recovery directly from hdd platters via external device

[someone]

I have read in various postings and magazines that data can be recovered by
removing the platters from a failed hard disk drive (hdd) and reading via an
external device.

This process would need to overcome many variables - operating systems,
drive size, platter density, various mfg's - only to name a few.

I researched this topic via online sources, white papers, and by contacting
some of the larger data recovery (DR) companies.

I have not been able to obtain sufficient information to indicate this
procedure is in fact available. One of the largest DR companies directly
stated they
had only been able to implement this process in some very old hdd's and only
between hdd's of the same capacity and mfg.. The other company indicated
they have a new process and quoted an hourly rate. As expected the second
company would not provide any information regarding their process or even
provide a name for this process. There is no information on their website
regarding this technique.

Does anyone have factual details - is the process of removing the platters
from the hdd's to be read via an external device publicly available at this
time?
If so, I would appreciate any leads to websites, white papers, magazines or
books on the topic. Is there a name for the process to search under?

I suspect, if no one else, government agencies may have this ability. The
next question is the technology in the public arena at this time.

All input of substance is appreciated.

 

[Rod Speed]

I have read in various postings and magazines that data
can be recovered by removing the platters from a failed
hard disk drive (hdd) and reading via an external device.

Corse its possible.

This process would need to overcome
many variables - operating systems,

Nope, the OS is completely irrelevant.

drive size, platter density, various mfg's - only to name a few.

None of which are any big deal if you dont mind the cost.

I researched this topic via online sources, white papers, and
by contacting some of the larger data recovery (DR) companies.

I have not been able to obtain sufficient information to indicate this
procedure is in fact available. One of the largest DR companies directly
stated they had only been able to implement this process in some
very old hdd's and only between hdd's of the same capacity and mfg..

You appear to be completely mangling the swapping
of a logic card between a good and bad hard drive
with reading the platters out of the drive that's died here.

The other company indicated they have
a new process and quoted an hourly rate.

Which may just involve doing something about the drives
where you cant just swap the logic card between the drives.

Thats obviously doable when the manufacturer can handle it.

As expected the second company would not provide
any information regarding their process or even provide
a name for this process. There is no information on
their website regarding this technique.

No surprises there. Its obviously not in their
interest to say anything about the detail.

Does anyone have factual details

Yes, some have been prepared to pay for recovery
and have got their data back. So its obviously possible.

- is the process of removing the platters from the hdd's to be
read via an external device publicly available at this time?

Nope, and thats not the only way to do it too.

If so, I would appreciate any leads to websites, white papers, magazines
or books on the topic. Is there a name for the process to search under?
Nope.

I suspect, if no one else, government agencies may have this ability.

Its far from clear if they need it.

The next question is the technology in the public arena at this time.

The short story is SFA.

 

[someone]

SFA = ?

Corse its possible.


Nope, the OS is completely irrelevant.


None of which are any big deal if you dont mind the cost.



You appear to be completely mangling the swapping
of a logic card between a good and bad hard drive
with reading the platters out of the drive that's died here.


Which may just involve doing something about the drives
where you cant just swap the logic card between the drives.

Thats obviously doable when the manufacturer can handle it.


No surprises there. Its obviously not in their
interest to say anything about the detail.


Yes, some have been prepared to pay for recovery
and have got their data back. So its obviously possible.


Nope, and thats not the only way to do it too.


Its far from clear if they need it.


The short story is SFA.

 

[Rod Speed]

SFA = ?

Sweet F* All

another way of saying hardly any, or none.

 

[someone]

Or is that SFA = Short on Facts Answer? ( I must admit that Sweet F**k ALL
has been one of my favorites in the past)
I'm not looking for a flame war - only an answer full of facts and leads to
factual information.

"Corse its possible" - then what companies are providing this service and
why do they not indicate they have the capability?
The one company that claimed they had this process does not mention it on
their website????? The larger DR company indicated they do not have the
capabilty.
Why are there no white papers on the process? Why are there no vendors of
the process offering to sell their technology?

I know of multiple scenarios wherein analyzing the platters after they have
been removed would be the simplest and possibly the only successful recovery
method.

Once again I ask as I did in my original post
or in other terms - input supported by factual information - not conjecture.

 

[Rod Speed]

Or is that SFA = Short on Facts Answer?

Nope that would be SoFA, silly.

( I must admit that Sweet F**k ALL
has been one of my favorites in the past)

Yeah, short succinct and to the point.

I'm not looking for a flame war - only an answer
full of facts and leads to factual information.

"Corse its possible" - then what companies are providing this service
Dunno.

and why do they not indicate they have the capability?

Presumably they have decided that most of the potential
customers wouldnt understand the detail and they dont
want to give their competitors any info either.

The one company that claimed they had this process
does not mention it on their website?????

Presumably whoever did the web site decided that it
was too hard to explain and that it would only confuse
potential customers who dont care about how its done.

The larger DR company indicated they do not have the capabilty.

Why are there no white papers on the process?

Basically because they have nothing
to gain by spelling out the detail publicly.

Why are there no vendors of the process
offering to sell their technology?

They prefer to sell the service instead.

The technology may well not be readily marketable
and there arent likely to be many buyers even if it was.

I know of multiple scenarios wherein analyzing the platters
after they have been removed would be the simplest and
possibly the only successful recovery method.

