How retrieve data off a crashed Windows 7 HDD drive.

Anyone have suggestions on how to recover data from a 'bad' hard drive? And/or have tried any disk data recovery software?

I am trying to avoid bring it to a service that does data recovery if I can, due to high $$$.

DETAILS IF YOU NEED THEM:

2.5" Internal Toshiba SATA Drive that came with my little son's Dell N5040 Laptop.

I carefully opened and took a look ... I do see a small scratch visible on the top platter surface. Not sure if that is the culprit, but guessing it is.

When I connect the Drive to a PC, the read/write heads turn clockwise all the way to the right/inward, then they retract and keep banging themselves against the parked position, over & over.

PC does not recognize the drive as expected.

It was a Windows 7 Home bootable drive, though I only need to recover a few files off of it.

Windows OSWindows 7Storage Hardware

Last Comment

Gerald Connolly

8/22/2022 - Mon

Seth Simmons

12/10/2021

Not sure if that is the culprit, but guessing it is.

I'd say so...sounds like a head crash. If you opened it to look, it is now exposed to dust and dirt.
being a mechanical failure, probably won't be able to do much of anything aside from professional services which would be expensive and no guarantee it would work if there is physical damage to the platter(s)

rindi

12/10/2021

If you have opened the disk, your only option is a professional recovery agency. There is now dust in the system, & that will create much more damage than what you already have. There is no way you can remove that dust without highly specialised & expensive equipment, & an ultra clean room (where people only enter in those white, bunny suits).

There is software around that sometimes can help to recover your data, but in your case that is now too late.

bleggee

12/10/2021

ASKER

Thx for the info. One of the guys opened it in their positive-pressure Clean Room. Not sure if he knew what he was doing :) I guess we shall see.

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arnold

12/10/2021

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nobus

12/10/2021

try these guys for recovery : http://www.gillware.com/

you said "When I connect the Drive to a PC, the read/write heads turn clockwise all the way to the right/inward, then they retract and keep banging themselves against the parked position, over & over. " this is because the disk head cannot read the disk, so the heads search for a readable track till end of disk - bump in to the stop -and retry

also known as the click of death

Gerald Connolly

12/12/2021

Be prepared for total loss of data. The less you do before reverting to a professional recovery company the higher the likeleyhood that you will recover your data! But opening a drive (even in a clean room) is a big big risk for total data loss. Was the testing done in a clean room?