Seagate Data Recovery

[Nathan Igo]

I have a client that had a Seagate backup plus external 3TB drive that just refused to be recognized all of a sudden. I now have the drive and figured it was just an external enclosure gone bad like normal but even after shucking it from the enclosure I cannot get it to even recognize either. The drive "sounds" completely healthy with no screetches or clicks when powered on in my external "toaster" but still is not recognized in either Windows or Linux.

I recall seeing something somewhere a year or so ago that there were special steps needed to shuck these drives and get them usable for internal use but I cannot find that now. I am guessing it is either a firmware issue on the drive board or Seagates block that I mentioned.

Is there anything I can try to run to pickup the drive before I go down that talk of sending out to data recovery and figuring what the files are worth to the client?

 

[wavey]

Have you checked for a short on the pcb?

 

[Nathan Igo]

I am not a data recovery lab so only take these things in as a "Ill take a look and recommend from there if I can't get it" so don't have the microscopes or anything to look deeply into the PCB. From my eye shot nothing looks bad. Like I said the drive spins up when connected like normal and actually even sounds better then most new drives so I don't suspect any mechanical damage and strictly either the firmware corrupted or some weird jumper I have to short.

 

[gadgetfixup]

When you plug it into a Windows machine does it say the drive needs formatting? Sounds like damage to metadata. Metadata is required for Windows to read the data. Did you try to read the drive from a Linux boot up? One of the many benefits of a Rapidspar with data acquisition is it can access the data even when the metadata is damaged. It could also be a firmware issue but if the data is important I'd recommend sending it to a place with at least a Rapidspar.

 

[HCHTech]

Did you try to read the drive from a Linux boot up?

This one. Never connect a drive with a known problem to a Windows machine first. Linux will attempt to read the drive without changing anything - much safer. We have a couple of Linux bench machines dedicated for this purpose to make it easy. Almost any old machine will do, pick a distribution (we use Mint) and grab a couple of extra cables to make connecting easy, or get some hot-swap bays to make it really easy.

 

[Markverhyden]

First thing is I'd talk to the customer to get a clear understanding of how important the data is and if there are any other backs of the data. If it's critical and there's no known functioning backups then I'd just work on getting it to a data recovery outfit.

If it's a fishing expedition I'd start by hooking it up to a native SATA interface on a Linux box. If your enclosure is old it might not properly see the drive. Make an image using your favorite imaging app. Power up the clone and see what you get. Then I'd download a R-Studio and install. It should still have a free mode to allow you to scan a drive but will only allow restoring a file of 64kb or something like that.

 

[lcoughey]

Based on the model, it is likely failing heads, media damage, firmware or a bit of each. Unlikely recoverable without professional equipment.

I'd be happy to help or seek your preferred data recovery vendor. Such cases are rarely much more than $1000 USD and frequently under $500 USD.

 

[fincoder]

cannot get it to even recognize

No mention of whether the drive showed up in Device Manager or Disk Management? Tried connected to SATA?
Anyway, probably better to try Linux next.

special steps needed to shuck these drives and get them usable for internal use

If the shucked drive has SATA ports there's no reason it shouldn't work if healthy.

 

[Diggs]

get some hot-swap bays to make it really easy.

I have tried hot-swapping SATA repeatedly even on different machines and I have terrible results. The machines just will not recognize a SATA drive inserted hot. Even telling Device Manager to refresh will not make the new drive show up. I always have to do a full reboot which I hate doing if the drive I just docked has an OS on it. I didn't have any better luck with eSATA but it's been awhile.

 

[HCHTech]

I have tried hot-swapping SATA repeatedly even on different machines and I have terrible results.

I was referring to the Linux machines. We have hot-swap bays in the windows bench machines as well, but like you, we always have to reboot to recognize a drive inserted. I believe the motherboard itself has to support hot-swap in order to have a different result, and that is seemingly reserved for server motherboards. I could be wrong, but remember looking into that at some point.

 

[Nathan Igo]

Sorry for no replies but got caught up on a website redesign deadline so this was pushed to the corner.

Have I tried linux - Yes I tried through the external "toaster" enclosure and direct to the MB. Anytime I deal with drives I only use linux. The windows check was just an onsite to try to give the customer a rough estimate.

I believe what lcoughey is guessing is most likely the culprit. I can here the drive spin up and then absolutely nothing, almost like the heads may be stuck or something causing them to not actuate. Ill keep you in mind going forward.

The data is nothing time sensitive but also nothing super critical so have to keep the budget in mind. I have access to a RapidSpar system through a contact just waiting to get out there to check it out. I loved it when I demoed it a few years ago just don't have the continuous need for one to justify the cost.

For Fincoder, yes there were multiple models of drives used in external enclosures years ago that needed a pin or two on the SATA connection blocked (usually with tape) to be able to be used outside of their enclosure. I just wasn't sure if that was still a thing but with the minimal response it doesn't sound like that is the case anymore with more current externals.

 

[300DDR]

I think the "shuck" problem is mainly for WD drives (https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Fix-the-33V-Pin-Issue-in-White-Label-Disks-/). Agree with Luke that it sounds like a firmware issue, weak heads, and/or media damage.