After a harddrive crash, my friend has taken his drive to a Data Recovery Service. Because the drive is special, they need to locate an exact replacement drive to recover the data. 

The drive needed is a Western Digital 500Gb, Model WD5000KS manufactured in March or April of 2006.

Apparently the construction date of this particular model is important in this case.

Google searchs have not been very helpful.

If anyone has, or knows of a new, used or refurbished drive that meets these requirements, I would appreciate hearing from them.

Thank You

What is so special about the drive?
I can't really see why anyone would need another drive of the same make, model and even construction date to perform a data recovery.
Maybe your friend should contact another recovery service to get a second opinion.Actually this is a common method with dead HDD's...the circuit boards are unique according to not only the manuf. but the size of the drive, the run dates and even the batch #'s...
It's the best odds of GETTING that data in a situation where the drive isn't physically DAMAGED but the electronics have gone bad.
It's a desperate last chance method but i've been successful with it in the past.

Try posting your serial# and batch# on eBay and Good Luck.Hmm okay didn't know that.
I just find it incredible then that some of these recovery companies can get data off DRIVES that have been all but completely destroyed (FIRES, drops from helicopters, you name it), but in this case recovery hinges on whether or not a drive from a specific production batch can be found...
Or is this a matter of how much you're willing to pay for recovery?I heard that as long as its the same make you can use what every board.  But you have to know what to do.Correct observation there DeerPark...this method does not involve removing the platters in a clean room etc. which are the real costs for Data recovery specialists.

I've done it 5 times with 1 success.

QUOTE

I heard that as long as its the same make you can use what every board.  But you have to know what to do.

Correct observation there DeerPark...this method does not involve removing the platters in a clean room etc. which are the real costs for Data recovery specialists.

I've done it 5 times with 1 success.

Quote

I heard that as long as its the same make you can use what every board.  But you have to know what to do.

Whoever told you this was mis-informed. I've had the same model #, size matches, etc. but a different batch # and it didn't even spin up. This was on a WD 80G.