My 30 GB drive started making a clanking noise last night and today finally lost the will to live I wanted to know if there was any way to retrieve the data that was on there? When it was connected and I switched my PC on, after the clanking noise the message on the screen said that there were no hard drives at all even though the drive was the slave. I installed a new drive and windows booted fine but I would still like to get some of the stuff that was on the broken drive.

Cheers.

Si

You could try the freezer trick I first learned from Mr.G I believe.
Put the drive in a plastic bag trying to get as much air as possible out of it, then place it in the freezer. Let it get good and cold and then rush it to your comp, connect it and recover what you can from it. Remembering this is the last time it will ever work.

Other than that I'd say if you really wanted to put the effort in you could disassemble it and play with things, but you probably will muck it up even worse, but hey its alread dead .

You could also since its dead beat on it a bit (softly at first) and see if you can knock some sense into it. heh. But really the freezer trick I have heard can work, and I'm sure there are some others, just wait before you try something for someone elses response. I'd hate to be the one to offer you a suggestion you take and it completely kills the drive when someone else has a suggestion that will save it.

Does it spin up when you start your computer?
(Either touch it, or put your ear to it to find out)...

If it does, what happens when you enter windows?
(I know you said it didn't find it, but try one more time)

If it is littered with bad sectors, use a zip-lock bag and follow SNGX1275's instructions above... (I'd say around 30 min. in the freezer should be about right...)
NOTE: Don't use chckdisk or scndisk to scan for bad sectors after you've had the drive in the freezer! You'll have a very short time that the drive works before it'll be totally dead!


If it doesn't spin up:

Have you swapped this drive much in and out of the system? If so, try applying some pressure (not much!) to the powerconnector, and move it around a bit to see if it'll start then (You'll have to do this with your 'puter on!)

If it starts, hold the powerconnector in that position, boot into windows and see if you can't copy all the info you need...
NOTE: If you get lot's of bad sectors, do the freezer... But you'll have less time at your disposal, so make sure you can find the "sweetspot" for the powerconnector!

If it has none bad sectors (you don't have a problem copying data), contact the hdd manufacturer and get a new controller card... That should add a couple of years to that hdd's life...

Just remember that you have a very short amount of time to work with after freezing the drive. There is also a small chance that the drive could short out as soon as you power it on from condensation if the room is hot. This is not a big concern but it is possible and should be mentioned so no one gets blamed if things don't work out. I don't think it is that big a risk to take though since it may be your last, best hope to get your data.

i don't know the condition of your harddrive now, but you can try Ontrack EasyRecovery Professional. This software can recover all data in your harddrive (even if the harddrive has been formatted). This software is pretty cool, just try it. You can download from the link below, or maybe you can mail me and I will send it to your e-mail.


Easy Recovery Download

Good Point!

So here's what to do:

• Put harddrive in ziplock bag
• Squeeze/suck out all the air of the bag
• Close it
• Put closed bag into freezer, make sure bag doesn't open
• Leave it in freezer for ~30 min
• Take out bag
• Run to your computer, without opening the bag
• Open bag, hook up harddrive
• Start machine

If anyone's interested, I can see if I can find the original document where I read this, and post their guide...

NOTE: it was in even smaller steps and was around 2 pages long!

You need professional data recovery services for the physically crashed hard disk. Send your disk to [COLOR="Blue"][i]name of company removed[/i][/color] visit the at [COLOR="Blue"][i]link removed[/i][/color], Leaders in Physical Data Recovery.

Thanks for the reply iwebcreat. You do realise that my original message is from 4 years ago?

Cheers.

Si
:bounce:

To know how to recover data from disk making noise, visit [COLOR="Blue"][i]link removed[/i][/COLOR].

Lol, thats an old wives tale.

Maybe trying [url]http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm[/url] would be better, or use a Linux live CD to get to the files.

I have to tell you, it`s not an old wives tale.

I have used this technique myself to reasonably good effect.

If the hard drive won`t spin up properly then data recovery software won`t work. Putting the drive in the freezer makes everything shrink slightly, thus allowing an otherwise jammed hard drive to run one last time. Obviously this is a last resort and doesn`t always work.

On a lighter note, [URL="http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1028112728"]this is not recommended[/URL] lol.

Regards Howard

ditto howard
thats great

then theres the bake in oven trick

I don't get many drives that can be revived this way

Ugh, we've been visited by a spammer, 2 actually.

No, it is not. It actually works and I know this first hand from multiple experiences... Although I can certainly understand your skepticism.

I did know about the love tap on the HD and plugging in the power after the computer is on are ways you might get a HD to spin up. But I never heared the freezer trick. But I am just curious after you get it out the freezer and hook it up, how long do you have for the finall crash. Are you talking about minutes or until you turn off your computer ?

you've got minutes depending on how cool you can keep it while copying files
theres is the twist method give sharp twist to the left while powered

I feel better now

Ive tried it and never had any luck because when coming back to room temperature you get condensation, I know you have to be fast but eeven the warmth from hands cause condensation.

Tis an Old wives tale.