Data Recovery

[USA Employee]

DannyT you seem to be very good with people you should apply at USAA!

[DannyT]

Thank You Come Again

[Wild Cobra]

Are you saying it's not something we can learn? How else do you find out something unless you ask questions?

This is not 1825 when Blacks were not allowed to read this is 2008 where the Mexicans rule America!.

It can be learned, but not overnight. This is the type of thing the is rather intricate. Compare it with a veterinarian performing brain surgery if you are a mechanic. Too many new details to learn.

Particles floating in the air you cannot even see will keep the transplant from working. It will also keep the new drive from working when reassembled. The working surfaces are just than small and precise. The last drive I disassembled was a 60 GB. Three platters, six heads. That means 10 GB per surface. If you take the surface area the head travels on and divide by the data, you need less than 1/4 of a micron per storage bit. Any idea of the precision required?

This would be a simple operation for me on an older drive, maybe up to 300 MB. When we are talking multiple GB's... things really change. There is no room for error. I would only attempt it myself in a clean room, and I would be less than hopeful of success.

I am a professional electronics technician, more than 20 years as a paid technician. Eight years of that is in the semiconductor industry working in clean rooms dealing in sub micron requirements. I have taken damaged drives apart. I know how delicate they are.

I noticed NBA Dan has a great couple ideas. Cold could work. Swapping the boards... it could be the electronics rather than inside. If you are going to buy a guinea pig drive, I suggest you start with Dan's approach.

However, back to the tools. A Torx #6 is a very common tool for such uses. On my 60GB, screws using this socket not only held the cover on, but six of them held the spindle together. If I assume the construction similar to mine, then the heads will have to be swung out of the way.

On mime, I had to disconnect the through connector to the head assembly before the heads had the clearance to swing that far, and remove the top part of the magnetic head movement control since it had a hard stop to keep the heads on the platters. The magnets had no fasteners. they held themselves in place rather well.

Now the trick when the platters are changed is getting the multiple heads back on the multiple platters without damaging them, or tweaking them less than a micron!

Anyway, after removing the center hub, the platters come out easily with the spacers as well. Order is important. Don't mix anything up.

Reverse assembly...

Again... How do you get the heard back on without damaging them? As far as I know, there is no common tool to help here. Good luck.

I'd really be curious how large the drive was Blizz did this to. I only see it feasible for drives that we consider too small for today's practical applications.

[Nbadan]

I agree with WC, if you open up that drive, it's toast....