The following is information we have gathered to help find compatible hard drives for Seagate head swap data recovery cases. None of this information is guaranteed to help data recovery professionals find a matching Seagate donor drive. This is just information that we have gathered from other resources and then refined from our own experience. Use at your own risk and expense. Lookup Seagate Family by Model.
Donor list by size: 4TB | 3TB | 2TB | 1.5TB | 1TB | 640GB-750GB | 500GB | 320GB
There is some information saying that the model number must match but that’s not entirely true. In my experience there is not much difference in a DM and a VM drive, from a DR perspective.
I have successfully swapped heads between ST1000DM003 < ST1000VM002 and even a ST2000VX000 < ST3000DM001
If you want a better understanding of a Seagate Model number start with this Simplified Seagate Model Numbers document.
One of the best methods for finding a good donor is the preamp type and this is also the most difficult for the end user. If the preamp type matches there is a great chance the heads will work for recovery. For data recovery professionals with terminal access to the patient HDD you can issue the ctrl + l command at the T> prompt to get the preamp type. You can also find it in ROM code for many models. It’s typically 2 characters, a space, and 2 more characters (e.g. CC 16, B2 03, CA 05). At a minimum the first two characters should be a match, it’s not uncommon for the 3rd and/or 4th character to be different.
Without access to the Seagate F3 preamp number the serial number can be very helpful when choosing donor drives. This is because there could be some indication of the preamp type in the serial number. Many people try to match the first 3 characters of the serial number but I primarily focus on the second and third character. That said, I have actually swapped heads with serial numbers starting with Z1D and W1G. Keep in mind that some have indicated that the second character could be related to the preamp and/or media type and that might be why it’s so important to match this character. That said, matching the serial number is not a guarantee you will get the right preamp.
The first character of the Seagate serial number typically indicates the site code or manufacturing location. in most cases as follows:
S=SU (China) | W=WU (China) | Z=TK (Thailand)
I have seen rare occurrences where W=SU.
The 3rd character has been referred to as a representation of the number of heads and/or head map but I have not seen any consistency.
The part number can help when searching for a donor drive but it doesn’t always have to match completely to be compatible. I do try to match the part before the dash.
Example: 9YN162-021. But I have swapped heads between these P/N 9YN162-021 & 1CT162-500 where only the 162 matches. Common numbers are 162, 164, 166 and you should at least match that number.
Last is the date code. Although some newer models like the Seagate Mobile HDD ST2000LM007 have a date in the form DOM:23APR2016, you will often find that Seagate date codes are in a custom format (e.g. 10495, 13092). Although it’s not a bad idea to get as close as possible on the date code this has never been a deal breaker for me. There are popular resources that say the date code of the patient HDD and the donor drive should be within 3 months. I stretch this to 6 months and have actually used date codes that are even further apart.
Pro tip: While Grenada and Bacall families will typically work pretty well without importing head adaptives you might find other families, like Holiday, sometimes require importing adaptives before the head swap works.
