A method includes performing a copyback operation comprising transferring, using an internal processing device, user data and header data corresponding to the user data from a first block of memory in a memory device to a register in the memory device, decoupling the user data from the header data, performing an error correction code (ECC) operation on updated header data using an external processing device, transferring, via the external processing device, the updated header data to the register, and transferring the user data and the updated header data from the register to a second block of memory in the memory device.