SMR Hard Drive Data Recovery

Name: Apple product data recovery
Brand: Rossmann Repair Group
Rating: 5 (232 reviews)

At Rossmann Repair Group, we specialize in the recovery of data from Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) hard drives, which is new tech. SMR drives are widely used in consumer and enterprise environments since they provide higher storage capacity for less money. Their unique structure makes them very difficult to recover when they fail.

If your SMR hard drive is not working, we have all the tools necessary to get your data back!

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Why Rossmann Repair?

What Makes SMR Drives Unique and Challenging for Recovery?

SMR hard drives write data in overlapping tracks, like shingles on a roof. This allows for higher storage density. While this technology maximizes capacity, it makes recovery more difficult due to the following reasons:

Overlapping Data Tracks: Modifying or recovering one track risks overwriting or corrupting adjacent tracks.
Second-Level Translators (SLT): These firmware components map logical block addresses (LBA) to physical block addresses (PBA). If the translator is damaged, the drive can return empty or corrupted data.
Trim-like UNMAP Commands: SMR drives used in host-managed or host-aware configurations can process UNMAP commands (similar to TRIM for SSDs) in some systems. These commands tell the drive to mark certain data blocks as no longer in use, which can sometimes erase important mapping information in the Second-Level Translator (SLT) that connects logical addresses to physical storage locations. Deleted translator metadata or zone mappings can prevent reconstruction of the overlapping data tracks unique to SMR drives.
Firmware Dependence: SMR drives heavily rely on firmware for managing data zones, and corruption here can make recovery extremely complex.

Who Uses SMR Hard Drives?

SMR drives are commonly found in:

Consumer Electronics: External hard drives like the WD My Passport and Seagate Backup Plus.
Network Attached Storage (NAS): Models like the WD Red series often use SMR drives for storage solutions.
Surveillance Systems: High-capacity drives for storing security camera footage, such as some of Seagate’s SMR-based surveillance models.

Common Issues with SMR Drives

Quick Formatting:

If you format a drive and unplug it, old-style CMR drives (CMR referring to Conventional Magnetic Recording) are trivial to recover with standard software like R-Studio or UFS. Sometimes a pain, but mostly doable.
With SMR drives like some WD My Passport models, you have to deal with second translators, translator dependencies, and you may not even get all the data from it.
Basic software like UFS Explorer and R-Studio will show only empty sectors with zeroes in a case like this where the drive was formatted.
Recovery often requires advanced tools to bypass damaged SLTs and restore fragmented data, like the Acelab PC3000.

Firmware Corruption:

SMR-specific firmware handling is more complicated compared to older CMR drives.
If the second translator has an issue, the drive may click even if the heads are good, which can confuse new technicians into believing the heads are a problem.
Sometimes this means blocking access to the service area or special modules.
Software like UFS Explorer and R-Studio will not handle this. In this case, UFS stands for "u find shit" - only zeroes :'(

Our SMR Data Recovery Process

We use advanced technology and methods to deal with the challenges specific to SMR recovery:

Translator Repair:
- We rebuild or bypass the damaged second-level translator to recover fragmented data.
Firmware Restoration:
- Our tools safely repair corrupted firmware modules to get the drive back to working condition so we can recover all of its data.
Zone Recovery:
- By carefully handling overlapping zones, we ensure adjacent data tracks remain intact during recovery.
Physical Repairs:
- For drives with mechanical issues, our Purair VLF-48 laminar flow bench provides the controlled environment necessary for repairs. The Purair VLF-48 Laminar Flow Bench allows an ultra-clean workspace with ULPA filtration capturing 99.999% of particles down to 0.1 microns. Its vertical airflow design minimizes turbulence, making it perfect for handling delicate media during data recovery. We are NOT opening your drive in any old office!

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Watch a Real Data Recovery Service below!