Donor list by size: 4TB | 3TB | 2TB | 1.5TB | 1TB | 640GB-750GB | 500GB | 320GB
| Patient 4TB | Donor Model |
|---|---|
| Model: ST4000LM024 PN: 2AN17V-566 Date: 11 JAN2018 Serial: WFF Family: M11 Location: WU |
Model: ST5000LM000 PN: 2AN170-566 Date: 15 FEB 2018 Serial: WCJ Family: M11 Location: WU |
| Patient 3TB | Donor Model |
|---|---|
| Model: ST3000DM001 PN: 1ER166-570 Date: 18 OCT 2016 CSO: n/a Preamp: B7 Serial: Z50 Family: Grenada Location: TK |
Model: ST3000DM001 PN: 1ER166-570 Date: 06 OCT 2016 CSO: 31MAR2017 Preamp: D2 Serial: Z50 Family: Grenada Location: TK |
| Model: ST3000DM001 PN: 1E6166-570 Date: 06/2013 Preamp: CC Serial: Z1F Family: Grenada Location: TK |
Model: ST3000DM001 PN: 1CH166-575 Date: 10/2013 Preamp: B4 Serial: Z1F Family: Grenada Location: TK |
| Model: ST3000DM003 PN: 2AE16L568 Date: 11 OCT 2016 Preamp: Serial: ZDH Family: A0-V9 Location: TK |
Model: ST3000DM001 PN: 1ER166-501 Date: 10/2014 Preamp: D2 Serial: W50 Family: Grenada Location: WU |
| Patient 2TB | Donor Model |
|---|---|
| Model: ST2000DL001 PN: 9VT156-570 Date: 04/2011 Preamp: A8 Serial: 5YD Family: Bogart Location: WU Headtool: 3B |
Model: ST3000DM001 PN: 1CH166-044 Date: 06/2013 Preamp: B4 Serial: Z1F Family: Grenada Location: TK Headtool: 3A |
| Model: ST2000DM001 PN: 1CH164-501 Date: 02/2013 Preamp: B3 Serial: S1E Family: Grenada Location: SU |
Model: ST2000DM001 PN: 9YN164-021 Date: 08/2012 Preamp: CB Serial: S1E Family: Grenada Location: SU |
| Model: ST2000LM007 PN: 1R8174-568 Date: 07APR2017 Preamp: Serial: WDZ Family: Rosewood Location: WU |
Model: ST2000LM007 PN: 1R8174-568 Date: 03JUL2017 Preamp: C2 Serial: WDZ Family: Rosewood Location: WU |
| Model: ST2000VX000 PN: 9YW164-500 Date: 12501 Preamp: B4 Serial: W24 Family: Grenada Location: WU |
Model: ST3000DM001 PN: 1CH166-510 Date: 14197 Preamp: B4 Serial: W1F Family: Grenada Location: WU |
| Patient 1.5TB | Donor Model |
|---|---|
| Model: ST1500DM003 PN: 9YN16G-21 Date: 13072 Preamp: CC Serial: W24 Family: Grenada Location: WU |
Model: ST2000DM001 PN: 9YN164-500 Date: 12353 Preamp: B4 Serial: S24 Family: Grenada Location: SU |
| Patient 1TB | Donor Model |
|---|---|
| Model: ST1000DM003 PN: 1ER162-501 Date: 01/2015 Preamp: D0 Serial: Z4Y Family: Grenada Location: TK |
Model: ST1000DM003 PN: 1ER162-501 Date: 05/2015 Preamp: B0 Serial: Z4Y Family: Grenada Location: TK |
| Model: ST1000DM003 PN: 9YN162-021 Date: 13254 Preamp: B2 Serial: Z1D Family: Grenada Location: TK |
Model: ST1000VM002 PN: 1CT162-500 Date: 13016 Preamp: B2 Serial: W1G Family: Bacall Location: WU |
| Model: ST1000DM003 PN: 9YN162-500 Date: 12335 Preamp: CA Serial: W1D Family: Grenada Location: WU |
Model: ST1000DM003 PN: 1CH162-501 Date: 13296 Preamp: CA Serial: S1D Family: Grenada Location: SU |
| Model: ST1000LM035 PN: 1RK172-568 Date: 09NOV2017 Preamp: Serial: WC0 Family: Rosewood Location: WU |
Model: ST2000LM007 PN: 1R8174-568 Date: 17OCT2017 Preamp: 82 Serial: ZDZ Family: Rosewood Location: TK |
| Model: ST1000LM0035 PN: 1RK172-568 Date: 11 May 2016 Serial: WCB Family: Rosewood Location: WU |
Model: ST500LM034 PN: 2GH17A-171 Date: 09 Jun 2019 Serial: WGS Family: Rosewood Location: WU |
| Model: ST1000DM003 PN: 1CH162-510 Date: 02/2014 Preamp: CA Serial: Z1D Family: Grenada Location: TK |
Model: ST1000VM002 PN: 9ZL162-500 Date: 09/2012 Preamp: B2 Serial: S1G Family: Bacall Location: SU |
| Model: ST1000LM035 PN: 1RK172-568 Date: 09NOV2017 CSO: n/a Preamp: Serial: WC0 Family: Rosewood Location: WU |
Model: ST2000LM007 PN: 1R8174-568 Date: 22SEP2017 CSO: 11FEB2018 Preamp: C2 Serial: ZDZ Family: Rosewood Location: TK |
