Client Background
A client contacted Greets Data Recovery through Instagram after their WD 1TB Palmer model external hard drive abruptly stopped functioning. The drive exhibited no power response, no vibration, and was not detected by any operating system. The failure followed a drop from a table, rendering the device completely non-operational.
The drive contained critical business documents, personal photos, videos, and academic materials—making recovery an urgent necessity.
Technical Diagnosis
Upon evaluation in our Hyderabad data recovery lab, the following issues were identified:
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Spindle motor failure – the drive was not spinning
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WD USB board encryption – the WD10SMZW model integrates encryption via the USB controller
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Read/write heads and platters – no damage detected
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PCB (Printed Circuit Board) – fully functional
Recover Your Important Files
We recover files from damaged or faulty HDDs, SSDs, NAS network drives, USB flash drives, and Smartphones.
Recovery Process at Greets Data Recovery
Platter Transfer to Donor Drive
To address the motor failure, our engineers conducted a platter transplant into a compatible donor drive within our ISO Class 100 cleanroom. This procedure ensured precise alignment and safeguarded the integrity of the magnetic platters.
USB to SATA Conversion
The WD Palmer model features native USB integration with hardware encryption, complicating direct data access. We performed a USB-to-SATA conversion using a donor PCB and decrypted the drive’s firmware-level encryption to allow imaging.
Full Sector Imaging & Data Extraction
Following successful decryption, we created a sector-by-sector clone of the drive. This enabled us to extract all files with high precision, including high-priority folders like business documents, media files, and archived projects.
Final Data Delivery
All recovered data was verified and transferred to a new external hard drive supplied by the client.
Recovery Outcome & Client Feedback
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100% recovery of all high-priority data
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94–97% of total data extracted successfully
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Turnaround Time: 6 working days
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Client Feedback: Highly satisfied, particularly after being informed elsewhere that recovery was impossible
Recovery Outcome
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100% of the client’s important data successfully recovered
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Turnaround Time: 4 working days
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Client Source: Discovered Greets Data Recovery via Instagram
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Client Feedback: Satisfied with our speed, technical clarity, and transparent recovery process
FAQS
What causes a spindle motor failure in an external hard drive?
Mechanical impact, like a fall, can damage the internal motor, preventing the platters from spinning and making the drive inoperable.
Can data still be recovered from a WD drive with motor damage?
Yes. By transferring platters to a compatible donor and bypassing encryption, professional labs can fully recover data.
Why are WD Palmer (WD10SMZW) drives harder to recover?
These models use native USB boards with built-in encryption, which complicates access and requires firmware decryption.
What is a USB-to-SATA conversion, and why is it needed?
It’s the process of converting a USB-integrated drive to a SATA interface to bypass hardware encryption and enable deeper recovery.
How long does it take to recover data from a motor-failed hard drive?
Typically 3–5 working days. This case was resolved in 4 days with a 100% success rate.