Introduction: A Highly Risky Situation
A client directly visited our data recovery lab with a WD 4TB My Passport external hard drive after it suddenly stopped working. The drive contained highly important personal and professional data, and the client was extremely worried about losing it permanently.
Understanding the seriousness of the situation, the client chose to approach our professional data recovery team instead of risking further damage at general repair shops.
The Problem: Severe Head Damage
During initial inspection, the hard drive showed clear signs of internal failure. The read/write heads were damaged, making it impossible for the drive to read data from the platters.
This type of failure is highly critical because:
Damaged heads can scratch platters permanently
Data may become completely unrecoverable
Any wrong attempt can worsen the condition instantly
This case required cleanroom handling and expert-level data recovery skills.
Diagnosis and Evaluation
Our engineers conducted a detailed assessment using professional data recovery tools. The diagnosis confirmed:
Root Cause:
✔ Severe Read/Write Head Damage
The drive required cleanroom disassembly and precision handling to safely continue the process.
Our Recovery Process
1️⃣ Cleanroom Procedure
The hard drive was carefully opened inside our Class 100/ISO-certified clean environment to prevent dust contamination or additional damage. Internal components were inspected to ensure the platters were in safe condition.
2️⃣ Head Replacement & Stabilization
We installed compatible donor heads after careful matching and alignment. This restored the drive’s ability to read data while ensuring no further risk to the platters.
3️⃣ Sector-by-Sector Imaging
Once stabilized, we created a complete sector-by-sector image of the hard drive. All further recovery work was performed from this cloned image to avoid stressing the original drive.
4️⃣ Data Extraction & Verification
From the cloned image, our engineers successfully extracted the client’s important data and verified file integrity.
Recovery Result
Recovery Status: 97% Data Successfully Recovered
Important Files Restored: Yes
Client Experience: Extremely relieved and satisfied
The recovered data was safely transferred to a new storage device and delivered to the client.
Why Professional Recovery Matters
Head damage is one of the most serious hard drive failures. Opening the drive outside a cleanroom, continuing to power it on, or handing it to inexperienced technicians can permanently destroy data.
Professional recovery ensures:
Cleanroom handling
Correct donor parts
Specialized tools
Maximum safe recovery
Final Note
This case proves that even in severe physical damage situations, successful recovery is possible with the right expertise, tools, and environment. Our team was able to recover 97% of the client’s valuable data and restore peace of mind.
SpyClue Data Recovery — Lost Data? We Recover it!