Seagate SkyHawk video surveillance hard drives are designed for CCTV systems, offering continuous recording and high durability. However, when a SkyHawk HDD starts beeping, it often indicates spindle motor failure, which prevents the platters from spinning, rendering stored video footage inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical CCTV footage for a business involved in a police investigation in Guildford, after spindle motor failure caused the hard drive to become unreadable.
As Guildford Data Recovery, Surrey’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using cleanroom disassembly, spindle motor replacement, and forensic video extraction techniques to restore lost surveillance footage.
Seagate SkyHawk Surveillance Drive Beeping & Not Spinning
A Guildford-based business contacted us after their CCTV system hard drive stopped working, with the following issues:
- The drive was making a beeping sound when powered on.
- No spinning noise, suggesting that the platters were not moving.
- The DVR system could not detect the drive.
- The drive contained crucial video footage of a business accident under police investigation.
Since spindle motor failure prevents the drive from being read, an immediate cleanroom recovery solution was required to retrieve the footage.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Seagate SkyHawk hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full mechanical and electrical diagnostic. Our findings:
- Spindle motor failure – The motor was seized, preventing the platters from spinning.
- No visible platter damage – Increasing the likelihood of a successful recovery.
- No PCB (Printed Circuit Board) failure detected – Indicating a mechanical issue rather than an electrical one.
Since continued use of a beeping drive can worsen platter damage, we prioritized cleanroom disassembly and spindle replacement.
The Recovery Process
1. Cleanroom Drive Disassembly & Spindle Motor Replacement
To repair the drive and allow data extraction, we:
- Opened the hard drive in a dust-free cleanroom environment.
- Carefully removed the platters to prevent misalignment.
- Replaced the faulty spindle motor with a compatible donor motor.
- Reassembled the drive with precise calibration to ensure platter stability.
2. Imaging & Cloning the Repaired Hard Drive
Once the spindle assembly was stabilised, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector forensic clone of the recovered drive.
- Used specialized imaging tools to extract all readable sectors.
3. Extracting & Verifying CCTV Video Footage
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Recovered all surveillance footage, including the timestamped video of the incident.
- Repaired corrupted video files to ensure smooth playback.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external storage device for police use.
The Results: 97% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our cleanroom spindle motor replacement and forensic video extraction techniques, we successfully recovered 97% of the CCTV footage, including:
✅ Timestamped video evidence of the business accident
✅ High-resolution video files from multiple CCTV cameras
✅ Organized file structures restored for police and legal review
The business was able to provide the police with the necessary footage, ensuring proper documentation of the incident.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful surveillance hard drive recoveries, we are England’s leading CCTV and video forensic data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ Seagate SkyHawk spindle motor replacement & forensic video recovery
✔ ISO 5 Class 100 cleanroom hard drive repair
✔ Legal and police-compliant evidence retrieval
✔ Secure & confidential CCTV data recovery services
If your CCTV hard drive is beeping, failing to spin, or preventing access to critical video footage, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert forensic data recovery.