Fields Data Recovery

GunJack

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987934#Comment_81987934

Yo DCM!! Not quite as long a time as spud, but still been a while 🙂 How's it going?? No luck yet, drive should get to me Weds/Thur, so itll probably be the weekend by I get to tackle it....don't worry I'll update this thread with results 😁

GunJack

Ahh well, I've had to bite the bullet on this. Got the eBay drive, tried the board swap and it didn't work so am going to have to use a recovery company ☹️ Will report back on how it goes....

Undervalued

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81996045#Comment_81996045

When I researched this a few years ago, on some drives at least, there is one unique component you have to unsolder from the old board and use it to replace the matching component on the "new" board for a board swap to work. Obviously that also relies on the old board not being so fried that the relevant component is damaged but apparently that is rare.

I can't say for certain that is necessary for all drives. At the time I looked there were some firms, mainly in the USA, who would do the component swap (for a fee) if you sent them your old board when buying the replacement. It is tricky and delicate soldering of a multiple legged component.

Research any recovery service with care. Some have a questionable reputation. No experience of the one you mention.

GunJack

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81997070#Comment_81997070

Yeah, there's an EEPROM on Seagate drives that hold drive specific info, so hit'n'miss if a straight board swap works but I don't have the kit to do it myself...

GunJack

Just in case anyone's interested I got my data back....not cheap but it's done 🙂

debitcardmayhem

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82018326#Comment_82018326

Watcha Gunny, done two new backups yet😎😂. Glad you got sorted bud.

GunJack

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82018487#Comment_82018487

got one already, just sorting through my stash for a suitable hdd for the second!!

Will probably go onto a rolling (i.e. every other) backup routine, so if needed the oldest one would only be 2 weeks…

sausage_time

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82019384#Comment_82019384

You might to consider at least one copy off-site (HDD stored elsewhere, or a cloud provider perhaps) in case of some catastrophic situation.

GunJack

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82019735#Comment_82019735

That's waaaay OTT for a domestic setting…and I don't entrust my stuff to a cloud provider that is far more likely to get hacked than I am ;)

@debitcardmayhem yes, both backups now fully operational, and I've also kept the clone I have of my original, so well covered :D

…however, I may treat myself to a couple of brand new shiny HDDs of whatever variety for the backups, but don't tell Mrs. G-J 😁