Forum Rules - Formats - Spotlights  -  Home - Library - New Additions

Is it possible to recover dead HDDs?

Doqtor KirbyDoqtor Kirby
edited March 2015 in Hardware
I have had a couple hard disk drives for roughly 8 years now for one of them (6 for the other), and for like about 2-3 years they've been dead. Neither of them spin up.

What I am interested in is the data inside. Is there a way to pull it off of the HDDs or (possibly) make them spin up again?

Both of the drives are Maxtors; the recent one is a 5T010H1, the other a 90845D4. Both have 16383 cylinders, 16 heads, and 63 sectors. But this is just off of the label.

The older one does nothing, and the what seems to be the DSP just gets really really hot. The recent one sits there for a while until there is what seems to be beeping coming FROM the harddrive. Probly not tho.

Comments

  • SomeGuySomeGuy
    There is not really much you can do with dead drives like that.

    If you don't hear any spinning at all, it could be a stuck spindle. You could try carefully warming it in an oven (not a microwave unless you want fireworks) and seeing it if will then spin up. Just be prepared to get data off of it ASAP. I think some make that "beeping" sound from the motor when it is stuck.

    The only other possibility that a mere mortal can service is the external printed circuit board. If it happens to be the electronics that are dead, you may be able to swap it out with an exact replacement. But finding an exact replacement is extra hard because it must not only usually be from the same model of drive, but also the same (or really similar) board revision.

    There are sites on the internet that go in to those methods in more detail.

    Beyond that, your only other real option is an expensive data recovery company.
  • stitchstitch
    SomeGuy summed this up well if you had an identical known good PCB you could attempt a swap although from what I can tell based on your post I'm 95% sure this is a mechanics issue and not a PCB issue.

    Sorry; looks like you have paperweights on your hands.
  • TCPMetaTCPMeta
    If it's the motor itself then its more simple then you think. Some drives I have rescued data from that had non working motors can some times come back to life for a short time so you can backup the data.

    Open the top of the drive to expose the spindle. Use a PATA or SATA to USB adapter for this since it's hit or miss to get a HD seen in the CMOS with it already powered. Power up the drive but leave it disconnected from the USB. Use a pencil eraser to move the hub of the motor and with a few tries you should get it to start spinning. When it decides to spin up just connect the USB and quickly back it up.
  • calvinbcalvinb
    Isn't there a freezer trick that might work? If you do try it, you don't want moisture though.
  • SkoraSkora
    ampharos wrote:
    Isn't there a freezer trick that might work? If you do try it, you don't want moisture though.

    I don't know where you got that from, but that sounds unbelievably stupid.

    It's a freezer for god's sakes, it's going to damage it.

    Frost'll build up on the platters in a short amount of time, and will eventually if not immediately damage the drive.

    Seriously, who came up with that? :?
  • BODBOD
    It does work, though.

    In theory you're only going to get frost on the platters if there's moisture inside. Seeing as HDDs *should* be put together in clean rooms with filtered air to prevent dust, I'm guessing moisture is going to be low,
  • BlueSunBlueSun
    Skora wrote:
    ampharos wrote:
    Isn't there a freezer trick that might work? If you do try it, you don't want moisture though.

    I don't know where you got that from, but that sounds unbelievably stupid.

    It's a freezer for god's sakes, it's going to damage it.

    Frost'll build up on the platters in a short amount of time, and will eventually if not immediately damage the drive.

    Seriously, who came up with that? :?

    It's actually a really common trick, but it's for a specific type of failure and won't work with just any failure.
  • SkoraSkora
    BlueSun wrote:
    Skora wrote:
    ampharos wrote:
    Isn't there a freezer trick that might work? If you do try it, you don't want moisture though.

    I don't know where you got that from, but that sounds unbelievably stupid.

    It's a freezer for god's sakes, it's going to damage it.

    Frost'll build up on the platters in a short amount of time, and will eventually if not immediately damage the drive.

    Seriously, who came up with that? :?

    It's actually a really common trick, but it's for a specific type of failure and won't work with just any failure.
    Never heard of it before. It honestly seems like you'd have a death wish to do that.
  • BlueSunBlueSun
    Well you don't put it directly into the freezer. You first wrap it up to seal it and protect it from moisture.
  • psychobatpsychobat
    BlueSun wrote:
    Well you don't put it directly into the freezer. You first wrap it up to seal it and protect it from moisture.

    I recall someone doing that on a YouTube video I watched years ago and I believe the platter still managed to get frost due to humidity in the air, though I don't know where that video is anymore. I assume that wouldn't be much of a problem if it was done in a home with low humidity though,
  • DuffDuff
    If you find that 'unusual' imagine coating a motherboard and all the slots / CPU socket with a thick dielectric grease. Felt very wrong when I did that.
  • Doqtor KirbyDoqtor Kirby
    Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I will attempt all of these (maybe??), possibly the eraser and freezer ones last.
  • SomeGuySomeGuy
    I did once have a hard drive get slightly damaged (bad sectors) from starting it up when it was way too cold.

    But if the drives are already dead, what else could possibly go wrong? :)
Sign In or Register to comment.