A client brought in an old Seagate ST9500420AS hard drive from a laptop. While attempting to back up data, her laptop froze and stopped booting. Software recovery attempts failed, and the drive was no longer detected in BIOS. Important photos and videos needed recovery.
Data Recovery Process
Initial tests showed the drive powered on but froze after a few seconds, indicating bad sectors. Using PC-3000 Express, we disabled self-tests and scanned the service area, revealing faulty read/write heads. A donor drive from the same family was used to replace the heads. Data was read in passes, skipping bad sectors to avoid further damage. Around 80% of the data was recovered, with only a few photos lost.
Result
Thanks to a suitable donor drive and expert work, most of the data was recovered. Some files were lost due to damage caused during the client’s initial recovery attempts, highlighting the importance of seeking professional help early.
