Submerged drives

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Background information

The writer has not personally verified this method but according to the research it should work, preform at your own risk

This page focus more on platter based storage with mechanical hardware and the cleaning/repairing of that than NAND and sold state storage.
the basics of working with submerged drives are relively simplest as long as a few basic ground rules are followed from the start
the drive must be kept in the same liquid it was discovered, this will prevent any further damage from occurring (if the drive as already been removed
Recovery is still possible, just raises the chance further damage can occur).
removal of platters should be treated as a last resort. It is also recommended that clear photos are taken of the drive as soon as possible

What tools you will need

Items are not listed in any particular order

Required

  • ultrasonic cleaner (big enough to fit a drive to do 40hz at 100w and 132w at 500w
  • 100% pure acetone
  • full face mask rated for chemicals/organics
  • well ventilated space
  • Non-corrodible wire
  • Screwdriver with torx t6&t8 bit

Optional but useful

  • N-methyl pyrolidene(NMP)
  • Camera
  • lint free towel
  • HFE-7100

Step-by-step guide with images

Insert step-by-step walkthrough with images and summary text here

Photograph the drive as clearly as possible (primarily the label, as the labels are extremely fragile and simply fall apart when touched)


Gently towel dry the outside of the drive using a lint free towel,


Remove PCB


Remove top cover to expose platters


Remove all plastic and rubber element (if the drive its self needs to be kept intact)


Place in ultrasonic cleaner starting at 40hz 100w for five one minute segments each segment increasing up to 132hz 500w on single frequency


Securely mount drive so it is not touching the basket (the less vibration, the less damage)


Fill with solution till drive is completely covered to account for bubbling effect(30%acetone 70% NMP, is the best, if not 100% pure acetone works equally (within 0.01% difference of effectiveness)


Starting at 40hz 100w for five one minute segments, each segment increasing up to 132hz 500w on single frequency


Remove, drive each cycle (rotating drive 180 degrees on x-axis) if solution muddied, drain and clean the ultrasonic cleaner of any debris and refill cleaner with solution.


It will likely take multiple attempts(2) if not more to completely clean the drive, using the heater will speed up the process but decreases the length of time the cleaner can be active
due to the more aggressive cleaning, which will cause damage to the platter.


Dry disk (reassemble if needed)


Flow chart of order of operations

Troubleshooting/tips and tricks

Fixes to any common issues that were encountered or could be easily encountered

take a photograph after every step of cleaning a label in case is damaged)

Best way to remove debris is to let the drive soak in the cleaning solution like a dirty disk

(HFE-7100 is the best for cleaning as it leaves no marks) 99% isopropyl leaves marks so is not recommended unless necessary

filltered compressed air is a good way to remove finger drives from platters

Related Topics

Topics such as desoldering to chip off or firmware dumping for disk PCB repairs

Further reading

External references in wiki references can just be cited through the keyword link