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  • #2213929

    Backup drive dropped, won’t power on

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    by tig2 ·

    I have a backup drive that receives Time Machine backups for a MacBook Pro. The drive was dropped down a flight of stairs after being suddenly disconnected. Don’t ask, cats were involved.

    I have replaced the backup drive and the laptop is happily Time Machining as it should with the new drive. The problem is that there is critical data on the most recent backup still lodged on the dropped drive. Okay, maybe it isn’t “critical” but it is darned important to me. The drive won’t power up at all but I can’t find physical evidence that the platters have been damaged. I’m hoping that y’all have some suggestions for how I might get to that most recent update and salvage my video files. Of the SO. On vacation. If you know me at all, you know why this is so important.

    Let me know if you need more info.

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    • #3025352

      Clarifications

      by tig2 ·

      In reply to Backup drive dropped, won’t power on

      Clarifications

    • #3025351

      If it doesn’t work out

      by santeewelding ·

      In reply to Backup drive dropped, won’t power on

      They are no more important than a graven image of God; talisman, at best.

    • #3025349

      Taken apart, or black box exam?

      by seanferd ·

      In reply to Backup drive dropped, won’t power on

      Because, if you already took it apart, there isn’t much stopping your from slipping those platters into the new device. I’m just not sure if you’re game for that.

      Is it a regular HDD in a housing you can open, or is it more the type that you aren’t supposed to open? (And where’s Col, now that I think of it;) ). I’m just wondering along the lines of: is this the kind of thing where you can put the HDD into a different case and maybe it works, or is this more of a swapping platters or drive electronics type of thing.

      I mostly suppose I’d like to know what exact make/model/version/revision drive this is.

      And you have my full sympathetic attention right now. I’m very sorry to hear about your potential data loss here. 🙁

      • #3025343

        Cracked/broken outer case

        by tig2 ·

        In reply to Taken apart, or black box exam?

        I doubt highly that the case was ever intended to be opened. I know that it cracked and pieces of plastic broke off the outer housing. I have NOT exposed the platters but there is a distinct sound if the platters have broken. I have not heard that sound.

        What I did was try to power the unit up. No go.

        It is a Hitachchi half terrabyte external HDD. About the size of two or three paperbacks or so (depending on the size of the paperback. Call it 6x4x2.

        It has been the backup target for a MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, the files were deleted after they were *thought* to be backed up. Very fortunately, I was able to recover my picture files.

        • #3025333

          Ah, the black box test then.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Cracked/broken outer case

          It’s always good if you don’t hear broken platters or an arm freely swinging around. 🙂

          It may be a good thing that the unit is the type of drive it is. It would be really nice if there were a standard drive inside, and you could just remove it and plug it in a computer (even if you just have to lay it on a book or something). Maybe you know someone who is one of those folks who likes to hack “non-user-serviceable” items.

          Maybe you could ring Hitachi and find out.
          http://www.hitachigst.com/support/contact-support/

          …While I have been poking around and not hitting the submit button, I see that at least some Hitachi hard drives are just a regular drive in a case. I don’t suppose your Mac has bay space? Maybe another external enclosure. I hope it is all you need.

          Good to hear you got pictures recovered already.

          edit: Maybe a cable just came loose inside the enclosure, and it could be reconnected. Better than smashed capacitors.

        • #3025332

          This is beginning to sound like

          by santeewelding ·

          In reply to Ah, the black box test then.

          The guy in the news who had to amputate his own left arm.

        • #3025331

          Then you may enjoy this.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to This is beginning to sound like

          “2/8/10 – UPDATE – HITACHI, YOU NEED TO REPLACE THESE DRIVES. After this unit failed, like 99.9% of them do, I decided to see if I could fix the problem. I opened up the case by cracking off the side panels and prying the top from the bottom after removing the case screws and then the screws securing the drive to the plastic enclosure. What you have inside is a HACK JOB of USB cable splicing onto a HD-2523 v1.2 USB header (wafer) board…and the cable is hanging on literally by a THREAD. You have 2 black cables, one of which is twisted into the sheathing filament wire and is literally hanging by a thread…then the other green, white, and red wires are very badly crimped near the connection to the USB board…almost to the point where they are severed). THAT is why when this unit fails, you have to angle it at 45 degrees up or down, or flip it over and plug it upside down into say a USB 2.0 hub – but eventually the delicate wiring will snap in half internally. You basically have 5$ worth of cheap plastic, rubber, and electronic parts, attached to a Hitachi 500GB 5400RPM drive (model# HTS545050B9A300 / part# A57915)…”

        • #3025330
        • #3025319

          OH I like the coffee table

          by oh smeg ·

          In reply to Or better yet,

          Reminds me of the Old Days when HDD really where a Hard Disc.

          Not to mention large. Now if I had of not thrown away all of those old 9 Meg Platters from those old IBM Mainframes I could make one for myself.

          Col

        • #3028798

          It does look bigger than any I’ve seen.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Or better yet,

          I’ve only had the pleasure of meeting those washing machine sized Winchesters.

        • #3028773

          Those Washing Machine Winchesters

          by oh smeg ·

          In reply to Or better yet,

          Where the ones with the Removable Platters?

          We used to have a heap of those that you removed the Platters from by opening the box unscrewing the securing ring on the top and lifting out the Platter Array.

          I still remember one of the Apprentices dropping one and the complaints that ensued for that incident. Would have been better if they had not of just written to that disc Platter and not had any other backup of the data I’ll admit but the system was still running and when a new Platter was inserted they backed up again.

