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HDD problem

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When I power on my PC, the hard drive rattles and the BIOS cannot detect the hard drive.Is my hard drive knackered?

I was told to try the following,but I think they are messing me around.

(1)Try opening up the hard drive and reading the 1s and 0s using a magnifying glass.
(2)Place the HDD in a sealed bag, and place it in the freezer overnight. The change in temp will hopefully separate the reading heads by a fraction of an amount and let you read your data off it.

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Well, answer 1 put a smile on my face, I should try that with my server!

#2 is exactly what I do on a regular basis. Freezing the drive will free the heads for a short time, usually enough to do a quick data copy (1/2 hour). After freezing for about 40 mins. drop the drive on the counter to free the bearings (no I’m not kidding) about 6-8″ drop usally works.

BUT……you say the hard drive ‘rattles’ do you meam it sounds like it is spinning up? Try and get hold of an OLD 2 gig drive or something and see if it works at all, if so, yours is probably hooped.

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Q1 made my cheeks hurt from laughing,I’m slowly recovering.Was that a joke?Dropping the drive after frezzing,will solve my HDD problem all together.Hmm,maybe I should do it.

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Rolling on floor laughing….getting up….doing it again……

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Opps,careful you don’t break yr neck. Ummm…..

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[still rolling on floor laughing]…rejecting my answer or no if someone actually gave you that advise, their messin’ with you. Dropping a hard drive will solve your problem… you will have a useless drive [from the description of your problem it’s all ready there anyway]. What sounds like what’s happening, the platters are hitting each other [from someone dropping the hard drive ROFL ]. Get a new drive.

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My cheeks are still recovering,slightly better then yesterday.I’ve gathered the advice given are bull.I agree that dropping the drive will solve my problem,permanently.However,I rather not rendering it permenently yet,not until I recover the data.I assume the noises are the head mechanism mis-aline or something and certainly not from someone droppping as I am the only person who access this computer. Well,just we well these days HDD are cheap.

Reply To: HDD problem

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q1 – did you see any 0s or 1s

I think you drive is about DEAD.
It sounds like the bearings are shot!
Check your warranty.
Then go to the manufactory web site and download their diagnostics software for that drive.
read their instructions on how diagnostics the drive.

good luck on your drive

Reply To: HDD problem

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Still looking for the 0s and 1s,but I did see some dust.
Yes,I gathered the drive is gone,checked with the warranty as it came with the base unit,expire already.Was told to contact the manufactor directly.Have downloaded the diagnostics will run the test.

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You will need something more powerfull the a magnifying glass, a microscope at least. The higher the drive density the smaller the 1s and 0s are.

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Yeah,I managed to borrow a microscope from a lab.

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In all seriousness(trueth),the rattles are either the drive refreshing or the plates touching each other.That is not a lie,if the drive smokes and stops,worry,your plates smashed.Just as alot of hard drives do,or donot detect,go to cmos fill in the drive specs,(cyl,heads,sec.)etc.3906 16 63.Boot up again with a startup disk.If this fails the replace.At least yours did not blowup and take everything withit,board and all.

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