Need advice on getting a donor hdd

[trs96]

Not you, but someone with the appropriate equipment.

This is a good point. If the OP (macydee) must have this data, don't take any chances trying to recover a failing drive. It should be opened up in a clean room by someone professionally trained in data recovery. If expensive equipment that no consumer has access to is needed, those pros should have that at their disposal to get the data back. Stuck heads can be fixed but trying to fix them the wrong way can lead to losing everything.

 

[pastrychef]

Yeah the guys I took it to said I needed an exact copy but it's probably worth getting a 2nd or 3rd optionion.
Yes it would be good if some of the UK moderators did have some knowladge regarding the drive and places to take it to.
Thank for your imput anyway

Try going to another data recovery place that will do the work instead of making you run around.

 

[macydee]

I know the data is important ... but a clicking drive is hardware not firmware as I understand it (?). Happy to be corrected.

I would attach the drive again. If it still clicks you may be talking true pro recovery work which does not need a donor drive, as @P1LGRIM said.

If the drive mounts, personally I would run the TestDisk utility in non-write mode just to see if it can show any of your file-system and data. If yes, that would indicate the data is possibly recoverable with software. If no ...

Don't try if you don't trust doing this.

Thanks for that.
I've tried to mount the drive a few times. No luck.
I'll get in touch with some data recovery places and get some quotes.
Appreciate your input.

 

[macydee]

Not you, but someone with the appropriate equipment.

Definitely NOT me

 

[trs96]

@macydee This YT video shows the process of a "headswap" from one WD drive to another. I think that this may be what your local shop had planned on doing to your Toshiba 3TB drive. He doesn't have a clean room which is not ideal but some will do this without one. It reduces the chances of success. Best to use a pro service that has better equipment and facilities.

 

[P1LGRIM]

I've tried to mount the drive a few times

Best not to keep doing that.
It may be that each time that you power on reduces the chances of recovering your data intact.

 

[macydee]

Best not to keep doing that.
It may be that each time that you power on reduces the chances of recovering your data intact.

Been keeping it to the bare minimum.

 

[trs96]

Anyone that's serious about the data recovery business should at least have a portable clean room to use. If they haven't even invested in that, I wouldn't give them my business. Here's some examples:

Portable Clean Room | Laminar Flow Hood | Sentry Air Systems

Sentry Air Systems' line of Portable Clean Room Hoods are HEPA or ULPA-filtered positive air pressured environments designed for applications that require a clean work space and clean bench. Applications, include Data Recovery, Stem Cell PRP, Tissue Culture, Medical Applications, Cleaning...

www.sentryair.com

 

[Feartech]

Since @Feartech is experienced with the tech repair shop world, I'd like to hear his opinion on what approach to recovering the data would be.

not the kind of repairs i have done before

i usually tell people to keep backups when their hard drives fail (i always say when their hard drives fail and not if)