Bad hard drive

[ribac]

Seems like my hard drive went back.Bad think is I had some stuff I need.
Did someone try to buy same model of hard drive and change the parts??
I don't want to spend a lot of money on some company to retreive my hard drive.

[Poppa_Meth]

It's possible to take the platters off one drive and put them on another drive of the same make. Of course that's only if it the mechanical portions of the drive that are bad and not something screwed up with the platters themselves.

[ribac]

Do I need excatly same model or just same company.
Is there any guide to do this??My HDD is not under warranty so I can get it apart

[Skith]

Unless you have the proper training, equipment, and clean room, I would advise against dismantling your drive. It *might* be possible for someone with high technical knowledge, but if you don't know how to do it, don't try!

First, does the drive power on (do hear it spin up?), if so, try connecting it as a SLAVE to another computer. You might be able to retrieve your data that way.

I have also heard of people using Linux Live CD's to transfer data from failing disks.

Another option (not free, but fairly low cost), is a program called "GetDataBack." I have heard good things about it from http://club.cdfreaks.com

[ribac]

I hear strange noise after a few minutes stops and I can feel that the board on the drive is not hot like before.Looks like electricity stops going there.
It's Seagata and I use it as external drive.

[bazooka]

It's possible to take the platters off one drive and put them on another drive of the same make. with the platters themselves

Wrong, the minute you open the drive, it is ruined. Hard drives are magnetic , and the cover is on there for a reason. When you remove the cover, the drive is demagnetized and no longer usable. You are better off just buying a new hard drive.

[ribac]

The noise is like wwwhhhrr....stops...whrrr...stops and after a fwe minutes stops completely.
I have this drive for only 3 months

[bazooka]

The noise is like wwwhhhrr....stops...whrrr...stops and after a fwe minutes stops completely.
I have this drive for only 3 months

You need a new hard drive. That one belongs in File 13.(aka the trash can)

[Jester700]

I have seen a couple drives behave this way when the real culprit was the CONTROLLER. That 's the card that's stuck right to the hard drive. If you can find another of that EXACT model, you can "borrow" the working one's card to get the data off the bad drive. Of course, if the controller isn't the problem this trick won't work, and finding the exact model to borrow from can be tough.

[ViRaL1]

Try slaving it into a working PC to get the data off.

[Soopafresh]

Place the drive in a static-free bag, then place the drive and static-free bag into a ziplock bag to seal out moisture. Place this into a freezer for about 4 hours. After 4 hours, pull the drive out and immediately put it into a computer (the faster the better) that boots to a floppy and has another hard drive to transfer data to. If the drive wasn't damaged too much previously, you should be able to pull some data off before the metal of the drive heats up and starts destroying the data storage platters. You can repeat the process only if you shut down almost immediately and go through the 24 hour freeze process again. Chances are that the first time attempt will be the only chance to recover data.

Last Chance - Rap the drive flat on a desktop and put it back in. Sometimes this will unstick it long enough to get the data off.

[gmatov]

If you're skilled in micro-mechanics, mebbe you could take the platters from 1 drive and put in another.

First, it would have to be the exact same drive model, which would cost you as much as replacing the drive.

Whereas, you could save that money and apply it toward EasyRecoveryPro, which I think is 100 bucks for the lowest cost version.

It will let you recover data from a drive you can access no other way, at least none that I have found, and that is to include swapping into one of my other machines in various configurations.

Unfortunately, often the data recovered is incomplete, such as "Partial or damaged ZIP file", Word documents that are unreadable, Power Point works that are messed up.

The "platters" are written to magnetically, but that does NOT mean that as soon as you open the drive, all the "magnetism" is lost. A drive will even function, after a fashion, for an indeterminate time if you take the cover off. Maybe an hour, maybe months. They are not hermetically sealed, or under vacuum.

As to electronics, 5 to 6 number 8 Torx screws hold the EIDE controller to the bottom of it.

I don't KNOW if replacing the suspect controller with the controller from a good drive will work. I have tried, both, putting one that fitted from a mismatch on a lost drive, boot, blew the CPU instantly. I know that for a fact, as pulled the CPU, installed a spare, (doesn't everybody keep a spare or 2 on hand?, especially when there is a price drop?), back in business.

