Hard Drive Data Recovery
Seagate Exos Data RecoveryST10000NM0016 / ST12000NM0007 / ST16000NM001G
Seagate Exos enterprise drives use helium-sealed enclosures at higher capacities. Opening one releases the helium and permanently alters head flight characteristics. Recovery requires specialized approaches different from standard atmospheric drives. We recover Seagate Exos drives using our PC-3000 system's Seagate (SAS variants require PC-3000 SAS hardware) module at our Austin lab.
Helium-Sealed Drive: Cannot Be Opened in Normal Atmosphere
Seagate Exos drives at higher capacities are sealed with helium. Opening the drive releases the helium and permanently changes head flight characteristics. Traditional head swap procedures do not apply to helium-sealed models.
Seagate Exos Specifications
Seagate Exos enterprise drives use helium-sealed enclosures at higher capacities. Opening one releases the helium and permanently alters head flight characteristics. Recovery requires specialized approaches different from standard atmospheric drives.
- Manufacturer
- Seagate
- Form Factor
- 3.5"
- Spindle Speed
- 7200 RPM
- Interface
- SATA
- Capacity Range
- 1TB-24TB
- Recording Technology
- CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording)
- PC-3000 Module
- Seagate (SAS variants require PC-3000 SAS hardware)
Recovery Feasibility
Helium-sealed; opening destroys the drive. Recovery requires helium-atmosphere equipment or alternative approaches. Currently limited head swap options for helium drives.
Model Numbers
The following model numbers belong to the Seagate Exos family. Check the label on your drive to confirm it matches one of these models before referencing the failure modes below.
5 models in this family
Failure Modes
Each failure mode requires a different diagnostic approach and recovery technique. Identifying the correct failure is the first step before any work begins.
Helium seal compromise
Helium-sealed drives cannot be opened in normal atmosphere. Heads no longer fly correctly without helium. up to 10 platters in 20TB+ models.
Symptoms you may notice
- Drive not spinning
- Unusual noises
- Sudden failure in server
Related search terms
SAS dual-port complexity
SAS dual-port adds recovery complexity. Requires PC-3000 SAS hardware for SAS variants.
Symptoms you may notice
- SAS drive not detected
- Drive removed from server array
- Enterprise drive failure
Related search terms
Head Swap and Donor Matching
Donor Requirements
Helium-sealed; opening destroys the drive. Recovery requires helium-atmosphere equipment or alternative approaches. Currently limited head swap options for helium drives.
We maintain a donor drive inventory at our Austin lab and can source additional donors when needed. Head swaps are performed in our ISO Class 5 clean bench environment.
Recording Technology
This drive uses Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR). Each track is independent, making sector-by-sector imaging more predictable than SMR drives. Write operations do not affect adjacent tracks.
CMR simplifies recovery because there is no media cache layer to reconstruct. The data layout on the platters directly mirrors the logical block addresses.
How We Recover Seagate Exos Drives
Firmware-Level Recovery
We use the PC-3000 with the Seagate (SAS variants require PC-3000 SAS hardware) module for firmware diagnostics and repair. This handles translator corruption, service area damage, and firmware boot failures.
Firmware recovery preserves the original head assembly and avoids the risks of a donor swap. For Seagate Exos drives with firmware corruption, this is the first recovery path we attempt.
Physical Recovery (Helium Drives)
Helium-sealed drives cannot be opened in normal atmosphere for traditional head swap. The heads are designed to fly on helium, which is less dense than air. Recovery depends on firmware-level access or manufacturer-level tools.
If the heads have physically failed, recovery options are limited. We evaluate each case individually and provide an honest assessment of what is possible before any work begins.
Pricing
Logical and firmware recovery for Seagate Exos drives typically costs $300 to $600. Head swap cases requiring a donor drive run $600 to $1,500 depending on head count and donor availability. Helium-sealed drive recovery is $1,500 to $3,000 due to the specialized techniques required.
See our full pricing breakdown for details. Our No Data, No Fee guarantee means you pay nothing if we cannot recover your files.
Hard Drive Data Recovery Standards & Verification
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 videoFrequently Asked Questions
What does helium-sealed mean for data recovery?
Can you recover data from a SAS Exos drive?
Why are Exos drives so complex with up to 10 platters?
Do you handle server and datacenter drive recovery?
How much does Seagate Exos enterprise recovery cost?
Other Seagate Drive Families
We also recover these Seagate hard drive families.
Not a hard drive issue? We also recover SSDs, RAID arrays, and iPhones.
Hard Drive Recovery Overview →Other Recovery Services
Nationwide Mail-In Data Recovery Service
We serve all 50 states with secure mail-in data recovery. Ship your failed drive to our Austin lab using our free shipping kit, and we'll diagnose it within 24-48 hours. No geographic limitations—we've successfully recovered data for customers from Alaska to Florida.
Popular Service Areas
Seagate Exos drive not working?
Ship it to our Austin lab for a free evaluation. No data, no charge.