Clicking Hard Drives

MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
in Off-Topic
I recently came into possession of some old hard drives, which appear to be broken. They spin up, and then click, and then try and spin up again, and then click, ad infinitum.

Is there a way to bring these babies back to life? They're each 120 gigs, so they'd be worth saving if there is an easy fix.
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Comments

  • AlcapwnAlcapwn "War is the science of destruction" - John Abbot Join Date: 2003-06-21 Member: 17590Members
    Sounds like the needle is messed up.

    Its a goner. Better off buying one; there cheap these days.
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  • Marik_SteeleMarik_Steele To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
    It's not an easy fix. You may get a pretty penny for them on ebay from customers with criminal minds (the info on these drives could be worth an order of magnitude more than the drives themselves) but it's too expensive and/or difficult to find the right people & places to fix this sort of thing.
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    Having suffered from an identical problem, my guess is the pcbs could be bad. Scrap em - a new WD1200JB is only $56.00usd on NewEgg.com.
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  • viperviper Join Date: 2004-03-18 Member: 27402Members
    Head crash. The read heads are either throwing up erroneous data and its getting confused, or the magnet is broken.

    You can remove the drive platters and install them in another drive, but it'll cost you a lot.
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  • BlackMageBlackMage [citation needed] Join Date: 2003-06-18 Member: 17474Members, Constellation
    hdd platters make awesome coasters
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1568164:date=Sep 27 2006, 12:18 PM:name=Black_Mage)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Black_Mage @ Sep 27 2006, 12:18 PM) [snapback]1568164[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    hdd platters make awesome coasters
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    QFT - that's about all they're good for.
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  • BlackMageBlackMage [citation needed] Join Date: 2003-06-18 Member: 17474Members, Constellation
    edited September 2006
    really? i use them to store ###### and stuff.
    since when was a four letter word for adult-oriented imagery censored? i demand an explanation.
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  • ShoeboxShoebox Join Date: 2004-11-15 Member: 32817Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1568165:date=Sep 27 2006, 09:20 AM:name=Depot)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Depot @ Sep 27 2006, 09:20 AM) [snapback]1568165[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    QFT - that's about all they're good for.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I took an old one apart, well more like smashed the thing apart, and found the disk itself was very strong. Looked almost like glass at first but I was able to bend it and such.
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  • viperviper Join Date: 2004-03-18 Member: 27402Members
    edited October 2006
    Hehe, I pulled apart the platters of an old 8gb drive that blew up on me, and still have them as mug coasters. I one day hope to get the rare MP3's i lost with the reader heads off them still!
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  • SloppyKissesSloppyKisses omgawd a furreh&#33; Virginia Join Date: 2003-07-05 Member: 17942Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1568164:date=Sep 27 2006, 12:18 PM:name=Black_Mage)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Black_Mage @ Sep 27 2006, 12:18 PM) [snapback]1568164[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    hdd platters make awesome coasters
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Ive never taken a HDD apart what does this hdd platter look like?
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    A small cd. It's recommended you disassemble hard drives in a dust free enviroment.
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  • SloppyKissesSloppyKisses omgawd a furreh&#33; Virginia Join Date: 2003-07-05 Member: 17942Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1568830:date=Oct 2 2006, 07:13 PM:name=Depot)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Depot @ Oct 2 2006, 07:13 PM) [snapback]1568830[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    A small cd. It's recommended you disassemble hard drives in a dust free enviroment.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Ooo now i want to find an old spare 5gig i have and take it apart to look at it rofl. I could use a coster for my cpu desk as its evident <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
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  • SwiftspearSwiftspear Custim tital Join Date: 2003-10-29 Member: 22097Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1568830:date=Oct 2 2006, 06:13 PM:name=Depot)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Depot @ Oct 2 2006, 06:13 PM) [snapback]1568830[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    It's recommended you disassemble hard drives in a dust free enviroment.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    This assumes that you acctually want to use the drive as data storage again though... HDD platters used as coasters aren't very likely to ever be functional again.
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  • SloppyKissesSloppyKisses omgawd a furreh&#33; Virginia Join Date: 2003-07-05 Member: 17942Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1567672:date=Sep 24 2006, 01:08 AM:name=Mantrid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mantrid @ Sep 24 2006, 01:08 AM) [snapback]1567672[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    I recently came into possession of some old hard drives, which appear to be broken. They spin up, and then click, and then try and spin up again, and then click, ad infinitum.

    Is there a way to bring these babies back to life? They're each 120 gigs, so they'd be worth saving if there is an easy fix.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    well i've thought about it and I heard if you stick a HDD in the freezes for a few minutes and take it out and hook it up you may be able to get 5-10 minutes of a fuctionally HDD before it dies again.
    I remember seeing it on a computer hardware forum.
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  • MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
    Yeah, thats true. And I've actually done that before. But I don't care about the data on them, just the disks themselves.
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1568895:date=Oct 3 2006, 01:59 PM:name=Swiftspear)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Swiftspear @ Oct 3 2006, 01:59 PM) [snapback]1568895[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    This assumes that you acctually want to use the drive as data storage again though... HDD platters used as coasters aren't very likely to ever be functional again.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    True, thanks for clarification. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
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  • BlackMageBlackMage [citation needed] Join Date: 2003-06-18 Member: 17474Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1568964:date=Oct 3 2006, 10:46 PM:name=Phur_Instinkt)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Phur_Instinkt @ Oct 3 2006, 10:46 PM) [snapback]1568964[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    well i've thought about it and I heard if you stick a HDD in the freezes for a few minutes and take it out and hook it up you may be able to get 5-10 minutes of a fuctionally HDD before it dies again.
    I remember seeing it on a computer hardware forum.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    i also heard they removed gullible from the dictionary. a freezer will kill most non-dead drives.
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