Why SMR Data Recovery Requires Experienced Technicians

Recovering data from SMR hard drives is a highly specialized task that requires lots of technical expertise & precision. New technicians working with tools like the PC3000 or performing cleanroom repairs on a laminar flow bench are on their way to success if they are committed to learning, but newer technicians often make mistakes that lead to permanent data loss. Here’s why choosing an experienced technician matters!

Common Mistakes Made by Inexperienced Technicians

Mishandling Second-Level Translators (SLT):
- SMR drives rely on SLTs to map logical data to physical locations. A newbie may overwrite or improperly rebuild this translator, causing irreversible data loss.
- Using generic PC3000 scripts without understanding SMR-specific firmware quirks can result in fragmented or missing data.
Damage to Overlapping Data Tracks:
- SMR drives write data in overlapping tracks, meaning a mistake in one area can overwrite or corrupt adjacent tracks.
- Inexperienced techs often use cloning methods meant for standard old CMR drives which can destroy the integrity of overlapping zones.
Improper Use of Cleanroom Tools:
- Handling delicate internal components like heads or platters in a laminar flow bench requires experience. Common errors include:
  - Scratching platters while removing heads.
  - Misaligning replacement components, rendering the drive unreadable.
Not addressing UNMAP Issues:
- New techs sometimes overlook the impact of Trim commands, which can prematurely delete data necessary for a data recovery from SMR drives. Misconfiguring recovery software can make things worse.
Inadequate Firmware Handling:
- SMR drives depend heavily on proprietary firmware for managing shingled zones. Without training a technician might apply firmware fixes meant for CMR drives, bricking the device.

Why Choose Rossmann Repair Group?

Certified Expertise: Our technicians are extensively trained and certified by ACE Lab, the developers of PC3000. We understand the nuances of SMR drives and their unique recovery challenges. While "Apple certification" is useless & often means the technician is not allowed to do real repairs, acelab's actually matter!
Industry-Leading Tools: We
Experience You Can Trust: With years of expertise in data recovery, we handle cases other labs cannot.
Top Rated: No, really. Check google maps - we have the highest(and most) ratings of any data recovery company.
No paid advertising: No banner ads, no yelp promotions, no google adwords. We rely on word of mouth and videos demonstrating our abilities. The lack of paid advertising means the savings are passed onto you.

Contact Us Today

If your SMR hard drive has failed, don’t lose hope. Contact Rossmann Repair Group for professional data recovery services!

We Can Extract Information From These Types of Media at Our Lab

Laptop Hard Drives

Liquid damaged iPhones

Physically damaged USB flash drives

SD & microSD cards

WD MyPassport

Desktop Hard Drives

External Hard Drives

USB Hard Drives

RAID configurations

SATA, IDE, SCSI, SAS, SSD Hard Drives

Our Rates?

Giving a price without seeing the device, assessing its condition is impossible. Everyone feels better having some basic idea of what things may cost, so for a basic idea, see below. Do realize the + means price can go up! Please do note that drives that have been opened before are rarely if ever recoverable by us: mention this prior to sending it in as we rarely work on pre-worked on drives.

Hard Drives

$100 for basic data retrieval, $250-$650 for firmware repair, $900-$2000 for heads swap.

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SDcards/microSD cards

$200 for basic data recovery, $900 for breakout board data recovery

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CellPhones

$300-$650 for drop or liquid damage, $1200+ for difficult cases(board swap). $400+ for any damage inflicted by inept repair technicians(long screw) that is above and beyond terrible.

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SSDs

$300-$2000 depending on extent of damage

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Love From Our Customers

Hear from our satisfied customers who trust us for their data recovery needs in Austin. We didn't become the top rated repair shop on Google maps by accident - this was a 15 year effort of providing best-in-class service, with no gimmicks.

