Client Background
A professional videographer and YouTube content creator approached Greets Data Recovery, Hyderabad, after his Seagate One Touch 5TB external hard drive suddenly failed. The drive stopped working following a power surge while connected to his video editing system.
Upon failure, the device emitted a clicking sound and was no longer recognized by any system. The drive contained years of valuable raw footage, edited projects, and client video files—data critical to both his business and content creation.
Technical Diagnosis – In Cleanroom Environment
Our engineers performed a detailed inspection in our ISO Class-100 cleanroom and identified the following issues:
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Damaged read/write heads
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Surface scratches on the top platter
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Firmware access failure due to head crash
These symptoms confirmed physical damage, likely caused by the power fluctuation and resulting head failure.
Recover Your Important Files
We recover files from damaged or faulty HDDs, SSDs, NAS network drives, USB flash drives, and Smartphones.
Data Recovery Process
To recover data from the damaged Seagate 5TB drive (model: ST5000LM000), we executed the following steps:
1. Donor Part Replacement
A compatible donor drive was used to replace the failed read/write head assembly.
2. Firmware Repair & Imaging
After head replacement, we repaired the inaccessible firmware modules and performed safe low-speed imaging using PC-3000, minimizing the risk to the platter.
3. File System & Video File Repair
Our software engineers rebuilt the file system and partially repaired several corrupted video files to restore usable data for the client.
Final Data Transfer & Delivery
Recovered data was successfully copied to a new 5TB external hard drive. High-priority YouTube projects were prioritized and delivered first, followed by the remaining footage.
Recovery Outcome
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Priority Data Recovery: 100%
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Overall Recovery Rate: ~92%
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Turnaround Time: 8 working days
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Client Feedback:
“Got my years of work back — after others said it was impossible.”
FAQS
1. What causes clicking sounds in a Seagate external hard drive?
Clicking sounds usually indicate physical damage to the read/write heads or issues with internal components such as firmware or platters.
2. Can data be recovered from a physically damaged Seagate 5TB drive?
Yes. With cleanroom tools and techniques like head swaps, firmware repair, and imaging, data recovery is often possible—even from physically damaged drives.
3. How long does it take to recover data from a damaged Seagate external HDD?
Recovery time depends on the extent of damage. In this case, recovery was completed within 8 working days.
4. Is Seagate ST5000LM000 a common model for recovery?
Yes. This model is widely used in external drives and is recoverable with the right donor parts and professional tools like PC-3000.
5. What should I do if my external HDD starts clicking?
Power off the drive immediately and do not attempt DIY recovery. Contact a certified data recovery lab to prevent further damage.
Lost Data on Your External Drive?
Call now for a free diagnosis or chat with our experts on WhatsApp. We specialize in recovering data from damaged, dead, or undetected Seagate drives across Hyderabad and beyond.