When a hard disk’s magnetic heads fail, they may not park in their designated location, leading to them falling directly onto the disk platters. This can cause the heads to stick to the platter surface, preventing the drive from spinning, and ultimately rendering the hard drive inoperable. Fortunately, despite this malfunction, user files often remain intact and accessible after replacing the magnetic heads.
Case Overview: HGST HDD with Magnetic Head Failure
In this case, the client’s HGST hard drive experienced a mechanical failure that resulted in damage. The disk continued to spin for a short period, creating scratches on the magnetic disks. Our data recovery technician first assessed the physical state of the PCB components, confirming they were functional. Next, the technician inspected the mechanical components, discovering that the magnetic heads had crashed onto the platters, causing circular scratches and irreversible damage to certain data areas.
After informing the client of the evaluation results and receiving approval to proceed, our experts began the recovery process.
Cleaning and Head Replacement Process
Before data retrieval, our technicians utilized an ultrasonic cleaner to remove debris particles from the internal components of the disk. They then carefully moved the magnetic heads assembly away from the platter surfaces.
To remove the heads without causing further damage, we employed specialized head replacement tools, specifically a comb puller. This tool is designed to spread the heads parked on the external ramp, allowing for their safe removal and replacement with functioning ones.
With years of experience and advanced data recovery tools, our expert successfully extracted the damaged read/write heads and replaced them with compatible donor heads. Additionally, the firmware chip was transferred to ensure proper calibration of the new heads.
Data Extraction from HGST HDD
After replacing the heads, our data recovery specialist initiated a sector-by-sector copy of the hard disk. This method enables the extraction of data from a faulty device, particularly in cases where sectors are unreadable. The process is crucial as the disk with the replaced head unit can no longer operate as a standard drive due to potential microdisplacement and scratches.
Our technician carefully constructed sections and maps of files and folders containing valuable data. Ultimately, all high-priority files were successfully restored and copied to a new hard disk provided by the client. Once the client reviewed and approved the recovered files, we promptly returned their data.
