Dying HDD gets read for a few seconds after booting up

[lyndonguitar]

Last month I had a dying 1TB HDD which I already replaced with a new and bigger one

recently I realized I have a few kinda important files in there so I checked the HDD again and tried to boot it up in the hopes of recovering the lost data

It booted up with my PC, but it stays only for a few seconds before dying again. There are times that it will comeback alive without dying, but with only the folders inside without any files in it(but still using space on that HDD), sometimes it retains some text or word files in those folders, but i still cannot access them (file not found when i tried to open)

I've tried freezing the HDD trick in the past on another HDD, and it kinda worked, but reading about it again, I'm a bit hesitant of doing it. so I'm looking for more things to try before settling in with the freezer trick

I guess it's not the PCB cause it still gets read, Any tips on how to make it stay long enough so I could back off some important files(or better all 1TB of it)??

atm I'm trying to tilt the HDD in different angles maybe I could make it work for a few minutes

 

[INSTG8R]

I just replaced a dying 1TB myself it was well on it's way out to the point I couldn't get past the BIOS on boot because of SMART alerts. I installed my new one and stuck my old on in an USB 3.0 external enclosure and it had no problems with it and I got all my data off it. So it "might" be something to try if you have one tho your issue sounds a little more difficult than mine was.

 

[Jetster]

A few programs you can try to see if they can keep it running long enough. Personal opinion about freezer is its a waste of energy
Easeus
Recover my files
HDD Regenerator
Get data back

 

[natr0n]

Just put it in the refrigerator for a while(5-10 mins) then hook it up.
I've done this.

 

[lyndonguitar]

Just put it in the refrigerator for a while(5-10 mins) then hook it up.
I've done this.

I've also done this and can confirm it worked for my old HDD that also died this way. since I've tried tilting it at different angles already and I'm running out of things to do I might just put it in the freezer.

 

[INSTG8R]

I've also done this and can confirm it worked for my old HDD that also died this way. since I've tried tilting it at different angles already and I'm running out of things to do I might just put it in the freezer.

If you're out of options, you might as well go for the freezer trick I guess.

 

[natr0n]

wrap it in a kitchen towel after pulling it out freezer to prevent condensation

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

any issues with the drive disappearing while in the BIOS? Hmm, couple other things to try, update drivers (possibly corrupt) for it, see what happens booting to win safe mode, boot to command prompt try finding your files that way.

 

[lyndonguitar]

any issues with the drive disappearing while in the BIOS? Hmm, couple other things to try, update drivers (possibly corrupt) for it, see what happens booting to win safe mode, boot to command prompt try finding your files that way.

drive is disappearing even while in BIOS, and SMART detects it sometimes not allowing me to boot sometimes it doesn't, but I've disabled SMART anyway so I can boot straight up without any errors for now

I never had an issue where the driver of the HDD caused problems, but I'll look into it. Also I never tried safemode with it and I doubt it will help but I'll try also

Also, if it helps the HDD is kinda hotter than usual temp(by touch) maybe it's just me or not I dunno but it might be something.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

drive is disappearing even while in BIOS, and SMART detects it sometimes not allowing me to boot sometimes it doesn't, but I've disabled SMART anyway so I can boot straight up without any errors for now

I never had an issue where the driver of the HDD caused problems, but I'll look into it. Also I never tried safemode with it and I doubt it will help but I'll try also

Also, if it helps the HDD is kinda hotter than usual temp(by touch) maybe it's just me or not I dunno but it might be something.

Is it making any noise louder then normal?

At this point if you still cant recover anything from it, take the cover off and carefully have a good look inside. If there isnt any dead hamsters, atleast make sure they didnt leave hamster shit behind.

 

[Flow]

Have you tried TestDisk ?
I had a new drive going bad. Couldn't pass the mbr etc.
After some fiddling it became raw and totally unusable.
Testdisk recovered my fresh windows install, although the drive stayed bad and was replaced under warranty.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there, @lyndonguitar!

Keep in mind that doing these data recovery attempts by yourself could be potentially dangerous to the files you store on the HDD. A professional assistance is your best bet on getting those back.
You mentioned that the drive fails to stay connected when you boot your system up. However, I'd suggest you try connecting it externally as well using a docking station or a SATA-to-USB connector with an AC adapter (if it's a 3.5" desktop drive). I guess you could definitely a Ubuntu Live CD a try as well, once you manage to keep the drive connected for a longer period of time.
However, if the damage is physical and the hardware has failed, tampering with it by yourself could potentially cause more harm than good. You need a specific dust-free lab environment and the in-dept technical knowledge for such operations.

Keeping my fingers crossed for a successful data recovery! Best of luck!
SuperSoph_WD