Hi all, my old computer has been in storage for about 6 years. I recently purchased a new desktop and decided to take out and put in my old HDD's so I could access and backup my old data. One of the HDD's was an IDE drive so I wasnt able to install into new PC.
Finally got round to purchasing an IDE USB hub recently, (about three years later) and discovered the HDD was making a whirring/ticking sound when I tried to read it. Also drive wasn't being detected by PC.
Researched online and discovered this means the read/write head/arm is stuck on the platter. Watched a few videos online and stupidly thought it would be a more cost effective way to open drive up myself and have a go at moving the head back to its default position. I did this and all appeared to be fine, with no scuffing or damage to the platter.
Put drive back into hub and though and behold, I'm still getting the ticking sound (although nowhere near as bad as before) and it's still not being detected. I've opened it up a few times to try and rectify but now I'm worried that I may have got dust, debris or finger prints on the platter inadvertently. So I attempted cleaning very gently with just a spectacles cloth. Now I'm really really worried after reading more online that I may have made things a lot worse!!
Anyway, I contacted a reputable data recovery centre near me and gave them all the info needed and they've given me a rough estimate of £350 - £650 due to the age of the drive and the difficult in obtaining the parts and that's before they've even taken a look at it. Naturally they said they'd have a look and assess it free of charge but because I opened it, if I choose not to go with them after their assessment it'll cost me £150 just for the consultation. Sadly these guys have the best reviews locally, and any other centres I've researched in the London area appear to be cowboys and con merchants.
I'm really frustrated now as I've spent so much time, effort and money trying to get all my old family photos and documents off this drive, that I'd feel dissatisfied having come this far with the feeling I didn't try everything I could, but I just can't financially justify spending that kind of money at the moment.
So, I wanted to see what those on this forum thought as I've always had good reliable advice on here. Do you think I've very probably cocked the drive up even more, and do you think it's even worth getting it looked at by a professional at this stage?
Thanks in advance
Drive specs:
Seagate Barracuda 2700.7 160gb IDE HDD
Finally got round to purchasing an IDE USB hub recently, (about three years later) and discovered the HDD was making a whirring/ticking sound when I tried to read it. Also drive wasn't being detected by PC.
Researched online and discovered this means the read/write head/arm is stuck on the platter. Watched a few videos online and stupidly thought it would be a more cost effective way to open drive up myself and have a go at moving the head back to its default position. I did this and all appeared to be fine, with no scuffing or damage to the platter.
Put drive back into hub and though and behold, I'm still getting the ticking sound (although nowhere near as bad as before) and it's still not being detected. I've opened it up a few times to try and rectify but now I'm worried that I may have got dust, debris or finger prints on the platter inadvertently. So I attempted cleaning very gently with just a spectacles cloth. Now I'm really really worried after reading more online that I may have made things a lot worse!!
Anyway, I contacted a reputable data recovery centre near me and gave them all the info needed and they've given me a rough estimate of £350 - £650 due to the age of the drive and the difficult in obtaining the parts and that's before they've even taken a look at it. Naturally they said they'd have a look and assess it free of charge but because I opened it, if I choose not to go with them after their assessment it'll cost me £150 just for the consultation. Sadly these guys have the best reviews locally, and any other centres I've researched in the London area appear to be cowboys and con merchants.
I'm really frustrated now as I've spent so much time, effort and money trying to get all my old family photos and documents off this drive, that I'd feel dissatisfied having come this far with the feeling I didn't try everything I could, but I just can't financially justify spending that kind of money at the moment.
So, I wanted to see what those on this forum thought as I've always had good reliable advice on here. Do you think I've very probably cocked the drive up even more, and do you think it's even worth getting it looked at by a professional at this stage?
Thanks in advance
Drive specs:
Seagate Barracuda 2700.7 160gb IDE HDD
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