Need advice taking next step to recover hard drive

I have a drive that both windows and linux recognize as a raw unknown MBR partition. Other than that I do not know what is wrong. I dont know if its bad sectors, bad servo sectors, bad mft, bad partition table, surface damage, or mechanical. I dont know what is corrupted. I have started with non data destructive tools such as testdisk and photorec but both failed. Testdisk did not find my lost partition and photorec returned no files found. I tried gparted and that gave me an io error.

I then tried ddrescue. I tried cloning the drive and creating a disk image both returned an io error with 0 bytes processed.

So my question is what do I do next? Do I do a quick format so it will hopefully be in a readable state with hopefully most of the data intact and run these tools against it again ? Or do I try repair tools like seatools or HDD regenerator or ckdsk? I hear HDD regenerator is a head killer especially if the drive is already weak. I hear chkdsk is bad because it attempts to repair and changes the data on the drive weather or not that change in data worked or not its going to stay what it is now and that can potentially make it much harder to recover data, same situation with seatools.

Any advice to help me through my naivety would be much appreciated.

- Kirt
 
Unfortunately, 0 bytes io error is most commonly associated with mechanical failure, which happens due to insufficient power supply and it may damage you board. Its best to visit, any reliable data recovery expert nearby your location who can recover data.
Interested to know views of other members also on this subject.
 
Unfortunately, 0 bytes io error is most commonly associated with mechanical failure, which happens due to insufficient power supply and it may damage you board. Its best to visit, any reliable data recovery expert nearby your location who can recover data.
Interested to know views of other members also on this subject.
Oh man beautiful reply. I have tax info and SS numbers such on this drive, so giving it to anyone is a last resort.

So if it is a power delivery issue, what are the odds that it is the board not giving the drive enough power?

This way I can TRY to buy another drive of the same model and firmware and swap boards and hope it works, I herd it works. Worth a try?

What are the odds the drive motor is what's causing power problems?

It feels like the drive spins... I hear it... High pitch grind when I turn it sideways... Sounds like what I'd imagine the head and platter touching would sound like... Like a metal cutting/etching sound

Any more help would be life saving... I have so much irreplaceable data on it... It crashed as I was backing it up...
 
Hello Again,

I respect your valuable data in disk and really appreciate that you are so much concerned for that, so that it can't pass to wrong hands.
I am not in favor of opening any drive/storage medium in home environment, because it was best deal in 100 Clean room under the supervision of trained professional. Also, I feel reputed and reliable companies never leaks your data to bad goons.

But, still you may try to swap boards at once. Yes, even I heard that it may works sometimes. Its a gamble.

As per my best knowledge, 0 byte io error is most of the times associated with board, other things like drive motor may or may not be creating problems.

Yes, I am totally agree with you high pitching sound or clicking sound is produced when read/write head is struck with platter. Head Transplant will fix this issue.
 
Head Transplant will fix this issue.
Replacing heads will likely result in needing to be reformatted afterward. This will realign all heads, so that they are once again synchronized together on the same track. If data retrieval is possible after replacing a head, special equipment will be needed. So as you say, replacing the controller board is the only option outside of having the drive professionally serviced.
 
Hello Again,

I respect your valuable data in disk and really appreciate that you are so much concerned for that, so that it can't pass to wrong hands.
I am not in favor of opening any drive/storage medium in home environment, because it was best deal in 100 Clean room under the supervision of trained professional. Also, I feel reputed and reliable companies never leaks your data to bad goons.

But, still you may try to swap boards at once. Yes, even I heard that it may works sometimes. Its a gamble.

As per my best knowledge, 0 byte io error is most of the times associated with board, other things like drive motor may or may not be creating problems.

Yes, I am totally agree with you high pitching sound or clicking sound is produced when read/write head is struck with platter. Head Transplant will fix this issue.
Ok. I have one more question... Although you said 0 bytes error is usually a bad board... But if the heads are stuck... Like really stuck... And don't move... Couldn't that give the same 0 bytes error... Because its not reading ANY data?
 
Apologies for delay!

I hardly seen any 0 byte error due to head stuck. I am assuming basically two issues with your drive
1) Board Failure
2) Head Stuck with platter

Please diagnose your disk once with local data recovery expert (having good reputation)
 
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