The original post: /r/datahoarder by /u/azurerug on 2024-12-06 11:51:14.
TL;DR: Should I take the deal of replacing my dead HDD’s PCB to have proper SATA connection for 240€/255$, and if the data is still inaccessable, then an extra 120€/127$ to replace the R/W head?
Hey,
I have a WD Elements 1TB external HDD that has unfortunately failed recently. It started to slow down significantly (to the point where indexing a directory would take ~10-20 secs) and then after a chkdsk run it died completely; it spins up and Windows recognizes it, but no data can be read whatsoever (file explorer loads indefinetly and freezes eventually). The head can be heard to move a bit sometimes, but again, no data can be read.
I took it to a data recovery specialist with at least 10 years of experience and very favourable reviews online. The lad seemed very much professional and, as a CS student myself, I could tell that he “knows what’s he doing”.
After him investigating the HDD, he offered the following:
- 240€/255$: replace the PCB to get a proper SATA connection (the drive has soldered micro USB interface; it’s not a regular SATA drive with a SATA-to-microUSB converter attached) + replace the firmware; he suspects “surface damage”
- additional 120€/127$: replace the R/W head if the issue still persists
I have no reason to believe that he would screw me over with unnecessary work and unrealistic prices; still, the world can be an ugly place, so I would like to ask your opinion about the necessity of his offer, his prices and whether I should take the deal or not.
Thanks in advance!
PS.: Yes, I should have made backups of the data; I was planning to after I noticed the drive slowing down. It would have taken ages to do so with those transfer speeds though, thus the CHKDSK part. The rest is history. Too little, too late. Lesson well learned.