Data Recovery · LanCologne

What should you bear in mind when recovering data from an older Fujitsu hard drive?

Fujitsu transferred its hard disk drive manufacturing operations to Toshiba in 2009. Older Fujitsu drives – 2.5-inch notebook drives (MHV, MHW, MHZ series) and SCSI/SAS Server drives (MAX, MBA series) – therefore now require specialised tools and suitable donor parts.

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Technical background

Common faults include electronic faults caused by power surges, damage to the read/write heads and firmware issues in the service areas. Simply replacing the circuit board is often not enough, as drive-specific adaptive data is stored in the ROM of the original circuit board. In the case of older Server drives, SCSI or SAS interfaces are also involved.

What you should – and shouldn’t – do now

  • Do not start the drive if it makes a clicking noise or fails to boot up.
  • Do not fit a third-party circuit board – the adaptive data will not match.
  • For Server drives: Note down their position in the RAID array.

Here’s how we do it

  • Identification of model, firmware version and interface.
  • In the event of electronic damage: repair or transfer of the ROM to a suitable circuit board.
  • In the event of damage to the top: inspection at the cleanroom workbench; depending on the nature of the damage, replacement with suitable spare parts from the same model series at the cleanroom workbench – assessment to be provided in a written quotation.
  • Reading out using hardware that handles unstable areas in a controlled manner.

Borders

  • For rare model variants, spare parts may no longer be available.
  • Ageing of the magnetic layer and lubricants can impair readability in very old drives.

Possible results

Saving the data in the desired target format or onto a current storage medium.

How we carry out data recovery

Every data storage device is first diagnosed in our own laboratory in Cologne; the diagnosis is free of charge. You will then receive a written quote and can decide whether to accept it. If you decline, you can collect the data storage device from the laboratory by appointment – there are no postage costs involved – or we will post it back to you; in which case postage and packaging costs may apply. Data is recovered from copies, not from the original – using professional data recovery hardware such as the PC-3000. If a drive needs to be opened, this is carried out on a HEPA H14-filtered clean bench. We do not offer a guarantee of success prior to diagnosis, as this is simply not possible in a professional context. Your storage device and your data will remain confidential and will not be passed on to third parties.

1Enquiries and submission by post or in person at the laboratory by prior appointment
2Free diagnosis of the cause of the damage
3Written quotation – we will only proceed once you have approved it; if you decline, you may collect the item from the laboratory or we will return it to you (postage and packaging costs may apply)
4Recovery, data verification and confidential handover

Request a diagnosis   Find out more about the process, costs and confidentiality →

Frequently Asked Questions

Are spare parts still available for Fujitsu hard drives?+
For common models, the answer is generally yes; for rare variants, availability must be checked on a case-by-case basis.
Can I use the circuit board from an identical drive?+
Usually not without some effort, because drive-specific calibration data is stored in the ROM of the original circuit board.
Can old SCSI-Server hard drives be salvaged as well?+
In the case of electronic or firmware faults, this is usually possible, provided that suitable interfaces are available. The diagnostic test will determine what is possible in the event of mechanical damage.

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