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Dead Hard Drive
OK This is gonna sound stupid.
Really a last straw. I have a dead hd and have tried the usual technical and none technical methods to get some info from it......no use.
Having found out that it is not spinning, that seems terminal.
Is there anything I can do.
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No spinny = It's dead, Jim.
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One of the PC Mags I read over the summer recommended freezing a bad drive to extract data. I suspect, like AngelicKnight said, if it does not spin it is dead.
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Get an identical drive, same size, samd model number etc.
Just swap out the platters from the dead one into the other one. Then get your data back.
Just make sure that you don't get dust on the platters. etc etc etc :p
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Another PC mag said to take the drive and slam it flat on table or counter from about a foot up.
You may unfreeze it, of course this action will also cause damage, so if it unfreezes be ready to have one shot at reclaiming the data.
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OK, shifty, it is a little bit more complicated than that :D
There are two reasons that it won't spin.
1. The drive motor and read/write heads are screwed.
2. Something has burned out on the drive motherboard (controller card).
Generally, you will be able to see a little green light on the controller card ("motherboard") but they are usually mounted what seems to be upside down, so you need to look in through the ventilation slots.
If there is no green light, this is a good sign, as it means that the controller card has failed, and that is a relatively simple recovery process for a trained professional with the right equipment. Unfortunately, they will charge you an arm and a leg for doing so:(
If you have a HDD of the same make and model, you can swap out the controller card and that will get you back into the drive.
If the actual drive mechanism is at fault, then you are screwed; without some very expensive equipment and a "clean room". Like the last time I looked, an entry level spinup table was $250,000, and it would be at least $500,000 for a clean room. :eek:
Good luck!
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awww but Johnno, i was just going to say all that needs to be done is a quick vacumn and dust, maybe a little spray 'n wipe the walls and the room is already..
Well i tend to cheat and just pull the drive's apart and quickly slap the needed component's into one drive screw it back together and slap it into the machine.
Havan't had much success but it's fun to do none the less. :D
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Fair do's sport,:D
I admit I have never tried that, but I have an extensive collection of dead HDDs and would think that I have about an 80% success rate with replacing the controller card.
I prefer this approach because it doesn't require using a good working drive.
;)
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At the least you can now make it useful: http://hackedgadgets.com/2006/04/25/...ad-hard-drive/
:D
Once dead, their ain't no voodoo that will revive it. ;)
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And they make great targets at the rifle range, try and hit the spindle from 50 yds with a 30-06