Another drive, the exact same, applied the controller, still unreadable. Suspect it is because of differences in the FAT and the Partitioning, and the formatting. Everything is thrown off for the guest controller, it can't find anything.

Let's face it, if that worked for every drive, what would stop you from getting into the Data Recovery business? Buy a couple dozen drives, the currently popular models, pull the controllers and charge 500 to recover for hapless people who don't want to lose everything.

Cheers,

George

[bazooka]

If you're skilled in micro-mechanics, mebbe you could take the platters from 1 drive and put in another.

Why do you recommend that, when it ruins the drive?

The "platters" are written to magnetically, but that does NOT mean that as soon as you open the drive, all the "magnetism" is lost.

I have seen drives be ruined by taking off the cover. They are magnetically sealed for a reason. The oil from your hands gets on the disc platters and causes the read-write heads to crash into the disc and also interferes with the ability to read the discs.

[gmatov]

They are NOT magnetically sealed. The only thing that will counter a magnetic field is an opposite magnetic field.

There is NO magnetic insulator, as you suggest the cover is.

If you take off the cover, unless you spin the platters by fingertip stroking, (unless you are incredibly clumsy, and just can't keep your mitts off the disks, how else do you get fingerprints on the disks?) why would there be such contaminant on the disk?

I didn't reccommend it. If you read it correctly, I said "Unless you are....micromechanics....MEBBE you could." Not that any hamhand as posts here quite often asking for help, as they have never even opened their computers, and are seeking guidance, would try that. Would you open up and attempt to repair your Rolex? Or would you send it to a jeweler to be returned to the factory for repair.

hell, would you open the hood of your KIA and do more than an oil change and filters, plugs, the like?

Cheers,

George

[holistic]

magnetically sealed

I'm with you on this one g.m. having opened an old 325mb drive myself (in order to attempt a plexiglass mod) and have it work when i put it back together.
Drive worked but for how long who knows..... i ended up tossing it.


BTW - good to hear form you - been awhile crossing paths. Must stop chatting now . Forum police.......
][

[Ripper2860]

Drives are not magneticaly sealed. They are sealed in order to keep microscopic debris from being deposited on the platters.

The drive heads float over the platter on a stream of air created by the spinning splatters (Bernoulli principle). The smallest piece of debris can disrupt the airflow and cause a head to crash into the platter causing damage and data loss. That is why a clean-room is required for mfg and repair of drives and why exposing the platters to a non-clean environment is risky.

It is possible, though a very risky venture. There have been several computer case modders that have removed the cover exposing the platters and replaced them with plexiglass covers for effect. The drives continue function and to store/retrieve data -- although I consider them extremely lucky as the odds were pretty high that they could have crashed the drive with just a tiny hair being introduced.

[dnix71]

In the old days you could open a hard drive and tickle the actuator that moves the head if it got stuck in park. But with the obscenely close tolerances on drives now, the smallest piece of dust would trash the drive. If the drive overheated, the platters could be warped, or worse, the magnetic coating has delaminated, which means no data will ever be recovered no matter how much mechanical skill you have. That's why you are supposed to back up your data and programs(preferably offsite and to disc).

[bazooka]

They are not magnetically sealed. That was a poor choice of words, but oil and fingerprints will make the heads crash into the disc.

[bazooka]

They are NOT magnetically sealed. The only thing that will counter a magnetic field is an opposite magnetic field.

There is NO magnetic insulator, as you suggest the cover is.

If you take off the cover, unless you spin the platters by fingertip stroking, (unless you are incredibly clumsy, and just can't keep your mitts off the disks, how else do you get fingerprints on the disks?) why would there be such contaminant on the disk?

I didn't reccommend it. If you read it correctly, I said "Unless you are....micromechanics....MEBBE you could." Not that any hamhand as posts here quite often asking for help, as they have never even opened their computers, and are seeking guidance, would try that. Would you open up and attempt to repair your Rolex? Or would you send it to a jeweler to be returned to the factory for repair.

hell, would you open the hood of your KIA and do more than an oil change and filters, plugs, the like?