					They are the best, they fixed my computer, which I thought it was a lost case! I spilled coffee on my MacBook Pro, it was a lot of coffee! I took it to an apple approved repair shop and they told me that it was going to cost me more than a new computer, and that I should consider it a total loss. At this point I had no warranty, I did not buy a protection plan, and the computer was only 1 year old. At least I needed to recover my data, and this apple approved place told me it was going to be $2,100. I decided to ship my laptop to the Rossmann Repair Group, and they did an amazing job communicating with me about any updates. They estimated to repair it for $700, and then told me it was only going to cost me $425. I was very happy. They shipped it back for free, and now I have my computer working "almost perfectly" (some keys are a little sticky, and the mouse pad a little sensible), but I have all my data, which I immediately saved into an external hard drive. I highly recommend them.
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Claudia Beltran
12/17/2021
					I stumbled on my daughter's 2012 MacBook Pro that she had been told (years ago) was beyond repair. I powered it up and a little research led me to guess that the hard drive was dead or not being seen. So I sent a note with that assumption to Rossman Repair Group. They said it could be the hard drive or it could be the drive cable which is a known issue with this model - $100 to repair if that's what it is. I gambled and paid $13 to ship it. For retail customers, Rossman will diagnose, outline the problem, and provide an estimate for free. They confirmed it was the cable and they needed the OS password to further test the operating system to make sure that it boots (loads to your desktop). I did not have the password so I asked if they could use the password reset? They replied "We wouldn't be able to reset the password, but we can wipe it and reinstall a new OS with a new password if you'd like. The hard drive cable is indeed bad on this device, with a new cable the hard drive does show up." I got it back (free return shipping), since the hard drive now shows up I was able to reset the PW and it looks to be running perfectly! Total repair cost $113.
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Scott Jones
12/17/2021
					These guys are awesome! Called a bunch of shops around San Antonio and they all said the whole motherboard would need to be replaced after I spilled water on mine and it would cost me around 1000$ to fix it, not only that, all my data would be lost (might as well buy a new laptop). But these guys, not only they fixed what actually needed to be fixed, charged me with a very reasonable amount, saved all my data, but also were able to ship it back to me in San Antonio for 10$. Still can’t believe I got my laptop back with all it’s data and it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. Glad I bumped into these guys on YouTube, was worth a 2 hour drive! Also, whoever I talked and worked with was very nice and professional! You guys rock!
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Constantin Startev
10/25/2023

					I had a MacBook Air that died. Thankfully, I had watched a number of Louis Rossmann videos on YouTube and thought that his group would be the people for the job. I shipped my laptop off to Austin, within a few hours of receiving it, I was assigned a number and kept up to date on the progress. The laptop was repaired in about three business days, packed, and returned to me as good as new! Had I sent it to an "authorized" Apple repair center, they would have been required to replace the logic board, resulting in a complete loss of data! Thankfully, they know how to actually repair computers! I didn't have to lose any data ... it was all intact! That's a great win! The repair cost $425, which was actually less than the $464 at an authorized repair shop, to replace the entire logic board. For sure, if I have other issues, right back to Austin it will go! My only knock, and it's a small one is that the communication is not great when replying to the service ticket to ask questions. I'm still giving five stars though because 4.75 won't work!
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Paul ..
7/18/2024
					Great customer service, and prices are very fair i had no complaints at all this guys go above and beyond the call of duty, my Samsung phone is working amazing again! Not to mention they recovered all my data before the repair started, I really love the work they do and I shipped the phone from California and the send it back to me super fast, this guys really know what their doing will send more products in the near future for repair.Thanks rossman!
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Luis G.
10/13/2020
					I like his YouTube channel, sent my iPad in for screen repair, and am very happy with his repair service. My only complaint is the USPS delivery who has started leaving boxes at the curb by my driveway. As an Amazon seller I have shifted to UPS, a little more expensive but better delivery drivers. The Stamps.com rate is better than I could get going direct with UPS, but price vs USPS is lower when shipping East Coast, to East Coast, it is a little more on West Coast. Rossmann is 5 star.
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Harry S.
4/27/2022

