This article is about specific packaging standards for shipping the electronic devices in general, the hard drives in particular. The latest detailed printable shipping instruction and address you will see right in the service ticket, as well you get the same information in our follow-up email. To start the process, please submit the service ticket.
Prepairing a package for shipment to our lab is very simple. Select any of packaging methods from the following examples and you are good to go.
Example 1: Cardboard box with the foam-rubber cushioning:
Foam-Rubber for cushioning
Example 2: UPS Express box with the bubble wrap cushioning:
Bubble Wrap for cushioning
Other Acceptable Packaging Methods, Tips and Hints
You may also follow the common packaging preps to ship a failed hard drive as well as any other failed data storages:
To ship a BARE hard drive: Remove and retain all brackets, mounting screws and interface adapters unless otherwise instructed.
To ship the WHOLE unit (an external drive case, a laptop, etc.) include all needed accessories and software (like power adapters, cables, drivers, controllers, etc.)
Place the drive inside a plastic bag (preferable anti-static material or wrap in aluminum foil).
Suspend the hard drive in the center of a sturdy box of foam-rubber or bubble wrap around all sides. Use crumpled paper as cushioning material to fill any empty spaces in shipping box.
We recommend to ship hard drives via air service to minimize handling, such as UPS Express or UPS Expedited services, although the choice of the shipper is yours.
Include in the package either a printed copy of your service ticket, or follow-up email, or memo with contact email (handwritten is ok) and ship it out.
We accept all courier companies, but advise you to use a shipping method with ability to trace your shipment.
We accept Saturday Delivery shipments before 3pm EST.
It's a good idea to use a shipping service with tracking capabilities, such as
Data Recovery Lab 24/7 delivers data to the client fast and safe.
Hints from S&R Department
From our experience we know that many customers using their own packaging materials available at hand. The most usuable are: plastic bags or zip-bags to enclose the hard drives instead of antistatic ones; crumpled paper as cushioning, instead of foam-rubber or bubble wrap; sometimes the bubbled envelopes are used to ship the small (laptop size) hard drives.
Technically, there is no much difference between the standard packaging and improvised, as long as the failed media packed with precaution and secured firmly inside of package. Nothing should be moving inside of the box when you give it a shake!
The bottom line is that the improvised packaging is OK. Just please keep in mind that extra precaution with boxing of your failed media is always a plus.
Recent Problem Solved
Damaged Toshiba MQ01MBD100 laptop from MIS Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp.
System failed to complete boot process, getting stuck before finished. Attempted to do image backups to an external USB drive using Acronis (Linux based image), it reported errors reading the drive, and when errors were ignored and only backed up 200 MB(compressed) of what should be 6 GB(compressed)Attempted to install as a second drive in a desktop, drive was detected but could not be properly recognized. Drive spins and does not click. BIOS HDD Self test causes the drive to spin, reports Read Failure.
Everything has worked out just fine, thank you very much for your work. Richard G.T. Executive Director,
Dropped Seagate Barracuda ST32000641AS from Larry K., Gaylord, Michigan, United States
My Barracuda XT drive appears as dead, but sound of spinning motor can be recognized by humming sound. Lately, I've noticed that sometimes the drive's motor stops even on the boot. The local computer repair specialist had a look at it and recommended data recovery service. The drive wasn't tampered with in any way; everything is in the original state.
