I have an external 2,5 Hard drive which due to a fall, can´t be read: the reader arm moves towards the center of the disk to the edge, and then again to the center, etc, making a characteristic noise. Is there any "homemade", easy way to try to read it(I don´t jbow if exists any kind of commercially available reader like the ones used with other devices)ot it should be sent to an expensive recover specialist service. Thanks  

There is no such thing as a generic disk drive reader.

As you appear to have taken the lid off - very few good recovery companies will want to touch the drive.
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Michael Cotgrove
www.cnwrecovery.com
cnwrecovery.blogspot.com/ 

- mscotgrove

There is no such thing as a generic disk drive reader.

...and there is not even a characteristic noise....

No, there is NOT anything "DIY" that you can use to read the data off the drive (and as mscotgrove pointed out, if you actually opened the disk it is very likely that nothing at all can be recovered by the pro's, because most won't even try to once you have already fiddled with it).

jaclaz
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- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. - 

I can just add that, at this point, it will probably cost you more than $300 for a recovery lab to even try the recovering information from that disk. Whether the data is worth it for you or not is another question; you might be better off "recovering" data from that disk from a backup.
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Digital Evidence Extraction Software
belkasoft.com 

- Belkasoft

I can just add that, at this point, it will probably cost you more than $300 for a recovery lab to even try the recovering information from that disk. Whether the data is worth it for you or not is another question; you might be better off "recovering" data from that disk from a backup.

And I would add that most probably the US $ 300 represent the very lowest end of the possible range, I would have said off the the top of my head something more around the $600 mark.

jaclaz
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- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. - 

You could try replacing the mechanical parts and not the controller, or . . . and so on.

Find a match or near-match on various revisions within the same model, and you might be able to swap good-for-dead parts.  

- jhup

You could try replacing the mechanical parts and not the controller, or . . . and so on.

Find a match or near-match on various revisions within the same model, and you might be able to swap good-for-dead parts.

"near match"?
Platter or head transplant on a 2.5" disk?
At home/DIY?



jaclaz
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- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. -