					My USB-C MacBook Pro recently stopped charging. The local Apple Store wanted to replace the whole logic board, which was expensive and would have lost all my data. I asked them if it was the charging circuit and they specifically said "no".I mailed my Mac to Rossmann, and they correctly identified the problem as being the charging circuit after all. The repair was cheaper than Apple, was just as fast, and (because it didn't require replacing the logic board) I got to keep all of my data.Overall I couldn't be happier. I used the prepaid shipping box they sell, and the service was smooth and fast.
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Christopher Waltham
1/17/2020
					Five weeks ago, my 10 year old daughter's 5th gen iPad stopped charging. My husband and I suspected a loose connection, but when we took it to Apple, they ran some test and concluded the logic board died. Since the iPad was set up under me when she got it (at the age of 6), I had disconnected her from *my* iCloud. Apple basically couldn't sell me a new iPad because we had no data backup. Based on Apple's recommendation, we sent it to their data recovery partner, DriveSavers, who quoted me $2800 for data recovery due to "widespread corruption" on her logic board. We declined. Enter the Rossmann Repair Group. Earlier this week, I got a call asking me what specifically was wrong with the iPad because they were able to turn it on, and had access to all the data. To say I was floored is a complete understatement - but 100% explains why the Find Me app showed my daughter's iPad location as CA, when it had a "corrupted" logic board… *eye roll*  Rossmann Repair Group gave me a copy of my daughter's data for $100, on a storage device I did not have to pay for, AND fixed her home button and cracked screen for another $100. They shipped it back to me for free. $200 and it was done. I would tipped if there was a virtual tip jar... so happy!! ;) I feel completely misled by Apple, and we were flat out lied to by DriveSavers. But Rossmann Repair Group was honest, kind, and reasonable. I feel like they completely came to our rescue. I wish you could have seen the smile on my daughter's face when she got her iPad back. My heart swelled. To David, the tech who fixed it, thank you so much. Because of you, we are Rossmann Repair Group customers for life.
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Christina M
12/17/2021
					My 2017 WD My Passport external hard drive wasn't functioning and made a beeping noise! We went to a nearby PC and data recovery store that couldn't recover the data and they said it was too difficult and they had issues outsourcing because the task is too difficult!! I was in a panic because ONLY THAT HARD DRIVE HAVE MY UPCOMING SEASON PHOTOSHOOT (aka: I'm screwed at work because we need those photos for our FALL 21 campaigns, ads, social media, website - you cannot imagine!!!) So when I went to pick up my broken hard drive, I quietly (more like whispered to the guy in the front so he won't get in trouble naming a competitor) of who can fix this? The guy gave me one name and it was Rossman Group. I actually asked for more options just for backup but he firmly said Rossman Group. So we went to Chelsea and they immediately provided details of the diagnostics and I paid for the deposit. I followed up in a couple days and... I poured MY HEART OUT TO... SOMONE AT ROSSMAN (sorry I forgot your name). I was desperate and needed assurance that my LIFE's work is able to be recovered!! Of course, nothing is guaranteed but I'm thankful for the free 15 min therapy session with a staff. A few hours later, they told me that it's ready for pick up... I was like, "come again???!!!!" They were able to recover ALL DATA with a new shiny hard drive. THEY SAVED MY LIFE. NO AMOUNT OF PRAYING TO JESUS, BUDDHA, GHANDI, MOTHER THERESA CAN EXPRESS MY MOST SINCERE GRATITUDE TO ROSSMAN GROUP. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
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Cece C.
7/26/2021