| Model: ST31000528AS 7200.12 PN: 9SL154-046 Date: 06/2011 Preamp: 71 Serial: 9VP Family: Pharoah Location: TK |
Model: ST31000528AS 7200.12 PN: 9SL154-046 Date: 06/2011 Preamp: 58 Serial: 9VP Family: Pharoah Location: TK |
| Patient 640GB-750GB | Donor Model |
|---|---|
| Model: ST3750528AS PN: 9SL153-516 Date: 11097 Preamp: 71 Serial: 9VP Family: Pharaoh Location: TK |
Model: ST3750528AS PN: 9SL153-515 Date: 10283 Preamp: 71 Serial: 6VP Family: Pharaoh Location: SU |
| Patient 500GB | Donor Model |
|---|---|
| Model: ST500LT012 PN: 1DG142-540 Date: 10/2013 Preamp: B0 Serial: W3P Family: YARRA 5400 Location: WU |
Model: ST500LT012 PN: 1DG142-286 Date: 04/2015 Preamp: B0 Serial: W3P Family: YARRA 5400 Location: WU |
| Model: ST500LT012 PN: 1DG142-540 Date: 04/2014 Preamp: D0 Serial: W3P Family: Yarra 5400 Location: WU |
Model: ST500LT012 PN: 9WS142-020 Date: 06/2013 Preamp: D0 Serial: W0V Family: Yarra 5400 Location: WU |
| Model: ST500LT012 PN: 9WS142-567 Date: 11/2013 Preamp: D0 Serial: W0V Family: Yarra 5400 Location: WU |
Model: ST500LT012 PN: 1DG142-286 Date: 04/2015 Preamp: B0 Serial: W3P Family: Yarra 5400 Location: WU |
| Model: ST500LT016 PN: 1DJ142-030 Date: 09/2014 Preamp: D0 Serial: W3P Family: Yarra 5400 Location: WU |
Model: ST500LT016 PN: 1DJ142-030 Date: 11/2014 Preamp: B0 Serial: W3P Family: Yarra 5400 Location: WU |
| TYPE: SSHD Model: ST500LM021 PN: 1EJ162-038 Date: 08/2014 Preamp: D0 Serial: W76 Family: Kahuna 5400 Location: WU |
TYPE: HDD Model: ST500LM021 PN: 1KJ152-070 Date: 30JAN2015 Preamp: D0 Serial: W62 Family: Kahuna 5400 Location: WU |
| Patient 320GB | Donor Model |
|---|---|
| Model: ST320LT020 PN: 9YG142-031 Date: 05/2012 Preamp: AD Serial: W04 Family: Sapta15 Location: WU |
Model: ST320LT020 PN: 9YG142-031 Date: 03/2013 Preamp: 6F Serial: W04 Family: Sapta15 Location: WU |
| Model: ST9320312AS PN: 9RS132-567 Date: 10484 Preamp: A1 Serial: 5WV Family: Cameron Location: WU |
Model: ST9320310AS PN: 9RN132-188 Date: 11204 Preamp: 61 Serial: 5WV Family: Cameron Location: WU |
For Seagate DM series we have found that there are 2 preamp numbers that cover a large percentage of the recoveries in each of the following storage capacities (1TB, 2TB, 3TB). If you look carefully you will spot a pattern in the codes too. Other preamps exist but we typically see them in drives with unusual head or platter numbers for their series. The DM series with the new Seagate logo have some new preamp numbers as well. As always, your mileage may vary 🙂
ST1000DM
B2 —
CA —
ST2000DM
B3 —
CB —
ST3000DM
B4 —
CC —
Looking for Western Digital donor matching guide?
Hi, I have a Seagate ST4000DM000, which have heads faulty. Got a donor with exactly the same model and part number as well as the first 4 characters of the serial number are matching, but the preamp is different. The preamp on the patient drive is B8 05.
Most of the people sailing their drive knows nothing about the preamp, is there a way to find a matching donor ?
Unfortunately there is nothing I know of on the label that will give you the preamp number. You would need the disk drive or the ROM. Many Seagate models support more than one preamp, they don’t always need to match. There are some Grenada examples in this post where we used a B2 preamp for a CA, a CB for B3, and a D2 replaced a B7. For the Rosewood family C2 and 82 are typically interchangeable.
Hi Mr. Blizzard.
My Seagate ST2000LM007 ZDZ8WE70 fell down and it’s head got damaged. From what I have researched, the donors are quite expensive and I have a lot of data on the drive . Can you please suggest an alternative for the head?
