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Dead hdd

submitted by Niggly_Puff to technology 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 10:54:54 ago (+2/-0)     (technology)

Anything I can do goats? It's a normal hdd I use through a usb dock. When I connect it, window just shows "USB drive" but I cant do anything with it and the HDD doesn't spin or anything. I tried connecting it directly to the motherboard and it still won't show up. Seems like it's not getting power. My files from the past 15 years on it.


17 comments block

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[ - ] Glowbright 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 17:16:22 ago (+0/-0)

I would look to buy a identical drive off ebay and swap the controller and the power supply. Often this will resurrect a dead drive.

If you have any form of hardware level encryption you are screwed without a lot of work (swapping crypto chips)

[ - ] Monica 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 13:54:29 ago (+1/-0)

You can try data retrieval software. This one worked for me in the past: https://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm

[ - ] observation1 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 16:51:06 ago (+0/-0)

only works if your drive is spinning or can at least be mounted. These tools are mainly for undeleting.

[ - ] allAheadFull 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 12:40:59 ago (+1/-0)

Observation1 has a good suggestion but if something in the motor failed you'll end up with a complete disassemble and platter transfer. Data recovery companies will charge $1000+. Be glad it's not an nvvme drive I saw a $6000 quote for 9ne of those. Pray it's just the circuit board. If you have to remove the platters watch a tutorial first. It looks simple but that stuff is tight in there.

[ - ] AugustineOfHippo2 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 12:03:24 ago (+1/-0)

If it has power and won't spin, then some circuitry has gone bad. Look up hdd diagnostics software, there are some free ones out there, that may give you a tip to temporarily revive the drive. That said, data recovery may be your only option. 15 years is a good run for a mechanical hdd, but you should take the lesson and keep two separate copies. Many IT depts will do three, with one being off-site.

[ - ] HonkyMcNiggerSpic 4 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 11:43:06 ago (+4/-0)

I have the solution. Make edgy threats about jews. FBI kicks in your door and takes all your computers and harddrives. They crack it for you. File FOIA and get it.

[ - ] Spaceman84 2 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 11:23:53 ago (+2/-0)

You may need to pay for data recovery if what observation1 suggests does not work. They will need to take the platters out in a clean room. Not cheap. Next time don’t keep a drive in service for 15 years.

[ - ] observation1 4 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 11:18:25 ago (+4/-0)

Enter the part number on ebay and buy a new hdd of exact type, look at photos. Take the logic board off the new one with a small torx screwdriver bit (the right flat head might work), and put on bad one. that should fix it.

[ - ] Niggly_Puff [op] 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 11:23:31 ago (+1/-0)

I thought about this and researched it a bit and it seems like it's not this simple. You have to solder a chip from the old board on to the new one.

[ - ] ElementalPee 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 11:48:52 ago (+1/-0)*

Usually you shouldn't have to do much or any soldering. If you wanted to only replace a particular failed chip on the board, then you might do something like that. But normally you'd just replace the entire board and it should do the trick. Also, sometimes you can get the logic boards by themselves without the need to buy the entire drive to pull one off of.

Your only other option would be to use a data recovery service that would charge you a lot more for what you can accomplish on your own pretty easily. A lot more.

And it probably goes without saying, if you do get it back up, copy all of your data to something else and don't trust the drive anymore even though it's probably fine with the new logic board. 15 years is a pretty good run for a spinning platter HD and other types of failures are probably right around the corner.

[ - ] observation1 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 11:28:53 ago (+0/-0)*

Soldering sounds like something you might have to do with a 2.5" laptop drive. I think 3.5 is more forgiving but a lot may have changed in 20 years. This worked for me once on a western digital 3.5". There was just a ribbon cable to plug in. Nothing to solder. What model is the drive you have?

[ - ] germ22 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 21:26:13 ago (+0/-0)

you are correct. I forget the right terminology since it's been a while. Without that chip the HDD wont know what to do with all the ones and zeros.
Before messing with it, if the data is important you would be better off to send it to a data recovery specialist. Once you start messing with it, they will have a harder time for data recover as well and might charge you a lot more.

[ - ] observation1 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 21:45:09 ago (+1/-0)*

Not true. We're just talking about changing out this circuit board

https://ae04.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1o.ynXEvrK1RjSspcq6zzSXXaM.jpg

[ - ] DieselForever 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 18:16:41 ago (+1/-0)

Tried this a few times before many years ago (had access to a lot of dead drives with stuff on and identical not dead ones).

Never worked once for me

[ - ] observation1 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 21:53:38 ago (+0/-0)

the symptom op describes is so rare of a failure type it makes me think you probably applied the wrong remedy. A basket of 50 bad hdds, 35 are clicking, 10 spin but bios wont detect, 5 are like Ops. For swap to work the logic-board cant be wrong revision either.

for $35 and 15 mins of time, I would take this bet all day any day.

[ - ] observation1 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 11:12:51 ago (+0/-0)

is it ssd or does it spin? 3.5 or 2.5"?

any noises?

[ - ] Niggly_Puff [op] 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 13, 2023 11:23:46 ago (+0/-0)

3.5 hdd, no noise.