I cant think of one. Thats only useful when the drive
has died and its unlikely that the govt needs that ability.

Anyone with any sense has the data properly backed up
and if they havent, they can use a pro recovery service.

I doubt the operations that are so secret that they have to do
that in house would be stupid enough to not have proper backups.

Once again I ask as I did in my original post

or in other terms - input supported by factual information - not conjecture.

No conjecture that some offer recovery services.

No conjecture that what a drive can be designed to do
can be done with the platters removed from the drive.

 

[Leo]

"Corse its possible" - then what companies are providing this service and
why do they not indicate they have the capability?

Under my data, similar working technologies for modern HDD do not
exist.
Those who declares presence at them these capabilities, actually, as a
rule, very poorly understand, about what they speak. It is visible on
a level of their knowledge of HDD technologies. Well and those who
understands essence of a problem, do not want to spoil the reputation
by false advertising.

Leonid

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Under my data, similar working technologies for modern HDD do not
exist.

Aha, and therefor they cannot exist, right?

Those who declares presence at them these capabilities, actually, as a
rule, very poorly understand, about what they speak.

But you do, right? You see right through them.

It is visible on a level of their knowledge of HDD technologies.

Odd, that 's exactly of how I think of you.

 

[Leo]

Aha, and therefor they cannot exist, right?

I would be glad to find a trustworthy information about it, but,
unfortunately, for 5 years it was not possible to me. The review of
existing methods of research of magnetic structures shows, that the
application of these methods for the purposes of data recovery is a
very difficult problem. But not impossible, IMHO.

Odd, that 's exactly of how I think of you.

I know, that I know nothing ;-)

Leonid

 

[Arno Wagner]

I would be glad to find a trustworthy information about it, but,
unfortunately, for 5 years it was not possible to me. The review of
existing methods of research of magnetic structures shows, that the
application of these methods for the purposes of data recovery is a
very difficult problem. But not impossible, IMHO.

Personally I think that general technology that can do this is
just too expensive, since you would need new heads for every new
HDD generation and the same can be done with a working specimen
of the HDD model the platters are taken from. Furthermore a general
reader head would have to be better than current Model HDD heads,
but these are already cutting edge. And there are different HDD
coatings, requiring different head technologies.

I also think that data-recovery companies offer this type of service,
namely remounting platters from one HDD in another one of the same type.
It might not even be difficult, but I suspect It will be time-consuming
because of alignment issues.

Nothing secret about it. Just use the original hardware. The "magic
device" then is a storage room with one or more samples of every
HDD current HDD model, a clearn room and some engineer experienced in
HDD dissasembly and assembly.

Arno

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Personally I think that general technology that can do this is
just too expensive, since you would need new heads for every new
HDD generation and the same can be done with a working specimen
of the HDD model the platters are taken from.

Furthermore a general reader head would have to be better than cur-
rent Model HDD heads, but these are already cutting edge. And there
are different HDD coatings, requiring different head technologies.

And that's assuming heads can be used at all which may have become
an inpossibility.
Right, so heads go out the window, in comes the scanning probe microscope.
Now it really gets expensive, in several aspects.
http://groups.google.com/[email protected]

I also think that data-recovery companies offer this type of service,
namely remounting platters from one HDD in another one of the same type.
It might not even be difficult, but I suspect It will be time-consuming
because of alignment issues.

That would depend on how sensitive the firmware (like S.M.A.R.T.) is to that.

 

[Leo]

Personally I think that general technology that can do this is
just too expensive, since you would need new heads for every new
HDD generation and the same can be done with a working specimen
of the HDD model the platters are taken from.

It is not a problem. Now we require new heads practically for each HDD
when replacement head assembly is required. It is not too expensive,
in comparison with cost of the data recovery.

I also think that data-recovery companies offer this type of service,
namely remounting platters from one HDD in another one of the same type.
It might not even be difficult, but I suspect It will be time-consuming
because of alignment issues.

It is usual and frequently used technology. We are engaged in
replacement head assembly almost every day, and remounting of platters
- almost every week. This process can't give a 100% rate of success.
It is unusable, for example, with deeply scratched disks.

Nothing secret about it. Just use the original hardware. The "magic
device" then is a storage room with one or more samples of every
HDD current HDD model, a clearn room and some engineer experienced in
HDD dissasembly and assembly.

It is at anyone enough professional data recovery company. I am
interested in other technology - reading platters with external
equipment, without same type of HDA and heads. Optical methods, MF
microscopy, etc.

Leonid

 

[Dee]

It's easier than you describe - rather than disasemble platters and
install into another identical HDD in a clean room etc, most of the time
the mainboard can be removed from another HDD and placed on the faulty
drive then simply plug it in and read the data.

This works provided the mainboard you use is identical to the one you
want to read from, and this goes right down to the model, firmware
version date and batch.

The only proviso is that the internal mechanism of the drive is still
OK, which in most cases it is, except for physical damage .

 

[Rod Speed]

It's easier than you describe - rather than disasemble platters and
install into another identical HDD in a clean room etc, most of the time
the mainboard can be removed from another HDD and placed on the faulty
drive then simply plug it in and read the data.

This works provided the mainboard you use is identical to the one you
want to read from, and this goes right down to the model, firmware
version date and batch.

Like hell it does with the batch and not usually with the version date either.