Mechanical damage to a USB drive means there is a problem in the moving parts of the drive, which doesn't necessarily mean the data stored on it is lost. Mechanical damage stops either the motor or the heads that spin and read the platters, and usually the platters that hold the recording survive whatever made the mechanism fail. The data is reached by working on the drive on the head-swap bench, replacing the damaged heads or freeing the motor, or transferring the platters to a matched base. What was damaged is the mechanism, and the data is on the platters, which are read once the work gets the drive turning and reading cleanly. Her USB hard drive "has a mechanical damage", and she would like to know if her data can be recovered. Mechanical damage is worked on the head-swap bench, as the platters usually survive what stops the mechanism. The mechanism is worked on at the head-swap bench.
| Media | A USB hard drive with mechanical damage, and the data still to be recovered. |
| Reported situation | USB hard drive · mechanical damage · recovery sought · owner willing to post the drive in. |
| Fault class | A mechanical fault, where the motor or heads that spin and read the platters have been damaged, though most of the time the platters themselves are intact. It is reached by working on the drive on the head-swap bench, replacing the heads or freeing the motor, or moving the platters to a matched base, and powering it up any further is the risk. |
| Equipment used | Not run due to the mechanical damage · the drive was removed from its enclosure and profiled on a current-limited bench supply to locate the mechanical fault · it was then opened on the head-swap bench and the motor, heads and platters were examined under a stereo microscope, and the failed part was dealt with, either matched donor heads fitted or the motor freed, or the platters moved to a matched base with the alignment set · imaged on DeepSpar behind PC-3000 UDMA, with the data located in R-Studio and validated. |
Mechanical damage is a fault in the moving parts. The description of mechanical damage points to a problem with the parts that physically move, namely the motor that spins the platters up to speed and the heads that read them. These are the mechanism, and because mechanical damage stops them working, the drive can't get itself ready or read. So the problem is in the mechanism and not necessarily the data, and the moving parts being damaged is why the drive won't run, rather than the recording being gone. Her data is usually still on the platters, behind the damaged mechanism, and it can be reached by working on her drive on the head-swap bench.
The platters usually survive it. A damaged mechanism doesn't mean the platters are damaged too. The platters holding the data are separate from the motor and heads, so a mechanical failure that stops those parts working will usually leave the surfaces of the platters intact, unless the drive has been run on and the failing heads have made contact with them. Her data is reached from those platters, with the mechanism repaired or the platters moved to a working base.
It's worked on the head-swap bench, and it isn't run. Because the fault is mechanical, the drive is opened on the head-swap bench, where the motor, heads and platters are looked at under magnification and the failed part is dealt with (matched heads fitted or the motor freed, or the platters moved to a matched base), the alignment is set and the drive is imaged, so the data is read once it turns cleanly. A mechanically damaged drive that is forced to run can score its platters, which is why it is not run, and the mechanism is repaired under control before the data is read. This is how her data is reached from the platters and how a mechanically damaged drive is recovered, and she can post it in for assessment. We'd recommend starting with the free diagnostic, which establishes the state of the platters, and we then give one fixed quote in writing before any work goes ahead.
The honest prognosis rests on the platters. Most of the time, when the mechanism is the fault and the platters are intact, which is the usual case when you catch a drive before it has been run on, work on the head-swap bench lets it image and the data comes back, often in full. If the platters have been scored, the chances of recovery narrow to the areas that are still intact, and that can be confirmed before anything is agreed.
This drive was not powered up because of the mechanical damage. It was removed from its enclosure and profiled on a current-limited bench supply to locate the mechanical fault. The drive was then opened on the head-swap bench, and the motor, heads and platters were inspected under a stereo microscope, and the failed part was dealt with, either by fitting matched donor heads, freeing the motor, or transferring the platters to a matched base and setting the alignment. It was then imaged on DeepSpar behind PC-3000 UDMA, and the data was located in R-Studio and validated.
The mechanical failure was dealt with at the head-swap bench, and the drive was then imaged so that the data could be recovered onto new media. There's no charge for the diagnostic, and it reports back to you within two working days of your media arriving. After that you get a single written quote, which is fixed, plus VAT. Opening up a drive uses donor stock and takes time on our head-swap bench, so half of the quoted figure is paid upfront before we begin that stage, and you only owe the balance if we recover your data. Mechanical damage is worked on at the head-swap bench because the platters usually survive whatever stopped the mechanism, and when the platters are sound your data comes back.
Mechanical damage means the moving parts are faulty, such as the motor which spins the platters and the heads which read them. A mechanical failure will stop your drive getting itself ready and reading, however it doesn't by itself affect the data stored on the platters. Generally speaking the platters should be fine after a mechanical failure, since they are separate from the heads and motor, unless you keep running the drive and the failing heads touch the platters. At the head-swap bench the faulty part is repaired or the platters are transferred, and then the drive is imaged. Please don't run a mechanically damaged drive, but put it to one side and have it worked on at the head-swap bench, and get a quote first, which you can do by phone or with the free online diagnostic. Then post the drive in whole, in its enclosure with its cable and power supply, or drop it off at the Oxford lab, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, no appointment needed.
We've written our case studies from real enquiries our lab has handled for customers in Swindon and Wiltshire, and the references to individual clients have been removed to protect their confidentiality. As well as that, each study describes the diagnostic and recovery method our engineers use for the fault in question, using the equipment listed.
A Beeping Drive Is a Seized Motor, Not a Simple Jam — Freed Under Magnification in Clean Air
Clicking With No Recognition Is a Head Fault — Addressed in Clean Air, So the Drive Must Not Be Run On
A Fall, a Noise, and No Read Point to a Head Fault — Addressed in Clean Air, Not by Running It
You get a free diagnostic and a fixed quote before you send anything. In most cases you only pay if we recover your data, but electronic, mechanical and drive-opening work is 50% upfront, with the balance due only if we recover your data, and forensic work is paid upfront once you accept the fixed quote. Only the drive should be sent and not the whole computer, and if you're not sure which type of storage you have please ring us first. If it's a RAID system or a server, take the disks out and label them by bay, and with a NAS take the disks out if you can, or otherwise send the NAS. A single external drive can go as it is, along with its cable and power supply. Please post it tracked and insured, or drop it off in person at our Oxford lab, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, no appointment needed. You can start now, or call the freephone number to begin the process today.