					I'm very satisfied with the data recovery performed by Rossmann Repair. The turnaround time was fast, their cost estimate was fair, and the final amount was well within their estimated amount. Every step of the process was painless and the customer service is excellent. I dealt with exactly *zero* B.S. the entire time. Highly recommended.
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Kevin M.
5/20/2021
					For the sake of objectivity, my rating ONLY reflects the quality of the work as requested, however, be warned that the customer experience is a different story.I brought in an iPhone Pro Max that wouldn't power on. A common problem with a simple enough fix. This phone has sentimental value to me due to it being one of the first produced. It was a test unit used by Tim Cook himself and still carried his personal collection of over 250GB of traumatizingly nasty adult videos.The Apple Repair center REFUSED to even attempt a repair and offered only a replacement after much debating. OUT OF THE QUESTION, for obvious reasons. I'm well aware of the quality of Apple's products and know for a fact that dropping it into an industrial shredder is not enough to cause irreparable damage, as they claimed.Ordinarily, I would never bring an Apple product anywhere but an authorized repair center. I am strongly opposed to allowing untrained personnel to risk their lives fumbling around with the internals of such a device, and aside from that, they're unlikely to even be capable of comprehending the intricacies of the design. Without highly specialized tools and training, these amateurs pose a significant danger to not only themselves, but those around them, and to some extent, society as a whole. But I had to make a rare exception.Rossman repair group came recommended by some of the less scrupulous Apple fans I know, so that's where I went.Upon entry, as any discerning iPhone owner would, I looked around for the tell-tale signs of forced labor, underage workers, and a volatile undercurrent of resentment among the employees. Those are the marks of a shop owner that truly understands Apple's methods. Disappointingly, I found none.When they finally noticed my arrival, the desk worker pointed to my companions and said "we don't serve their kind here!" When I requested clarification, he replied "You can come in, but your droids will have to wait outside." I found this odd and somewhat discriminatory, and still to this day don't know how he was able to tell they were Android users. While I try to be tolerant and open minded, they are indeed lesser forms of life so I complied and sent them outside.I described my predicament and deposited the fragments of my phone on the desk. He took it to the back where his co-workers gathered and seemed to discuss it at length.I was elated when one of the staff informed me that they could fix it. I thanked Saint Eugene, patron Saint of tradesmanship and customer satisfaction for guiding me here.I watched as they initiated some sort of summoning ritual. They placed the remains of the phone in the center of a circle. Around the perimeter, a camera, a microphone, a Tesla Enthusiast newsletter, and one gallon of Amtech flux were placed, while members of the staff chanted incantations that seemed to imply that a certain person's manhood or lack thereof was dependent on their ability to complete the repair.It was then he appeared, as if he had been present the whole time. Lewis Rosmann himself approached my phone. Lifting the bottle of flux, he began pouring it on the fragmented components. Only the whites of his eyes were visible as they rolled back in his head. He began speaking in tongues as the flux continued to pour from the bottle, now running off the edge of the table.The smell of brimstone overwhelmed me as heat seemingly fueled by Hell fire issued forth from the nozzle of his Atten hot air rework station in his other hand. The flux had by then covered the entire shop floor as an impossible amount still poured from the container. The Mark of the Beast(SAMSUNG) appeared on his forehead. As he began cursing the name of Paul Daniels, the solder started to reflow and the pieces of the phone drew back together and became one.The shop turned silent, we were at that point ankle deep in flux. For a single instant, I saw a black cat, seemingly above it all, observing, as if he alone made the rules that dictate causality, the beginning and the end. Then..."Fan Spin!" There was a blinding flash as the phone's backlight suddenly illuminated. The cat was gone, flux was everywhere.As I regained my wits I asked him to repeat himself."Fan spin," Rosman said as he returned the iPhone, "that's all that matters."I examined the phone, and the fan was indeed spinning, very impressive considering that iPhones don't have fans.I confirmed the device was fully functional and that no data was lost, and asked how much I owed."$138 and your first born," he replied, which I gladly agreed to, because if you've ever gotten a quote from Apple you'd know that's quite a bargain!So, despite using unofficial, even unothodox tools and techniques, they were able to help me out, and perhaps they can help you too.
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Andrew C.
2/15/2022
					iMac FIXED!  One happy Mac owner!
Knowledgeable, Qualified and Reasonably priced. What more can one ask for? These guys saved me the expense of a new system or Apple's greedy authorized network. I love Apple equipment but if it breaks and you're past  Applecare, you may be at the mercy of Apple's mercenary group of authorized repair centers, or if you are lucky enough to find Rossman's, you should get a fair deal. 

