Hard Drive Failure - - Help!!!! :(

100gSoma

Hi all,

Basically my hard drive stopped working. Its not a logical error as it is simply just not being recognised by the BIOS. (no IDE drive installed) being displayed by BIOS etc.

The reader(stylus) is not moviung across the drive(platters) itself. but there is no damaged to the platters, so I have every reason to assume this is simply an electornic fialure with the drive reader. The data is sitll presumably still all on the drive.

Contacted a few places about getting the info off it. 500 - 1200 euro.
This is obviously aimed at businesses with critical data.

I cannot afford to pay 1200 euro(cost of new laptop) to recover 6 years of holiday snaps, College stuff, and personal docs. Has anyone any idea what I should do? Please PM me if you can recommend someone who might be able to help etc.

hope there some advice out there and Im not just in possession of an expensive paperweight now.

Kimbot

I was also told a few years ago that my h/d was shagged!! I tinkered around with it for a few days and it started working again!!!
Try slaving it on another PC and see if it can be read!!

Ponster

It is possible usually to buy the EXACT same type of drive and transfer the electronics from the good drive to the knackered one.

For example :

http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/business/management/0,39020490,2127079,00.htm

http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000840067578/

100gSoma

Ponster wrote:

It is possible usually to buy the EXACT same type of drive and transfer the electronics from the good drive to the knackered one.

For example :

http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/business/management/0,39020490,2127079,00.htm

http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000840067578/

yeah, another place just told me it would cost 150euro for the replacement parts (the MHA - - magnetic head assembly) which is most likley the failed component on my travelstar drive. Also, it would cost 750euro after that. so 900euro!! FFS.

then they also declined to look at the drive as it had been opened in non-cleanroom environment.

guys are hard drives THAT fragile? I did not damage the surface of the platters(disc) at all and it looks fine.

buying a replacement might be an option alright.... ??? wonder how hard a job it is? Its a laptop drive so it doesn't fit the IDE cable/ribbon in a desktop PC. (tried this)

jor el

You opened up the drive itself! Why? It may now be beyond repair but your only hope is to replace the drive electronics, if possible, with those from a good drive of the same model. That's if the problem is in the electronics.
If that drive is six years old it could be hard to find an exact match for it. Since you've opened the drive up it may never work again.

6 years of holiday snaps, College stuff, and personal docs... and not a single backup ever created? That's a bit silly.

mobby

Opening the drive yourself was not a good idea. A trick I learned some time ago to get a faulty drive working again just long enough to get the data off is to stick it in a freezer for about 30mins. don't laugh this does work and has done for me. give it a try but may not work in your case.

seamus

100gSoma wrote:

guys are hard drives THAT fragile? I did not damage the surface of the platters(disc) at all and it looks fine.

Hard drives are indeed that fragile. The kind of distances between pieces of data are in the millionths of a metre, so even the slightest change in that distance or the smallest imaginable piece of dust will destroy your data. I remember years back I was installing a hard drive and manged to scrape about a mm of sealing tape off the edge of the drive. Instantly 25% of the drive was destroyed.

If you've removed the cover of the drive, it's dead.

100gSoma

jor el wrote:

You opened up the drive itself! Why?

If that drive is six years old it could be hard to find an exact match for it. Since you've opened the drive up it may never work again.

6 years of holiday snaps, College stuff, and personal docs... and not a single backup ever created? That's a bit silly.

thanks for the string of constructive remarks there. you know a mate of mine in here actually said I wasted my time posting on boards. He said I guarantee 90% of replies will be "why did you do that? why didnt you make backups? why why why" extremely helpful. you patronising person you.

I opened it up because I could hear aloose compnent and decided I may be able to examine the problem myself.
Either way I was never paying 750euro for recovery so was going to have to open it.

I appreciate the remarks about the dust etc, its a valid point and Im aware of it. I don't think the data on the platters is damaged or corrupt though as the armature was not over the disc while it was spinning. (the mha magnetic head assembly(armature like stylus bit) is not functioning so has not gone near theplatter surface. might be able to drop the platters into a working drive.

anyway, sorry if I appear like Im treating you like a cnut, but do I suppose you could say Im sensitive to being rubbed the wrong way now... and all the "Why did you do that? no backups? thats bit silly" are quite insensitive really? but I suppose your aware of that and thats why you said them. well done.

BTW. The guy who posted the links was extremely helpful. Thanks alot mate. Thats probably the route I will follow now.

Ponster

100gSoma wrote:

BTW. The guy who posted the links was extremely helpful. Thanks alot mate. Thats probably the route I will follow now.

You're welcome

I tried it once before and it worked out fine though you do need the *exact* same drive which isn't always that easy to find. At this stage I suppose you really have nothing else to lose then to try it...