          I suppose the cost of the Platters may have played a small part in the complaints though. :^0

          I still remember the Foam insides of the boxes that you stored the Platters in and the size of them. You piratically had to have a Library of the Platter Boxes so you knew which one to use. 😀

          Anyway that table is only 26 Inch Diameter it just looks much bigger in the photo. 😉

          Col

        • #3028748

          Yup. Big ol’ cakeboxes.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Or better yet,

          Those were the types I saw. I may have seen a completely sealed unit, too, as there was no apparent way to open it. But I was very young and didn’t know so much about these things.

          Yeah – the platter probably does just look bigger than it really is.

        • #3028723

          Well the ones that I remember

          by oh smeg ·

          In reply to Or better yet,

          Had a lid on the top that was opened after the drive was powered down then you undid a locking ring and lifted out the Platters 6 or more of them in a array that stood about 2 feet high.

          Lots of Hydraulics as well that where really messy when a line or coupling failed. These drives had to be bolted tot he ground/floor as they wobbled about all over the place if they where allowed to run without bolting them down. I used to joke that the guy who left a milk bottle on one wanted to make butter.

          Even bolted down they would occasionally break free and head for parts unknown till they ran out of leads/lines. But when that happened you just flipped the top open and waited for the drive to stop. Saved breaking any Hydraulics and making a really big mess. Then there where those tape drives with 3,600 feet of tape on them that made a big mess when a tape broke. I can remember more than once standing around rolling the tape back onto a reel to get something off it. 😉

          Col

        • #3028717

          That is exciting IT

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Or better yet,

          Sheer mechanical mayhem. I bet I would have loved it. 🙂

        • #3028696

          OK I’ll admit it

          by oh smeg ·

          In reply to Or better yet,

          I loved that stuff it was fun to work with and had character, unlike the stuff that I work with now.

          But then again back then it was common place and wasn’t appreciated for what it was just the problems that it gave. 😉

          Col

        • #3025318

          Tiggs

          by oh smeg ·

          In reply to Cracked/broken outer case

          The platters only break if they are the old IBM Glass Platters. The new Hitachi Drives use Aluminum Platters which do not break.

          Probably a bit of plastic rattling around inside the case either from bits broken off the outer casing or internal Webs in the outer plastic.

          This has a standard Hitachi HDD inside it see the full text below.

          Cheers

          Col

        • #3028797

          Hurrah!

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Tiggs

          I just knew you’d have some insight, without having to search all over the internets. 😀

    • #3025324

      OK what you have to do here Tiggs

      by oh smeg ·

      In reply to Backup drive dropped, won’t power on

      Is first shoot the cats so that this doesn’t happen again. I’m told that if you skin them they make excellent hats but I have no first hand experience of this. :0

      Anyway as this is a standard 3.5 Inch Drive all that is required is to break away the plastic and unplug the Internal Hitachi HDD from the Board int he enclosure. You can then fit this HDD to another USB Enclosure should be a SATA Drive but I’m not 100% sure on that one, you will however know what it is when you have the plastic broken away.

      You can get a cheap no name USB Enclosure or one of the more expensive metal ones which is what I would recommend as they shed the heat produced by the HDD better than the plastic ones do. Just plug it into a standard USB Enclosure and then plug it into the Computer and Power Adapter. Ideally the new enclosure should have a switch on it to switch the drive on but if it doesn’t plug in the USB Lead first then the Power Lead to prevent bumping the drive as it spins up.

      If the data is not readable you’ll need the Mac equivalent of [b]chkdsk /r[/b] to repair the Partition tables but you would have to be very unlucky to need to do this. If the drive was stopped before it was bounced down the stairs the heads should have been parked and not touched the platters even if the platters where still spinning down so it should work OK.

      Lets know how you get on. OH and who Broke TR this time? Really screwy display at the moment. 😉

      Col

      • #3025317

        This would be one of the better enclosures

        by oh smeg ·

        In reply to OK what you have to do here Tiggs

        And it’s Rated to work with Apple Products

        http://www.gigabyte.com/products/list.aspx?s=50&ck=66

        But just check to make sure that you have the correct type of HDD to plug into something like this.

        Failing that you can use a USB HDD Lead/Adapter like the ones available here

        Vantec SATA/IDE to USB Adapter

        This suits all HDD types but should never be used where there is a chance of the drive getting bumped. You need to secure the drive much better but the above USB Adapter will work in an emergency. Just make sure to keep the cats away from the running drive. 😉

        Col

      • #3028795

        I’ll check on it.

        by seanferd ·

        In reply to OK what you have to do here Tiggs

        I know someone who is going to kill a cat for opening his freezer door in the middle of the night. :0

    • #2870557

      I sincerely hope

      by seanferd ·

      In reply to Backup drive dropped, won’t power on

      that things are slowing down to a dull roar or less in your world, Tig. I know that both you and the SO have plenty to cope with already. @->-

    • #2870474

      Tried the freezer trick?

      by charliespencer ·

      In reply to Backup drive dropped, won’t power on

      I’m dead serious.

      Put the drive in a zip loc bag with a couple of silica gel packs. (The desiccants are necessary because as the drive cools, moisture will begin to condense. You need the gel to absorb it.) Put the whole package in the freezer for several hours. In the meantime, prepare a system to install the drive in as a secondary and have a place to move the data to. Remove the drive when it’s ice cold, connect it as quickly as possible, and try to access it.

      I’ve got a 50% success rate, but I haven’t tried it with any drives this mistreated.

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