Taking the glass screen off a 27in iMac for a hard drive replacement was something I didn't want to do myself though there are kits to do - it's risky business. Buying an iMac that is remotely close to what I have is astronomical in price. 

Louis Rossman and his well qualified team of real Mac genius' told me to save some money and get a recommended SSD on Amazon and bring it in. Though they said a week to 10 days and looked busy, I received an email 3 days later that my machine was ready. I saw distressed people with damaged laptops and Rossman's team gave them a diagnosis while they waited- or fixed it. 

My iMac seems to be working better than new and I will update this if I see otherwise. Louis Rossman makes videos about Apple and the repair industry that I found informative and entertaining - non-authorized reasonably priced places are under siege. He is part of the thread of "urban legends" and I saw one client ask for a selfie with him- A You Tube celebrity but more.  

I was victim to a horrible screen repair on an iPad with junk parts done at an unauthorized dealer, which I write about extensively on Yelp. Finding the "right" repair center is critical and with the tools of Social Media- "Yelp" you can do it.  I sincerely believe if you come to Rossman- the job will be done right at a fair price. They put a screen protector on my iPad no charge-gratis. Perks of being a customer?

You can't go wrong at this Apple repair center! It's not just for laptops. *****
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Larry G.
6/09/2019

					Top tier talent and outstanding customer service. Recovered my damaged SSD when others wouldn't even look at it. Walked me through the repair procedure and got everything I needed. Thank you Chris!!
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5haun 1
11/17/2022
					Apple should thanks them.Apple should move them to a better location, bigger place and properly give them the tools and resources so that they can be at 110%Cant stand Apple products but it is great to have people that can put sweat and tears to give you top level services even when they are being held down by corporations like Apple.You can rest asure they will try everything to have your Apple product see the light of day again.100% recommend this place. But I also recommend to stop spend money on Apple if they keep sticking to you.Best place to recover your DataMy 2 cents.Salvador Pelaez
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Salvador Peláez
9/21/2019
					Absolute miracle workers. I dropped off an 8tb hard drive that had fallen into a BUCKET OF BLEACH and they did the impossible. Look no further than this place
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Robert
7/17/2022

Our Recent Work

Our highly trained technicians have worked on some of the most complex cases with great success. If your hard drive or SDcard is no longer responsive, we’ll get your information back!

failed usb drive during data recovery service

Have a failed external USB drive? We can by-pass the USB on your drive and go straight for your data!

Stuck heads? No problem! We have the tools and the clean room to un-stick your heads..

on site hard drive data recovery service

We can do clean room data recovery on premises when necessary.

Inspecting a 6 head stack from a donor drive before it goes into the patient.

Bottom Line:

At Rossmann Repair Group, we don’t just recover data; we restore your peace of mind. Contact us today for your hard drive data recovery needs in Austin and experience service that sets the industry standard.

Top Reasons To Have Your Repairs Done By Us

All data recovery done on-site.

Our pricing is fair.

High success rate.

You can meet & speak with the recovery specialist working on your case directly.

Get In Touch with Us

Give us a call or fill out the form below to get a fast price estimate on a fix for your device. If you are not local, we also offer a very streamlined Mail-In Service which makes it very easy to work with us from anywhere in the country.

Mail-In Repair Service

Call or Visit Us

(347) 552-2258

Monday-Friday – 11 AM to 7 PM

2410 San Antonio Street
Austin, TX 78705

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Common Questions

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We Can Fix Your Problem

We provide the best unauthorized MacBook, iPad & iPhone Repair in Austin. You can come to our store for a free estimate without an appointment, or mail your device to us from anywhere in the world to receive service.

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