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Western Digital Logo Initial Drive Information

Model: WD10EADS-11M2B1
Size: 1.0 TB
Date: 29 Oct 2009

Data Recovery Evaluation

Hard drive was tested and determined to have a failed PCB.  Replacement PCB taken from stock and used to test read/write heads which were also determined to be defective.

Customer quoted $700 + parts for recovery.
Quote Approved

Data Recovery Procedure

Drive was hot started using PC-3000 to determine if any existing heads could be read before swapping.  Service area modules and tracks backed up and selective clone of good heads attempted.  A few MB of data from two heads was read, however the remaining heads failed a few moments into the process.

Read/Write heads were replaced from donor, which immediately initialized.  Secondary backup of tracks was made, and imaging process began.  A few minutes into the process the replacement PCB began malfunctioning and failed to spin up after a power cycle.

PCB replaced a second time, and now appears to be stable.  Drive struggles to read SA (apparently has media damage in the service area).  Often crashes out after soft or hard resetting.  Recommend smart hot swap procedure be used.

Patient tracks written to compatible donor hard drive.  Drive used to smart hot swap PCB with loaded firmware.  Drive hit multiple bad sector areas in the first 15% of the drive and so far has needed approx 50 hot swaps.

At around the 29% mark heads appear to have failed a second time and can’t read sectors from any platter surfaces.  Recommend finding a second head donor.

Data analyzed and found to be encrypted.  Compatible decryption board found in stock (apparently drive was removed from a Western Digital My Book).  Data appears to extend well beyond the imaged areas, currently waiting to find a good second head swap donor.

Second donor drive found and heads replaced a second time (extra parts paid for by Data Medics).  Higher LBA sectors found to have substantial damage and replacement heads failed shortly after replacing.

Approximately 40% of data recovered and decrypted using WD MyBook USB bridge board from stock.

Customer offered to see recovered data to decide if they want it, however never returned to view it.

Total billed to customer: $0 (so far, unless they decide to come back and want the data)

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