HDD stopped spinning! :( (1 Viewer)

[Habib]

Hey guys,
My hdd stopped spinning! it just died and i really really need the data on it. Anyone know any home techniques of getting the data off a broken hdd?

It still has warranty, i can always give it in to the manufacture and let them do their work, get my data back.
But my friend says he knows how, he has done it before with 3 other hdds that stopped spinning.. yet i dunno how he does it, he says he doesnt open it up...
Is it possible for someone at home to do it himself? If so id like to know how its done... because i need this hdd and i dunno how long the manufacture will take, and knowing big companys, i probably wont get my hdd back till next christmas...

any help is appreciates! thanks a lot guys

 

[superbird]

from what i know, if the hard drive is physically damaged you won't be able to recover any data off it (well definately not from home techniques anyway). Unless you're prepared to pay 1000's (and i am serious) to recover the data then you have no hope. sorry

 

[sunny]

If it really has stopped spinning (ie, mechanically dead), I can't see anything that can be done at home.

 

[t-i-m-m-y]

yeah if you open it up, you'll let dust in- and it will die pretty quickly. No 'home' techniques I'm aware of. Is it actually dead? Have u re-checked all connections, tried it in another PC?

Just get a new hard drive- I hoped you have backed up your stuff- if not, tough luck its a lesson learnt

 

[Templar]

There is nothing you can do at home. A lab might be able to recover any readable sectors but unless the data is extremely valuable, you'd be better off letting it go.

The manufacturer will only replace the hardware, they won't get your data back and under the current laws will not compensate you for the loss of it either.

As timmy said, back up. It might be a pain in the ass to back up 100GB+ of data, but it's a bigger pain when you lose that data.

 

[tristan88]

yet i dunno how he does it, he says he doesnt open it up...

You can replace certain chips (forgotten the name) to fix those disks that stop spinning, that is, if the motor itself hasn't gone. Do a search on google, it's amazing the lengths that data recovery companies go to, to retrieve data for people.

 

[MedNez]

You can replace certain chips (forgotten the name) to fix those disks that stop spinning, that is, if the motor itself hasn't gone. Do a search on google, it's amazing the lengths that data recovery companies go to, to retrieve data for people.

Indeed; And they charge exorbident prices for the recovery =\.

If the data is really important - get it done by someone who specialises in it. Depends how much you're willing to spend. I'd more trust it in the hands of a stranger than myself opening it up and exposing it to dust.

 

[Habib]

aight thanks guys
so manufacturer cant help me recover and specialities will cost heaps... in other words, its gone and my only chance is giving it to my friend who claims can do it...
hmmm well i guess i can go with that if i have no other choice of fixing it.

the data wasnt important-important, just a lot of stuff i reallly wanted... 40gb of music being the most important to me a few gbs of movies... i used it as a backup harddrive too (it was one of my slave hdds) so it had a lot of stuff on it for a while now...

thanks guys

 

[neuro_logik]

Havn't you people heard of the freezer trick?

http://www.meetmyattorney.com/slink/mt-archives/000275.html

 

[sunny]

It sounds even more far fetched for this considering its probably not a head problem.....but I guess you can always try any other crazy ideas that come up and who knows...

 

[doe]

the freezer trick is a fluke. i know some guys who do data recovery professionally, they had never heard of it and basically said "well if it works for you ..."

 

[Templar]

but I guess you can always try any other crazy ideas that come up and who knows...

When you have nothing to lose...try everything.

 

[velox]

yeh the freezer trick was in apc or some other pc mag, quite a while ago

 

[Grizzly]

I kid you not, i had a 20gig HD that i think was mechanically dead.
I.e, i must have turned off the PC incorrectly (pulled the plug maybe), and the ARM of the HDD didnt go back into place or whatever.
I left it aside for a few months, then one day, i before throwing it out, i had heard that hitting it hard with a hammer can "kick" it back into shape.
It worked !!

No joke. I keep it in an external IDE USB case now

As to the FREEZER trick, isnt that only for CPU's that have been chipped ?
Apparently, freezing it, "pulls in" all the transitors ? and then you put it back into the mobo, and it may work again. ?

 

[SashatheMan]

Havn't you people heard of the freezer trick?

http://www.meetmyattorney.com/slink/mt-archives/000275.html

oh yeh , or using lemon juice, or maybe even a giant squid to make it work again.