April 7
Home users have become quite computer savvy when it comes to fixing minor problems. More often than not we are finding less logical/software problems making their way to our locations. Even after fiddling with their hard drive and taking it to a local computer technician, problems are often still not solved. That’s when CBL gets the call. While the average customer might be able to do a lot of their own ‘DIY’ investigation, learning a bit more about our evaluation process and the hardware complexities can bring a better understanding of why recovery projects end up with us.
Once we get involved it usually means there’s a hardware problem that requires cleanroom time. As part of our evaluation process we often open hard drives in order to perform a more in depth inspection. Testing internal components helps determine how difficult the recovery will be. Removing the cover is just the beginning.
The platter surface is the most important. If there is any visible damage the recovery may already be doomed. Our engineers will check the filter to see just how much debris has been trapped. A dark filter is not a good sign. The head stack, motor, and servo chip are also checked. The components are very delicate and require particular attention to detail when handling them.
If you have an old hard drive and a Torx screwdriver it might be worthwhile to take a peek under the hood. Once you get a look inside you can begin to appreciate the work that is involved during the hardware recovery process.
Category: data recovery, case studies
Tags: data recovery evaluation, diy