Occidental

Try sticking the drive details up on the Hardware Wanted forum.

jor el

100gSoma wrote:

thanks for the string of constructive remarks there. you know a mate of mine in here actually said I wasted my time posting on boards. He said I guarantee 90% of replies will be "why did you do that? why didnt you make backups? why why why" extremely helpful. you patronising person you.

patronising
adj : (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
Opening the disk up wasn't the smartest thing to do as a first option and I was wondering what you hoped to achieve from this. You answered my question here by saying you hope to put the platters into a good drive, thanks, that's what I wanted to know. I wasn't asking for the good of my health or to be patronising, I just don't think this is possible outside a professional environment.

I opened it up because I could hear aloose compnent and decided I may be able to examine the problem myself.
Either way I was never paying 750euro for recovery so was going to have to open it.

I appreciate the remarks about the dust etc, its a valid point and Im aware of it. I don't think the data on the platters is damaged or corrupt though as the armature was not over the disc while it was spinning. (the mha magnetic head assembly(armature like stylus bit) is not functioning so has not gone near theplatter surface. might be able to drop the platters into a working drive.

But how do you know the MHA was not scratching the surface before you opened the drive, or that opening the drive isn't what broke it? This is why the professional data recovery people you spoke to refused to even look at it. They know there's nothing they can do.

Opening the disk could be done after exausting all other options as it has most likely ensured you will never recover the data.

anyway, sorry if I appear like Im treating you like a cnut, but do I suppose you could say Im sensitive to being rubbed the wrong way now... and all the "Why did you do that? no backups? thats bit silly" are quite insensitive really? but I suppose your aware of that and thats why you said them. well done.

Insensitive, what are you on? Not backing up anything on a six year old disk is asking for trouble. I didn't say it to hurt your feelings, I said it because it's true. I have no pity, and I won't sugar coat the truth, when it comes to people who loose all their data and haven't backed it up.

Anyway, good luck in the repair.

100gSoma

I don't have time for baiting today. Im sure your right. good chap.

jor el wrote:

patronising
adj : (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
Opening the disk up wasn't the smartest thing to do as a first option and I was wondering what you hoped to achieve from this. You answered my question here by saying you hope to put the platters into a good drive, thanks, that's what I wanted to know. I wasn't asking for the good of my health or to be patronising, I just don't think this is possible outside a professional environment.


But how do you know the MHA was not scratching the surface before you opened the drive, or that opening the drive isn't what broke it? This is why the professional data recovery people you spoke to refused to even look at it. They know there's nothing they can do.

Opening the disk could be done after exausting all other options as it has most likely ensured you will never recover the data.


Insensitive, what are you on? Not backing up anything on a six year old disk is asking for trouble. I didn't say it to hurt your feelings, I said it because it's true. I have no pity, and I won't sugar coat the truth, when it comes to people who loose all their data and haven't backed it up.

Anyway, good luck in the repair.

100gSoma

Thanks Ponster and Occidental...
I'll get the exact drive model and put it in hardware forum, possibly scan ebay too. As you say P, at this stage I have nothing to lose really.

thanks again

SouperComputer

I opened it up because I could hear aloose compnent and decided I may be able to examine the problem myself.

This rattle noise is normal in 2.5" drives.

It would be odd for the MHA to just fail without crashing on the platters at some stage, but not impossible. I think you mean that the actuator has failed. In that case its either the logic board or the actuator iteself.

By opening it you did increase the risk of contaminating the platters, but theres still a good chance that most of the data is intact.

Check, double check and triple check that the propective donor drive is the EXACT same model/revision and firmware, otherwise you could have a major problem.

Lastly, yes, HD's are VERY fragile.

100gSoma

look at all that damaged DATA.... :rolleyes:

well hey lads, at least I learned a lesson out of it. If I do manage to buy a replacement drive and replace the MHA and actually get data of it. it would be amazing.

we'll see..

100gSoma

SouperComputer wrote:

This rattle noise is normal in 2.5" drives.

It would be odd for the MHA to just fail without crashing on the platters at some stage, but not impossible. I think you mean that the actuator has failed. In that case its either the logic board or the actuator iteself.

By opening it you did increase the risk of contaminating the platters, but theres still a good chance that most of the data is intact.

Check, double check and triple check that the propective donor drive is the EXACT same model/revision and firmware, otherwise you could have a major problem.

Lastly, yes, HD's are VERY fragile.

thanks Soupercomputer. see pic in last post. The armature stayed in that position. (off the platters) since it failed. never moved over them at all. and surface appears mirror clean. no damaged etc. but I understand what you mean. I will make sure firmware and model of drive are Identical in donor. see if I can get anything off it.

thanks

SouperComputer

jeeze, you need a shave almost as bad as me

The problem is that damage to the surface is not always visible. Give it a whirl and post back!

100gSoma

SouperComputer wrote:

jeeze, you need a shave almost as bad as me

The problem is that damage to the surface is not always visible. Give it a whirl and post back!

will do. let you know how I get on. the disks seem few and far between on ebay now as its 5 yrs old, but I'll try and source one anyways... will keep you posted of any developments.