Cheers,

George

Because your fingers have oil and you touch the discs. I meant what I said. I have seen ruined discs because people took the cover off and touched the platters and caused a head crash.

[gmatov]

But, why in the hell do you keep on with the "You touched the disks"?

I did NOT touch the disks. I have been into the back of TVs with 20,000 volts and have not touched the hi-pot points. Why the hell do you insist on saying I touched the disks and smeared finger oil all over them?

Granted, if you did this, and a particle of dust was attracted to the oil, and stuck, you COULD have a mini crash. Generally, even in the old days, you lost data in that area only. Not a total delamination of all the platters.

It's what Scandisk and Checkdisk and even Norton, do. Check the data area, find an irrecoverable area, and mark it as bad, forever ignored thereafter.

Cheers,

George

[fmctm1sw]

I'd say that taking a hard drive apart is a very risky proposition. Most these days have tamper proof screws to prevent any ides of this. The slightest trace of disturbance to the platter itself could ruin the drive. I'm not saying it can't be done, but if you have something that important on it, you should probably give it to a professional data recovery biz....

[bazooka]

I'd say that taking a hard drive apart is a very risky proposition. Most these days have tamper proof screws to prevent any ides of this. The slightest trace of disturbance to the platter itself could ruin the drive. I'm not saying it can't be done, but if you have something that important on it, you should probably give it to a professional data recovery biz....

Thank you. That was the point I was trying to get across.

@gmatov

The fact that you are even talking about taking the drive apart is distrurbing and risky.

[gmatov]

Bazooka,

What're you, screwing with me? Why the hell do you INSIST on saying I am telling anyone to take their drives apart?

Go to the 2nd post in this thread and read Poppa met's comment on taking the drive apart and putting the platter into another drive, after which I remark that "unless you are a micro mechanic... " you ain't agonna do it

You in cahoots with Capmaster, you want to get me pissed enough to get foul with you? READ the posts! DO NOT SKIM!

What more can I say?

"Are ye daft, man?"

Cheers,

George

BTW, they are not "tamper proof screws", they are #8 Torx, most sets only go to #10. And the only reason they are Torx at all is that Torx has proven to be the best for automatic screwdrivers to install. They stick to the bit better than a Phillips or a Reed and Prince, or an Allen.

[bazooka]

No, I am not messing with you.

I am not trying to fight with you.

I do not need another yellow.

I am not daft.

I read poppa_meths message and I quickly discouraged it. The subject should have never come up. It is not worth the risk.

Cheers

[gmatov]

Bazooka,

I'll accept that if you will quit insisting that I am trying to encourage anyone to open their drives.
That was strictly Poppa_Meth's idea, which I though my post squelched..

I AM a mechanic, and I HAVE taken apart some intricate stuff in the course of my employment over the last 40 years, but there are limits to my own expertise. This is one.

My basic input was actually from an old member here whom I have not read a post from for a long time, the taking the controller from a like drive, and attaching it to the bad drive, assuming it was the controller, electronic, as opposed to a mechanical problem.

It did not work, though I know the controller from the good drive was good, as the drive worked when I switched back. BUT, the drives were partitioned differently, and formatted differently, so the FATs in the replacement controller could NOT read the disks on the "bad" drive. They could not find the files because they had different hex "names", or octal or whatever the system is for large drives.

Again, try a recovery program, spend the money to buy a good one. Or, just roll over, accept that it IS lost. Happens all the time.

Ever consider buying another drive and backing up your precious stuff? Mebbe an 80 would be enough, and they are cheap, today.

Cheers,

George

[Cobra]

Notice that ribac seems to have bailed out of his own thread?

Can we calm down and continue answering his question (provided that you guys haven't covered it all already)?

Thanks,

Cobra

[Poppa_Meth]

Sorry should have clarified, I said it was possible, never said it was a good idea. In the end getting another drive to do this with could well cost as much as using a data recovery service.

[zzyzzx]

I have seen a couple drives behave this way when the real culprit was the CONTROLLER. That 's the card that's stuck right to the hard drive. If you can find another of that EXACT model, you can "borrow" the working one's card to get the data off the bad drive. Of course, if the controller isn't the problem this trick won't work, and finding the exact model to borrow from can be tough.

You can always get one used off eBay....