Platter swap question

MrJimSir

New member
I'm new to this. I've watched a few YouTube videos and peeked inside my problem hard disk drive. I don't know whether this is the right spot to post a basic question, but here it is: it looks like I could just remove its platters, using scotch tape to keep them lined up right, remove the platters from a new drive, and place the old ones on the spindle. Would that work?
 

Jared

Administrator
Staff member
MrJimSir":330iv92h said:
[post]13463[/post] Would that work

I can almost certainly guarantee it wouldn't. Platter swap is only ever done as a last resort if there is no other way to get it spinning. Trying to get a drive calibrated again afterward requires highly specialized tools and years of knowledge and experience you don't have. Even us professionals only resort to that a few times a year despite handling hundreds of cases.

You have about the same odds as successfully performing brain surgery from seeing it done on YouTube. And I'd give it 99.9% odds that platter swap is the wrong solution for your case anyway.

Perhaps you could start be describing what's going on with the drive.
 

MrJimSir

New member
Gee, I didn't think anyone would answer me!
When my 3.5" Seagate hard drive first malfunctioned, it just clicked quietly. I bought an Aukey enclosure for it after watching a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTZBMi-XwQ) about how a failing SATA bridge card usually makes people think their drive itself is shot. This didn't help.
I opened the drive itself. I think at first the platter spun but the little arm was stuck on it, so I manually docked the arm. Now nothing happens. I can manually spin the platter, but the arm isn't stuck but doesn't move.
 
You are playing with Seagate drive like this.I had opened so many drives different brands.
I am still afraid of touching Seagate case. Good luck. (I am sorry to no luck there unless there is no professional tools and long tirm experience)
 

Jared

Administrator
Staff member
MrJimSir":2dn33iyg said:
[post]14162[/post] I opened the drive itself.
Expect to add $1,000 to your final recovery bill now. You've just contaminated a device that should only be opened in a clean room.

MrJimSir":2dn33iyg said:
[post]14162[/post] I think at first the platter spun but the little arm was stuck on it

This comment here is wrong, I promise you. If the read/write heads were stuck to the platters they absolutely did not spin.

MrJimSir":2dn33iyg said:
[post]14162[/post] so I manually docked the arm.

Destroying the read/write heads in the process, I'm sure.

Unfortunately, you've taken what would have likely been a $450 recovery case and now turned it into a $2,000+ nightmare that most data recovery companies won't even want to touch. You've also dropped the chance of recovery down from about 95% odds to around 40% odds.

Your attempt at DIY recovery is like taking a terminally ill person to the pharmacy and having them just randomly take whatever drugs you find with no understanding of what any of the medications actually do or even knowing what's wrong with the person.
 
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