Recovering hard disk data using platter surface reconditioning, treatment and alignment techniques

In addition to working motor assemblies that allow the disk platters the spin correctly, conventional data recovery techniques rely on the hard disk platters not being damaged or contaminated. Anything that physically damages the platter (such as a headcrash, which will leave 'scratches' across the surface), will cause irrepairable damage to the disk platter & successful recovery of viable data will not be possible.

Hard Disk Platter Contamination

Recovery of data from disk platters that have become contaminated with foreign material (eg. water from flood damage or smoke particles from fire damage) is sometimes possible. Recovery depends upon how much damage has been sustained to the platter surface and involves complex handling and clean room procedures involving platter relubrication and drying techniques. Once achieved, it is necessary to treat the heads and realign the components in donor drive.

Example of this recovery technique

<< Using the techniques discussed on this page, we recently completed a successful recovery of data from a Quantum hard disk drive that had been submerged in flood water. The two pictures show the condition of the drive when is was received by us.

Hard Disk Platter Swapping

As discussed above, conventinal data recovery also relies on a correctly working motor assembly. If the drive bearing has seized or the motor is not rotating the platter correctly, it becomes necessary to remove the platter from the faulty drive. Under lab conditions, it is often possible to swap the platters from a faulty drive into a donor drive and recover the data. This is a complex clean room process & we have successfully recovered data in this way from the following types of drive:

  • Toshiba (all varieties)
  • IBM / Hitachi Travelstar
  • Western Digital
  • Fujitsu
  • Maxtor DiamondMax 8, Fireball 3, DX541

GCubic Training Course - Restorative techniques used to successfully recover the data from contaminated hard disk platters

A practical course in which a hard disk is exposed to contaminated flood water. The student will learn the processes and procedures necessary to successfully recovery data from this disk.


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