Head Crash Recovery
Platter Damage Is Not Always Fatal
Head crashes damage specific areas of the platters, but data outside those zones often survives. We perform clean bench head swaps and use PC-3000 to image around damaged sectors. Even severe crashes can yield partial or full recovery.
Head crash recovery: $1,000-$2,000. No data, no charge. Mail-in from all 50 states.
If your drive is making noise: Turn it off immediately. Every second the damaged heads run, they scrape more of the platter surface. The difference between a recoverable crash and total loss is often just minutes of runtime.
What Is a Head Crash?
Inside a hard drive, the read/write heads float about 10 nanometers above the spinning platters. For reference, a human hair is 75,000 nanometers thick. The heads ride on a cushion of air created by the spinning platters.
A head crash happens when the heads touch the platters. This can occur from:
- • Drops or impacts - The most common cause
- • Wear and age - Bearings degrade over time
- • Manufacturing defects - Some drives ship marginal
- • Power surges - Can cause heads to slam down
When heads contact spinning platters at 7,200 RPM, they scrape the magnetic coating. This creates the grinding sound and visible scratches called "rings of death."
Head Crash vs Clicking
Clicking usually means the heads are failing but haven't crashed yet. They're searching for servo tracks they can no longer read.
Grinding means active contact - the heads are scraping the platters right now. This is more severe.
Both require head swaps, but grinding indicates existing platter damage that may limit recovery. The sooner you stop the drive, the more data survives.
Why Head Crashes Are Often Recoverable
Localized Damage
Head crashes typically damage specific areas where the heads touched down. Data on unaffected platter areas remains intact and readable. Your photos might be fine while your documents are in the damaged zone, or vice versa.
Multi-Head Drives
Modern drives have multiple platters and multiple heads. Often only one head crashes while others remain functional. We can image the good surfaces fully and attempt the damaged surface carefully.
Smart Imaging
PC-3000 can skip damaged areas and image around them. We don't just read sequentially - we map good sectors first, then carefully attempt damaged zones without destroying more data.
The Recovery Process
Evaluation
We open the drive in our clean bench to assess platter condition. We look for visible scratches, debris, and head damage. This tells us what's recoverable before we proceed.
Platter Cleaning
Head crashes leave debris on the platters. We carefully clean this without further damaging the surface. This step is critical for preventing the new heads from immediately crashing.
Head Swap
We transplant working heads from an exact-match donor drive. Same model, same revision, often same firmware. The new heads let us read the undamaged areas.
Strategic Imaging
PC-3000 images good areas first, then carefully attempts damaged zones. We prioritize the data you need most. The goal is maximum recovery before the donor heads wear.
Head Crash Recovery Pricing
| Damage Level | Description | Price | Recovery Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor | Small scratches, limited to one area | $1,000-$1,200 | 90%+ recovery typical |
| Moderate | Multiple scratch zones, some debris | $1,200-$1,500 | 70-90% recovery typical |
| Severe | Deep grooves, extensive debris | $1,500-$2,000 | Partial recovery, varies |
Large data recovery labs charge $2,000-$3,500+ for the same procedures. We use identical equipment (PC-3000, clean bench, donor inventory) without the marketing overhead. See our full pricing guide.
Professional Oversight and Verified Standards
Our Austin lab operates on a transparency-first model. We use industry-standard recovery tools, including PC-3000 and DeepSpar, combined with strict environmental controls to make sure your hard drive is handled safely and properly. This approach allows us to serve clients nationwide with consistent technical standards.
Open-drive work is performed in a laminar-flow bench filtered to 0.02 µm, verified using TSI P-Trak instrumentation.
Transparent History
Serving clients nationwide via mail-in service since 2008.
Media Coverage
Our repair work has been covered by The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider, with CBC News reporting on our pricing transparency. Louis Rossmann has testified in Right to Repair hearings in multiple states and founded the Repair Preservation Group.
Aligned Incentives
Our "No Data, No Charge" policy means we assume the risk of the recovery attempt, not the client.
Technical Oversight
Louis Rossmann
Louis Rossmann's well trained staff review our lab protocols to ensure technical accuracy and honest service. Since 2008, his focus has been on clear technical communication and accurate diagnostics rather than sales-driven explanations.
We believe in proving standards rather than just stating them. We use TSI P-Trak instrumentation to verify that clean-air benchmarks are met before any drive is opened.
See our clean bench validation data and particle test videoCommon Questions
Can I see the damage before deciding to proceed?
Yes. After our initial evaluation, we can send you photos of the platter condition along with our assessment of what's likely recoverable. You decide whether to proceed based on real information, not guesses.
My drive has "rings of death." Is there any hope?
Those visible rings are areas where the heads scraped the platters. Data in those rings is likely destroyed. But data outside the rings is often perfectly readable. We image what we can and give you honest odds on what's recoverable.
How long does head crash recovery take?
Typically 1-3 weeks. The time depends on finding an exact-match donor drive and the imaging process. Damaged platters require slow, careful imaging to avoid destroying more data. Rush service is available for critical cases.
What if only some files are recoverable?
We'll provide a file list showing what we recovered. You review it before paying. If the critical files you need are in the damaged zone and unrecoverable, you can decline and pay nothing. Our no data, no charge policy means you only pay for success.
Can a local repair shop handle head crashes?
They need a clean environment, a PC-3000, and donor drive inventory. Most don't have this equipment. Ask before you send your drive - if they say they'll "run a scan first," find someone else.
Get an Honest Assessment
We'll evaluate the damage and tell you what's recoverable. No data, no charge. Mail-in from anywhere.