Data Recovery

Platter Damage
Data Recovery

If another lab told you your drive is unrecoverable due to platter damage — get a second opinion from us. We have succeeded where the biggest names in the industry have failed, hundreds of times over. This is what we do. Contact us for your options.

  • 95%+ Recovery Success: Our proven process has a very high rate of success — even for platter damage cases other labs won't touch.
  • FREE Evaluations: Our technicians will evaluate your device and diagnose the issue at no charge.
  • Only Pay for Successful Recovery: If the recovery is not successful, you don't pay.
  • 25+ Years Experience: Established in 1998. We have seen it all. Experience = Results.
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🔒 No Recovery = No Charge. Guaranteed.

95%+
Recovery Success Rate
25+
Years in Business
100s
Platter Damage Cases
$0
If We Don't Recover
Video Proof

Watch Us Recover What Others Gave Up On

These are real cases. Real drives other labs couldn't touch. Watch our technicians walk through the process and deliver results that surprised clients who came to us as a last resort.

Head Crash + Platter Scratches

Drive written off by two previous labs. Watch our tech recover the data in our cleanroom.

Multi-Platter Crash Recovery

Complete head crash with debris across all platters. We recovered 97% of client data.

Impact & Fire Damaged Drive

Physical trauma and platter warping — a case most labs won't even quote. We delivered.

The Technical Reality

What "Platter Damage" Actually Means

Hard drive platters are precision-machined discs coated in a magnetic layer thinner than a human hair. When read/write heads contact a spinning platter — due to a head crash, drop, or component failure — the damage can range from microscopic scratches to full platter delamination.

Most labs stop here. They lack the equipment, the donor drive inventory, or the proprietary techniques to proceed. They return the drive and call it unrecoverable.

We don't stop. Every case is assessed individually using cleanroom instruments and 25+ years of pattern experience that no off-the-shelf software can replicate.

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Types of Damage We Recover

Head Crash Scratches

Read/write heads physically contact the platter surface, leaving circular or radial score marks. We work around damaged zones to extract all readable sectors.

Platter Delamination

The magnetic coating separates from the substrate. We stabilize and image the platters before further degradation occurs.

Impact & Fire Damage

Physical trauma, heat warping, or debris contamination. Platters that appear destroyed may still hold recoverable data when handled correctly.

Debris Contamination

Magnetic particles shed onto the platter surface during a crash. Cleanroom extraction and ultrasonic cleaning can make the drive workable again.

Why DataLab Recovery

We Succeed Where Major Labs Have Failed.

We've recovered data for clients who came to us after Ontrack, DriveSavers, and other well-known names returned their drive unrecovered. This is not luck — it's method, equipment, and 25 years of specific experience.

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ISO Cleanroom

All platter work is performed in our certified cleanroom. A single dust particle can destroy remaining readable data. We don't cut corners.

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25+ Years Experience

We've been doing this since 1998. We've seen every failure mode a hard drive can produce. That depth of experience cannot be faked or fast-tracked.

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Physical Damage Specialists

Platter damage is one of the hardest recovery scenarios. Our technicians train specifically on catastrophic physical failure cases — this is our lane.

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Deep Donor Library

Compatible donor drives are critical for head swaps and platter transplants. Our extensive inventory means we move faster than shops that have to source parts.

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Technician-to-Client

When you call or submit a request, a technician responds — not a call center. You get an honest assessment of your options, right away.

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No Recovery, No Pay

If we cannot recover your data, you owe us nothing. No evaluation fee, no diagnostic charge. We only invoice for successful recoveries.

The Process

What Happens After You Contact Us

Simple. Fast. Transparent. No jargon, no runaround.

01

Free Evaluation

Ship or bring us the drive. Our technicians assess it in the cleanroom at no charge with no obligation to proceed.

02

Honest Diagnosis

We tell you exactly what we found, what we can recover, and what it costs. No surprises, no upsell.

03

You Approve, We Recover

Approve the quote and we go to work — cleanroom platter operations, head swaps, sector imaging, and file extraction.

04

Data Delivered

Recovered files are transferred to a new device and shipped back to you securely. You only pay when we succeed.

Common Questions

Platter Damage FAQ

Yes — this is one of our most common scenarios. We regularly receive drives that have been opened and evaluated by other labs. Send us the drive and any documentation you received; we'll provide our own honest assessment at no charge.
Common indicators include grinding, clicking, or scraping sounds from the drive; a previous lab diagnosing "head crash" or "platter damage"; the drive spinning up but not being detected; or the drive having been in a severe drop or impact. Contact us — we'll identify exactly what we're dealing with during the free evaluation.
It depends entirely on the extent and type of platter damage. We won't give you a generic percentage — we give you an honest answer after we see your specific drive. We succeed in cases other labs cannot. Not every case is winnable, but we have recovered data from drives that looked completely hopeless.
Platter damage recovery is complex and priced accordingly — typically in the range of several hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on severity. We provide a firm quote before any work begins. If you don't approve it, you pay nothing — including for the evaluation.
Most drives are evaluated within 24–48 hours of arrival. Full recovery typically takes 3–7 business days depending on severity. Rush service is available for urgent situations — ask when you contact us.
No. If we cannot recover your data, you pay nothing. No evaluation fee, no diagnostic charge, no partial billing. We only invoice for successful recoveries — that's our guarantee.

Don't Accept "Unrecoverable"
as the Final Answer.

We've heard that word before — and we've proven it wrong, many times over. Contact us today and let a specialist actually evaluate your drive.

Start Your Free Evaluation 📞 (888) 943-8328 — Speak directly to a technician