Seagate is one of the leading manufacturers of hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) for personal computers and enterprise data storage systems. With a large global market share, Seagate drives are used by millions of consumers and businesses. Like all storage devices, Seagate drives can sometimes fail or experience data loss. When this happens, users often wonder if Seagate’s warranty covers the cost of professional data recovery services to retrieve lost data from a failed drive.
The Short Answer
In most cases, Seagate’s standard limited warranty does not cover the cost of data recovery services if a drive fails. The warranty only covers repair or replacement of defective hardware. Users are responsible for backing up their data and recovering lost data from a failed drive.
Seagate’s Limited Warranty
Seagate provides a standard limited warranty on all their drives, whether intended for consumer or business use. This warranty covers defects in workmanship and materials for a specified warranty period. For most consumer HDDs and SSDs, the warranty period is 2-5 years from the date of purchase. For enterprise and NAS drives, Seagate often provides longer 5 year warranties.
If a drive fails due to a defect during the warranty period, Seagate will repair or replace the drive at no cost. The warranty service provides “like for like” replacements – if you send in a 2TB drive, you receive another 2TB drive in return. Seagate pays for the cost of shipping when you submit a warranty claim online or by phone.
However, Seagate’s limited warranty only covers the physical drive hardware. It does not cover any software or data stored on the drive. The warranty documentation clearly states the following limits on coverage:
- The warranty does not cover recovery of lost or corrupted data.
- Seagate is not responsible for restoration of data or lost profits as a result of drive failure.
- The warranty only covers repair/replacement of defective Seagate product and not any associated components or devices.
So if your Seagate drive fails due to a hardware defect, you’ll get a replacement drive but no help with data recovery. Retrieving your lost personal files or business data from the failed drive is solely your responsibility.
Why Data Recovery Isn’t Covered
There are some practical reasons why Seagate does not include professional data recovery services under its standard warranty:
- Special skills required – Recovering data from mechanically or electronically failed drives requires specialized tools, clean room facilities, and expert skills possessed by dedicated data recovery companies. Seagate manufactures storage devices but does not offer data recovery services.
- High costs – Depending on the drive failure mode and amount of data loss, professional recovery services often cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per drive. Including these services under warranty would dramatically increase Seagate’s support costs.
- Data security – When returning a failed drive, users have no assurance that all personal or confidential data will be completely erased from the drive before it is sent to Seagate. The responsibility lies with the user to erase sensitive data using disk wiping software before submitting a drive.
- Data ownership – The data stored on a failed user drive technically belongs to the user and not to Seagate. So the user must give explicit permission for any data recovery efforts on their drive.
For these reasons, Seagate cannot feasibly provide professional data recovery as part of the warranty service. The limited warranty only covers drive repair/replacement in case of hardware defects or workmanship issues that make the device inaccessible.
Checking Warranty Status
Before submitting a warranty claim, you should check online to confirm your Seagate drive is still under warranty. Here are some options to quickly validate your warranty status and eligibility:
- Use Seagate’s online Warranty Validation Tool. Input your drive’s serial number to check coverage.
- Look up your drive model on Seagate’s support site to confirm the warranty length for your specific product.
- Check your original purchase receipt or invoice for the warranty expiry date.
If your drive is still under warranty, Seagate makes it easy to start a replacement order. You can submit a claim 24/7 via their website, and they will send you a replacement drive with pre-paid return shipping.
If your drive is out of warranty however, data recovery and repair costs are your responsibility. Extended warranties for up to 5 years are available for some drives when purchased brand new, but these also won’t cover data recovery.
Data Recovery Options
When faced with a failed Seagate drive and inaccessible data, you basically have three options to try recovering your files and folders:
- DIY data recovery – Try using DIY software tools to extract data from the malfunctioning drive. This works best for minor software issues, but is unlikely to succeed with mechanically failed drives.
- Seagate’s data recovery partners – Seagate has partnered with data recovery experts such as OnTrack to offer drive diagnosis and discounted recovery services for Seagate customers.
- Independent data recovery pros – Reputable companies like DriveSavers and Gillware have decades of experience salvaging data from any brand of failed drive.
