[sk]

[Tomay]

Yes I've done that with a 800MB seagate and a 2Gb seagate. It can be done you only need the right tools and a clean place to do it (as few dust and airflow as possible). On the 800MB I changed the drive platters and the heads. Use latex gloves like the one they use in the hospital (You don't want finger prints on your drives) and if some dust gets on the platters do not blow!!! cos you'll only spit some saliva on the platters. You need some of those torx screwdrivers or it'll be very tough to get the disks apart. If you have an old drive that doesn't work take it apart first just for training.

I don't know if you can get to the control mechanism of the heads from the outside. Search the seagate.com for any info on the disk. I found assembly plans for the 800's (I think it was at the end of the manual) on their site.

Is the data on the drive very important?
You might have to change the heads with the control pcb, cos they might be in one piece. Depends on the drive type.

Hope it helps.

Post back if you have more questions. Good luck!

[AquaHalo]

I wouldn't mess with the drive yourself if the data on it is seriously mission critical or very important. You need microscopes and dyes to align the servos on platters if they have been removed. I am pretty sure these tools are expensive and you need a clean room as well so you dont get any dust or hair on the platter as well. I have had drives crash on me all the time and I won't touch them myself. Call some data recovery company to do the job for you. I have used several of them but as far as I know there is only one near where I live. http://www.renewdata.com they have recovered critical stuff for me before.

Hope that helps.

[Bursar]