sure looks like it!

Amarbir, did you learn that from Andy's blog? http://www.datarecovery.co.uk/latest-da ... shing-line I like to credit my sources.

As Luke mentioned, I have it. It's not great, and rather slow, IIRC. (I don't do much DR so that reduces the opportunity to use it, but it isn't my 1st choice of tools.) I bought it because it seemed like a "consumer-grade" version of R-Studio and didn't requite a Technician Edition license...

I can't imaging anyone paying that price for this e-book.

Thanks I have been told that's the case, but no idea which type of printer was/is used.

I now realize this comb was never meant for an ST2000DM001. You can see from the actuator arm that the locking pin hole of the comb does not have a matching hole in the arm. I repaired my broken comb using a brad that comes in those picture-hanging kits and some Bondic, and added a hole for a...

Nope; never.

Hi Amarbir, Yes, that's what I am planning to do: replace the missing pin with a short brad (tiny nail), epoxied into the tool. I already have all the Ace Tool Lab combs but they don't have any head swap combs for 3.5" drives. I also have all their unstick combs but they are not suitable as...

Hi David, I bought mine July 6, 2014 for $280.63 CAD. Perhaps they modified it if you bought yours later, or maybe I'm just unlucky or clumsy. I have also had the pivot pin break off on the ST3-3 (4) and W2 3 combs. :twisted:

Hi Amarbir, Do you have the Suite 2 combs? If so, see how thin the pin is that fits into the HSA, to act as a pivot so you can rotate the comb and have the teeth enter between the arms at just the right distance from the slider. When the pin breaks off and is left between the top two arms, it...

Me, too, but not quite so pretty.

These should perhaps be called, "Not a great head comb suite." I just ruined a $250 USD donor's heads doing a head swap on a ST2000DM001. What happened was, the ST3-3 (2) comb would not fit because the pivot pin was just too tight a fit, causing it to break off. I decided to use my Level 1...

It was coincidence, I believe. (Post hoc ergo propter hoc).

There is one review by DeadHDD saying it worked great: http://www.recoveryrus.com/product/seag ... h/#reviews I've asked him if he would comment here about the tool.