The DIY approach with software like Disk Drill or Stellar Data Recovery is worth trying first since it’s free or low cost. But DIY tools are seldom successful when dealing with physically damaged drives. For major hardware failure, you need the capabilities of an advanced data recovery lab.
Seagate’s Recommended Data Recovery Partners
Realizing that users need help recovering data from failed drives, Seagate partners with and recommends select data recovery companies to assist customers. Seagate has pre-negotiated discounted rates for its customers with these providers. The two main Seagate partners are:
Ontrack
Ontrack (www.ontrack.com), now owned by data recovery leader KLDiscovery, is Seagate’s primary recommended partner for data recovery services. They helped pioneer data recovery in the 1980s and saved data after disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Ontrack provides the following Seagate-specific services:
- Free initial diagnosis of your failed Seagate drive
- Expedited recovery services for Seagate customers
- Discounted pricing compared to standard rates
- Direct shipping to Ontrack labs for convenience
To receive the discounts, you need to confirm you are a Seagate customer by providing your drive’s serial number. Data recovery costs vary case-by-case based on drive failure complexity and how quickly you need the data returned.
Data-Medics
Data-Medics (www.data-medics.com) specializes in recovering data from storage devices experiencing mechanical and electronic failure. Their capabilities include disk platter transplants, firmware repair, and recovery from RAID arrays.
As a Seagate partner, Data-Medics provides benefits like:
- Free shipping both ways for Seagate customers in the U.S.
- Diagnostic fees credited towards data recovery costs
- 10% discount on successful Seagate drive recoveries
Data-Medics has data recovery labs located in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Arizona to serve both East and West Coast customers.
Independent Data Recovery Experts
Reputable data recovery companies like DriveSavers (www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com) and Gillware (www.gillware.com) have all the tools and technology required for salvaging data from failed Seagate drives. They offer capabilities like:
- Clean room facilities to safely open drives without contamination
- Proprietary in-house data recovery tools and software
- Parts harvesting from donor drives to repair failures
- Recovery of data from SSDs and RAID systems
- Cryptocurrency wallet and ransomware recovery
These companies have been featured in PC magazines, How-To Geek, CNET, and other publications for their advanced recovery capabilities. Although they are not officially partnered with Seagate, they have extensive experience recovering Seagate drive data in all failure scenarios – from drives that won’t power on to severe media damage.
Since these data recovery firms are independent from Seagate, they do not offer special discounts for Seagate customers. However, you can receive free evaluations and get price estimates before approving recovery work. Costs generally range from $500 to $3000+ based on the drive capacity, failure complexity, and requested turnaround time.
Submitting Drives for Recovery
When sending a failed Seagate drive for professional data recovery, you should take precautions to avoid further damage during shipping:
- Package the drive very well with plenty of cushioning in a rigid box. Do not let the drive rattle around loose.
- Do not ship the bare drive – leave it installed in a USB enclosure or PC during transport.
- Attach tracking information and insure the package in case it gets lost.
- Provide as much detail as possible about the failure symptoms and data value.
Choose expedited 1-3 day shipping like FedEx Priority Overnight or UPS Next Day Air. This minimizes the transit time and exposure to shock/vibration that could destroysensitive drive components needed for recovery.
Before sending your drive, be sure to backup any accessible data still on the drive. The recovery attempt could potentially make things worse or result in complete data loss on the failed drive.
Conclusion
Seagate’s standard limited warranty covers replacement of drives with manufacturing or materials defects, but does not include professional data recovery services. Users are responsible for backing up their data and arranging for data recovery in case of failure during or after the warranty period. Options include trying DIY software tools, utilizing Seagate’s discounted recovery partners, or choosing independent recovery labs that can salvage data from drives with physical damage.
To maximize the chances of successful data recovery, quickly get in touch with a specialized company after any failure of your Seagate drive. Avoid continued use of a malfunctioning drive and properly package it to prevent further damage during shipping. Although drive recovery can be expensive, specialized labs like Ontrack and DriveSavers can often salvage irreplaceable data when all else fails.