Hard Drive Data Recovery

[Msap14]

got a laptop pata hard drive that makes a slight constant clicking noise. hard drive is more than likely dead/dying right... i can see that partitions of the hard drive in disk management and i can see the partitions in my computer but i can't get to any of the data.

any suggestions?

 

[newtekie1]

Try putting it in the freezer.

 

[Mussels]

dont we have a sticky on this? let me check

edit: Hmmm, not stickied, but its in the storage section of the forum, where this post should be. will find linkies.


http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142222


^ thats the thread on data recovery, but if the drive isnt powering up you're quite possibly screwed. if you try the freezer trick make sure you seal the drive in a plastic bag first and be careful of letting it warm up during use due to condensation.

 

[Msap14]

dont we have a sticky on this? let me check

edit: Hmmm, not stickied, but its in the storage section of the forum, where this post should be. will find linkies.


http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142222


^ thats the thread on data recovery, but if the drive isnt powering up you're quite possibly screwed. if you try the freezer trick make sure you seal the drive in a plastic bag first and be careful of letting it warm up during use due to condensation.

sorry, don't visit the forums as often as i used to, didn't realize there was a storage section. i am rather sketched on putting the drive in the freezer, but if nothing else works, ill probably give it a try.

thanks for the link.

 

[Mussels]

sorry, don't visit the forums as often as i used to, didn't realize there was a storage section. i am rather sketched on putting the drive in the freezer, but if nothing else works, ill probably give it a try.

thanks for the link.

sometimes extreme heat or cold is the only thing to make drives spin up again for long enough to get any data off them at all. it sounds iffy, but really - what have you got to lose at this point? if it dont power on, you'd spend thousands for a data recovery centre to get the files off it.

 

[Msap14]

the drive turns on but makes a clicking noise, the computer will come up with a message now saying the drive needs to be formatted before use, ive seen this happen before except in this case the drive will no longer show up in disk management so i can't do much about it. no matter what i click in the formatt dialogue box that pops up it won't formatt.

 

[Mussels]

the drive turns on but makes a clicking noise, the computer will come up with a message now saying the drive needs to be formatted before use, ive seen this happen before except in this case the drive will no longer show up in disk management so i can't do much about it. no matter what i click in the formatt dialogue box that pops up it won't formatt.

because its a physical failure, not a software one. This is why obscure hardware solutions like extreme heat and cold exist. they may only work one drive in 10, but you're Shit Outta Luck if you cant make it power on reliably.

 

[micropage7]

Try putting it in the freezer.

for how long? im afraid it goes ice block

 

[Msap14]

because its a physical failure, not a software one. This is why obscure hardware solutions like extreme heat and cold exist. they may only work one drive in 10, but you're Shit Outta Luck if you cant make it power on reliably.

yea i know, just wishful thinking, hoping something will somehow make this a lot easier

 

[theJesus]

First hit for "data recovery software" on google yields a program called GetDataBack which has a free trial.

"can even recover your data when the drive is no longer recognized by Windows"

 

[newtekie1]

for how long? im afraid it goes ice block

I usually leave them in overnight. I put them in a static back, inside a ziplock, and leave them in overnight.

I've recovered data off 2 drives using this method(and had it fail on about 20+ others). It is a last resort for sure.

First hit for "data recovery software" on google yields a program called GetDataBack which has a free trial.

"can even recover your data when the drive is no longer recognized by Windows"

Get data back will only really work in a few situations, mainly when the MFT has been corrupted but the drive still works, or when a partition has been formatted. If the drive physically doesn't work, unfortunately no software will help.

With a "click of death" is caused by the the armature scanning back and forth and not being able to read from the platter. There are several causes of this, but usually it is caused by the read head on the end of the arm going bad for some reason.

Here is a video on something that might fix the clicking issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoVBHG4kajA

The OP might want to try this first before freezing it.

 

[theJesus]

That's why I used quotes, to emphasize that it's just what the website said Anyway, it's a free trial so it's worth trying to see if it can maybe get something.

Also, I think I remember somebody actually heating the drive up to get it working temporarily. However I think that was just for a drive that wouldn't spin up at all.

 

[micropage7]

I usually leave them in overnight. I put them in a static back, inside a ziplock, and leave them in overnight.

inside zip lock? it aint goes icy at all?
then you plug in that on cold condition? pretty interesting method

 

[Msap14]

i have tried the freeze method once before without success. do you think i should take the logic board off then put it back on once i pull it out of the freezer so it is less likely to get messed up?

 

[newtekie1]

inside zip lock? it aint goes icy at all?
then you plug in that on cold condition? pretty interesting method

Nope, doesn't get icy at all, but condensation can be an issue when you take it out.

i have tried the freeze method once before without success. do you think i should take the logic board off then put it back on once i pull it out of the freezer so it is less likely to get messed up?

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[DanishDevil]

You can also try taking the logic board off and cleaning the contacts with an eraser. It got a HDD we had to spin long enough to use GetDataBack to get about half of a customer's pictures off before it went kaput.

 

[Msap14]

what do you all think about switching the board out with another one with the same firmware?

 

[DanishDevil]

Just make sure the model numbers and EVERYTHING match. I've fixed a drive doing that as well.

 

[Msap14]

You can also try taking the logic board off and cleaning the contacts with an eraser. It got a HDD we had to spin long enough to use GetDataBack to get about half of a customer's pictures off before it went kaput.

some of the contact did have some crap on them and now the drive's clicking is a bit more inconsistant but so far it's not doing anything differently

Just make sure the model numbers and EVERYTHING match. I've fixed a drive doing that as well.

theres a board on ebay for pretty cheap but not EVERYTHING matches, here is was does match:

the model number
the pn
the fw
the site
the sticker pcb number
the printed pcb numver

Here is what does not match:
serial number
date code
chips were manufactured by different companies

what do you all think about trying this pcb? i don't think the date would matter much, i can see the serial number not mattering either but what about the chips? if the pcb number and firmware are the same it shouldn't matter if the chips are made by different companies should it?

 

[DanishDevil]

Different chip manufacturers might make it incompatible, but if it's cheap, it might be worth a try. Serial and date code don't matter.

 

[theJesus]

Yeah I'd actually be kinda worried if it had the same serial.

 

[Mussels]

definitely use the zip lock bag, thats what prevents the icing. the trick is to open it only as much as needed for the data and power cables, and seal it back up again - personally i used a USB dock for my drive and put THAT in the bag as well, in the freezer. no condensation if it cant warm up!

 

[Msap14]

swapping the PCB didn't work and freezing the drive didn't work, so recovery isn't possible without sending it to a center. thanks for the advise.

 

[DanishDevil]

Sorry to hear it didn't work out. Data recovery shops are expensive, but they can usually get your data. Take this as a warning to start an on-site or online backup for all your current data. Information really is priceless to some people.

 

[Widjaja]

You can see the partitions but you can not see the drive.

Have you tried TestDisk by CG Security?

Since yuor drive is click I am not sure if it will work but I have managed to get partitions back with it by rewriting the MBR once you let TestDisk find the partitions.