Thanks in advance
You can find these drives on eBay for under $100. Keep in mind there is no guarantee the one you buy will be a compatible donor. If you are not a data recovery professional I highly recommend sending it in for recovery. We see DIY experiments gone wrong all the time. Some are still recoverable. For some, the data is gone for good. These Seagate SMR drives have unique challenges for recovery even if the head swap is a success.
Hey, I’m finding the whole pre-amp matching to be a little confusing as I can’t seem to find my drive anywhere. I have a seagate desktop HDD:
SN: S30073ZS
ST3000DM003
PN: 1F216N-568
FW: CC54
Date: 14257
Site: SU
Check eBay this drive is very common for under $100. Keep in mind there is no guarantee the one you buy will be a compatible donor. If you are not a data recovery professional I highly recommend sending it in for recovery. We see DIY experiments gone wrong all the time. Some are still recoverable. For some, the data is gone for good.
Hi,
Great article!
I have a ST2000DM001 that needs a head replacemnt. I found what looks like a good match and a couple extra to play with before trying to fix the important one. I’m more or less good with my hands but I worry about the next step. If heads and preamp will match, what does it take to actually get data if surface is not damaged badly? Can I get away with windows based software ore do I absolutely need to get into some low-level business? Can I plug it in and try copy few files that I really need? Or is it better to try to make a full HD image?
Thanks, Alex.
Hi Mr. Blizzard,
I have the folliwing HD with heads issues:
sn: Z1E99ZY5
model: ST2000DX001
pn: 1CM164-300
fw: CC43
date: 15354
Which could be a potential donor?
Thanks in advance
Roberto, I am sorry I did not see your question sooner. For a Seagate ST2000DX001 you can probably use an ST2000DM001. They typically share the same preamps.
Hello Mr. Blizzard. First I would like to thank you for the gift of knowledge sharing.
I have a patient that was knocked and stopped working. I would like to replace the heads & I have the head replacement tools for Seagate Slim from HddSurgery. However the price on the donor drive is extremely expensive on eBay. I would like to know what kind of flexibility I have in searching for a donor so perhaps it is more affordable?
Patient Drive Info:
ST1000LM035, 1RK172-568, SBM3, WU, WDE
is the 568 in PN important?
Is the whole FW important?
Thank you so very very much
Sory,
I know some have said this model can be tricky, but the truth is we just keep brand new ST1000LM035 in stock and most of the time the heads will work for reading. If you are unlucky and get a 3 head 1TB model you can typically use the heads from a model ST2000LM007. For the best chance, and if you need to write to the drive, I would match the firmware.
Hello Mr. Blizzard and thank you so much for your prompt reply. I’m really impressed by your prompt reply.
Based on the info I sent you, can you sell me a donor match? If so let me know how to proceed.
I’m sorry, we do not sell parts. Depending on where you are you can buy one from most online stores like Amazon, NewEgg etc. If you can’t find an ST1000LM035 you can always try a model ST1000LM048. Keep in mind this is our own experience, your experience may be different and there is no guarantee the first drive you purchase will work.
Hey I have a drive that the head is went and I was wondering if you could check these numbers on my drive and tell me which numbers matter on my drive
SN: W2F055P4
MD: ST2000DM001
PN: 9YN164 – 300
FW: CC46
DT: 12215
ST:WU
Any information would be a great help for me thanks for reading
Match as much as possible, there is no guaranteed way to get a compatible donor but the more you match the better the chance. The part number before the dash and the second and third character in the serial number should be the same.
Hello Mr. David
I have sea-gate patient drive .and 2 doners but confuse about make in CHINA and THAILAND will match each other? Please help me on this.
drives details are as follows:
patient is
Seagates ST1000LM035
Part no:- 1RK172-570
Firmware :-EB01
DOM – 10 DEC2018
Site Code :-WU
Product Of China
DONER 1 –
Seagates ST1000LM035
Part no:- 1RK172-036
Firmware :-SDM2
DOM – 02APR2018
Site Code :-TK
Product Of THAILAND
DONER 2
Seagates ST2000LM007
Part no:- 1R8174-570
Firmware :-EB01
DOM – 16JAN2019
Site Code :-WU
Product Of China
I would not worry about the country of manufacture on the donor. Try donor-1 since the part number matches. Your second donor is a 2TB (4-head). If your patient has 3 heads you can try it, otherwise stick with donor-1.
