Hard Drive Head and Platter Swap Tips

In some cases for data recovery, we need to finish hard drive physical repair work, including head replacement, platter swap, etc. With the help of professional opening tools and head combs, the process can be easier, faster and smoother, which can also help to improve the success rate of data recovery.

Download complete Hard Drive Head and Platter Swap Tips in PDF Format here.

But you may find some confusion when using these professional tools, here we want to share some useful steps and details needed to be noticed.

1, The whole process should be operated on a clean bench or in a clean room;
2, Disassemble the hard drive lid step by step;

Please note:

a. need to wear the clean room gloves
b. keep the drive and its donor fixed to the workbench without any movement
c. group the screws in a container to avoid being lost

3, Remove the screws from top magnet, then use the powerful magnet extractor to remove the magnet;
4, Choose a right head comb to fix and separate heads: using comb part of the tool to separate the heads, then insert security pin to fix;

Please note: 

a, select the right family of head combs to be used by the number of platters and heads and thickness of the platters;

b, when the heads park on the surface of platters, please firstly use combs part to separate the heads, then lightly turn the motor with tweezer to make heads move to the brake;

c, for new level 2 head combs, the pins and combs part are combined together, it is more convenient to use, and usually works for hdds whose heads park on the brake.

5, Remove the screws that are holding the head connector and remove the head carefully to a head keeper box;
6. Remove the brake with screwdriver and tweezer;
7, Choose the matching platter exchanger, set it down carefully with alignment of platters, then press down the plug on the column wall;
8, Use the screwdriver to remove the screw fixed in the center of motor from the hole in the top part of the platter exchanger, then move the tool and platters inside to a platform;
Tips: you can watch the position of screw from the hole of column wall.
          It is not very easy for the first time, practice makes perfect.
9, Make the same operation on the donor drive with platter exchanger and put the platters on the patient drive lightly;
10, Screw down the screw of motor from the hole of platter exchanger, then pull up the plug on the wall, move away the patter exchanger carefully;
11, The platters have been swapped well, then restore the drive and its donor.

The tools for Head and Platter Swap can help you a lot when you can use them skillfully, and hope these tips can help you to notice some details to enhance your data recovery success rate.