Mechanical failure

Recovering data from a mechanical failure is one of the most difficult and sensitive types of data recovery, typically involving physically damaged hard drives (HDDs). Here’s what you need to know:

What is Mechanical Failure?

Mechanical failure occurs when physical components inside a hard drive are damaged or malfunction, such as:

  • Clicking or grinding noises
  • Drive not spinning or not detected
  • Head crash (read/write heads touch the platter)
  • Spindle or motor failure
  • PCB (circuit board) damage

What You Should NOT Do

  • Do not open the drive in normal conditions—this must be done in a cleanroom environment to avoid irreversible damage.
  • Do not freeze, shake, or hit the drive (common internet myths that usually make things worse).
  • Do not run data recovery software on a mechanically failing drive—it could cause further damage.

How to Recover Data Safely

Identify the Symptoms

  • Is the drive making clicking or grinding noises?
  • Is the BIOS or OS not recognizing the drive?
  • Is the drive spinning at all?

If yes to any of these: stop using the drive immediately.

Contact a Professional Data Recovery Service

These services have:

  • Cleanroom labs (dust-free environments)
  • Tools to swap heads or platters
  • Access to specialized firmware tools and donor parts

Popular, reputable services:

  • DriveSavers
  • Ontrack
  • Secure Data Recovery
  • Gillware

Expect to provide:

  • Drive make/model
  • Failure symptoms
    • vWhether any DIY recovery attempts were made

Cost: Typically $300–$1500+ depending on damage severity and urgency.

Prevention Tips

  • Use SSDs for critical tasks (they have no moving parts).
  • Regularly back up to external drives or the cloud.
  • Avoid physical shocks, overheating, and power surges (use a UPS).