Warning: Always use a clean-room environment and practice with test drives until you are proficient and successful with the model your are working with. If the data is important and you are not a professional seek help from a professional data recovery lab 🙂
hey so from what ive read the site means nothing the fw number matters the serial the primary series number for the model is this the case so do I need to get a match on the pn number aswell
Hello, I have a Seagate ST2000DM001, serial number W1E0R3XD, PN 9YN164-500, Fw Cc4B, date 12501, site WU. Head number 3 has failed, and donor drive with these specs is very hard to find . Which another version(s) of Seagate do you recommend as a possible head swap donor? Thank you in advance.
You can get ST2000DM001 on eBay for less than $40. The important thing is the correct preamp number. Unfortunately that isn’t advertised by sellers. You can get the preamp from the ROM dump or from the terminal on a working hard drive. Matching the information on the label might improve your chances of a matching donor, but it’s not guaranteed.
Thank you for fast answer. Preamp number is B3 O3. According to your knowledge, with which Seagate model can we try for the closest match? Thank you.
It looks like matching ST2000DM001-9YN164-CC4B is your best chance for B3-03 but they get a premium for those ($100 average). You can also find B3-03 preamp in model ST2000VM003-1CT164 which sells for less. As always, use this information at your own risk 🙂
Note: We have seen ST2000VM003-1CT164 with both B3-03 and CB-06 preamps.
Hello, It is possible to read the data from drive ST3000DM001 with donor ST3000DM008?
Cause I dont see any ST3000DM001 in any store. Please help.
Check eBay they have many ST3000DM001 listed. Try to match ST3000DM001 and the part number.
iam interesting with your blog
i have question i have ST1000DM-003 with pn 1ER162 can swap heads from same model but with PN 1CH162or 9yn162 with matched preamp type in ROM ?
Yes, they should work if preamp matches.
Here’s my patient:
Seagate Momentus 5400.6
160 GB
WWN: 5000C5002425961C
+5V 0.451 A
DATE: 10345
SITE: WU
SN: 5XTOXFSB
ST9160301AS
PN: 9TJ132-285
FW: 0001SDM2
hi,
if patient is:
Seagate 3TB
ST3000DM001
W50
1ER166-570
CC46
WU
can the donor be
SU or TK
and what number is most important, because i only find 2TB or numbers missing?
thanks.
Yes, you can use SU or TK, some labs seem to prefer TK as a donor. Try to match the second and third character of the serial number. The best way is to read the preamp number if you have terminal access. If not, you can read the ROM and find the preamp number in the ROM, then compare it to the preamp number from your donor.
I’m looking at doing a head replacement on a drive I have. I found the exact same drive on ebay with the same model, firmware, and first 3 letters of the serial (this is a seagate drive) and the manufacture date is fairly close to the other. However, this drive on ebay is a manufacturer refurbished drive (with the green bordered label). In your experience is this still a suitable drive to use for a head swap? Or are refurbished drives different?
We use refurbished drives often, shouldn’t be a problem if the preamp matches.
Hi I have a patient seagate with no power. I suspect that it is a pcb problem
Model : ST1000DM003
SN : Z4Y92CCB
PN : 1ER162-302
FW : CC46
Date : 16037
I’m about to buy a donor which is
Model : ST1000DM003
SN : S1D9QZBM
PN : 1CH162-302
FW : CC46
Date : 13392
Question is, will it work if i replace the patient’s PCB from the donor?
Unfortunately it will not work because there is adaptive data stored in a chip on the PCB that is unique for each Seagate hard drive. There are some services that will sell you a PCB and swap the ROM for you if you ship them your PCB.
I have seagates patient drive .please tell me about donor ,drives details are as follows:
Seagates ST310000333AS
Part no:- 9FZ136-568
Firmware :-SD35
Date Code:-09222
Site Code :-Su
Product Of China
If you have terminal access you can issue ctrl + l and get preamp code. If not, then you can use information from this blog post and match as much information as possible between donor and patient for your best chance at success. Try to match the part number and the first 3 of the serial number if possible.
Thanks for Very useful information, my doubt is , it is necessary to move the rom chip from donor drive to patient drive after head replaced only for seagate drive,
Hello Semmalar, replacing the serial flash chip (ROM, BIOS) is typically reserved for cases where the PCB must be replaced. In some cases, head adaptive parameters might need to be adjusted but that is beyond the scope of this donor drives topic.
very good information thank you David Blizzard .
thanks for this information bro ..