Recovery.uz received a physically deformed Seagate ST1000LM035-1RK172 1 TB hard drive. The enclosure was strongly bent, raising concerns about the internal components.

Seagate ST1000LM035-1RK172, 1 TB; serial number hidden.
Seagate ST1000LM035-1RK172, 1 TB.
Opened Seagate ST1000LM035-1RK172 with the magnetic platter visible.
The drive after opening.

Inspection after opening

Opening the drive confirmed that the magnetic platter itself was deformed. The plastic head parking ramp was broken, and the head assembly was bent out of position.

Deformed magnetic platter inside the drive.
Deformation of the magnetic platter.
Broken plastic head parking ramp inside the drive.
Broken head parking ramp.

After removing the heads from the damaged ramp, their geometry might have partially recovered. To avoid risking the magnetic surface, we did not use the patient drive’s original head assembly for the first startup.

Removed magnetic head assembly from the patient drive.
The removed original head assembly.

Moving the magnetic platter

We chose a compatible, working donor drive. The original platter was carefully transferred into the donor, retaining its working mechanism and head assembly.

We kept the patient’s original PCB because it contains individual information, including ROM data and parameters associated with the controller. After assembly, the drive started successfully.

Testing the original heads

To verify the decision, we installed the removed head assembly into another donor drive. The original heads proved to be inoperable. Using them for the initial startup could have put the magnetic surface at additional risk.

Reading the data

We then worked with PC-3000 Data Extractor. The exFAT file system was detected correctly, its directory structure was available, and about 23 GB of user data was identified. After the required directory operations, we read the selected occupied areas.

A full sector-by-sector read of the entire 1 TB drive surface was not performed.

PC-3000 Data Extractor result: 23.0 of 23.0 GB, 100%.
Selected user data: 23.0 / 23.0 GB (100%).
PC-3000 read statistics showing zero errors and zero rereads.
Read statistics: 54,545,944 sectors; 0 errors; 0 rereads.
PC-3000 file system view with client file names obscured.
The exFAT directory structure; file names are hidden.
PC-3000 map of selected processed areas; not a full drive read.
Processed selected areas; the full 1 TB surface was not read.
  • User data: 23.0 / 23.0 GB (100%)
  • Additional area: 2.7 / 2.7 GB (100%)
  • Another operation: 189.1 / 189.1 MB (100%)
  • Successfully read: 54,545,944 sectors
  • Read errors: 0
  • Sectors requiring rereading: 0

The selected 23 GB of user data was read in full with no read errors. Individual files were not separately opened and verified.

Result

Despite the bent enclosure, deformed platter, broken parking ramp, and failed original head assembly, the drive was started using a compatible donor mechanism and the selected user data was successfully read.

Result: 100% of the selected 23 GB of user data read with no read errors.

This case involved damage to both the drive mechanics and the magnetic platter, so replacing the head assembly alone would not have been sufficient.

Learn more about our HDD data recovery services and browse other complex recovery cases.