harddisk clicks, not recognized by BIOS

[meulbus]

Hello everybody,

I've got a problem with a harddisk. It's a 20 GB Seagate harddisk.
After a mega computer crash (power supply defect), it didn't work
again.

It won't be recognized by the BIOS during the startup proces and you
hear a regular click everytime.
There is some data on it which I would recover if possible.

I tried several recovery software (also Seagate software), but because
the harddisk isn't being recognized by all of these programs, I can't
recover anything.

The next step was to open the harddisk and when I turned it on I saw
that the arm with the heads didn't go all over the platters, but
stayed at the inside of the platters (near the center), then it moved
a little bit to the outside and then go directly back to the inside.
This gives that clicking sound.

It looks like the arm stuck. Can it have anything to do with automatic
head parking?

Does anyone from you have another idea to make this disk work again?

Thanks in advance, Jeroen

 

[Chris Stolworthy]

Hello everybody,

I've got a problem with a harddisk. It's a 20 GB Seagate harddisk.
After a mega computer crash (power supply defect), it didn't work
again.

It won't be recognized by the BIOS during the startup proces and you
hear a regular click everytime.
There is some data on it which I would recover if possible.

I tried several recovery software (also Seagate software), but because
the harddisk isn't being recognized by all of these programs, I can't
recover anything.

The next step was to open the harddisk and when I turned it on I saw
that the arm with the heads didn't go all over the platters, but
stayed at the inside of the platters (near the center), then it moved
a little bit to the outside and then go directly back to the inside.
This gives that clicking sound.

It looks like the arm stuck. Can it have anything to do with automatic
head parking?

Does anyone from you have another idea to make this disk work again?

Thanks in advance, Jeroen

Well first off, unless you opened it in a cleanroom you probably caused more
harm than anything. Once a HDD clicks it is typically dead. There are
places out there that say they can "switch platters" or some such. I have
found all of them to be pretty much, a waste of time. So I would personally
say that no...no way to retrieve data at this point.

 

[CBFalconer]

.... snip ...

There is some data on it which I would recover if possible.
.... snip ...

The next step was to open the harddisk and when I turned it on I
saw that the arm with the heads didn't go all over the platters,
but stayed at the inside of the platters (near the center), then
it moved a little bit to the outside and then go directly back to
the inside. This gives that clicking sound.

And you have now ensured that nobody anywhere will ever be able to
recover your data at any price. When you replace it I suggest you
get two identical drives, and use xxcopy to maintain the second as
a mirror of the first. Backup is painless when it is quick.

 

[Markus]

Hello everybody,

I've got a problem with a harddisk. It's a 20 GB Seagate harddisk.
After a mega computer crash (power supply defect), it didn't work
again.

It won't be recognized by the BIOS during the startup proces and you
hear a regular click everytime.
There is some data on it which I would recover if possible.

I tried several recovery software (also Seagate software), but because
the harddisk isn't being recognized by all of these programs, I can't
recover anything.

The next step was to open the harddisk and when I turned it on I saw
that the arm with the heads didn't go all over the platters, but
stayed at the inside of the platters (near the center), then it moved
a little bit to the outside and then go directly back to the inside.
This gives that clicking sound.

It looks like the arm stuck. Can it have anything to do with automatic
head parking?

Does anyone from you have another idea to make this disk work again?

Thanks in advance, Jeroen

As mentioned before it is unlikely you will be able to retrieve any data
from this drive, one thing i can suggest for you is to put the drive aside
untill you get hold of another system (whether it be a friends computer or
new) and try and run it as a secondary there, its unlikely that this will
help at all but i have had some interesting experiences with certain
hardware, unexplainable experiences, so i dont usually rule anything out!
Good L

 

[Cerridwen]

Hello everybody,

I've got a problem with a harddisk. It's a 20 GB Seagate harddisk.
After a mega computer crash (power supply defect), it didn't work
again.

It won't be recognized by the BIOS during the startup proces and you
hear a regular click everytime.
There is some data on it which I would recover if possible.

I tried several recovery software (also Seagate software), but because
the harddisk isn't being recognized by all of these programs, I can't
recover anything.

The next step was to open the harddisk and when I turned it on I saw
that the arm with the heads didn't go all over the platters, but
stayed at the inside of the platters (near the center), then it moved
a little bit to the outside and then go directly back to the inside.
This gives that clicking sound.

It looks like the arm stuck. Can it have anything to do with automatic
head parking?

Does anyone from you have another idea to make this disk work again?

Thanks in advance, Jeroen

I don't mean to be rude but you are an idiot! Opening a hard drive is a
guaranteed way to ensure that any data that may have been present is
unrecoverable. If that was your intention, then congratulations. There is
even a warning printed on the label stating that a drive should *NEVER* be
opened.

The drive is dead - you just ensured that by removing the cover.

 

[Mike Walsh]

The heads should not go all over the platter. They should go from the parked position to track 0 to read the master boot record. The drive is probably unable to read the MBR.

Hello everybody,

I've got a problem with a harddisk. It's a 20 GB Seagate harddisk.
After a mega computer crash (power supply defect), it didn't work
again.

It won't be recognized by the BIOS during the startup proces and you
hear a regular click everytime.
There is some data on it which I would recover if possible.

I tried several recovery software (also Seagate software), but because
the harddisk isn't being recognized by all of these programs, I can't
recover anything.

The next step was to open the harddisk and when I turned it on I saw
that the arm with the heads didn't go all over the platters, but
stayed at the inside of the platters (near the center), then it moved
a little bit to the outside and then go directly back to the inside.
This gives that clicking sound.

It looks like the arm stuck. Can it have anything to do with automatic
head parking?

Does anyone from you have another idea to make this disk work again?

Thanks in advance, Jeroen

--

When replying by Email include NewSGrouP (case sensitive) in Subject

Mike Walsh
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

 

[Colin]

As a last resort you could try freezing it !!!

Colin

 

[philo]

Hello everybody,

I've got a problem with a harddisk. It's a 20 GB Seagate harddisk.
After a mega computer crash (power supply defect), it didn't work
again.

It won't be recognized by the BIOS during the startup proces and you
hear a regular click everytime.
There is some data on it which I would recover if possible.

I tried several recovery software (also Seagate software), but because
the harddisk isn't being recognized by all of these programs, I can't
recover anything.

The next step was to open the harddisk and when I turned it on I saw
that the arm with the heads didn't go all over the platters, but
stayed at the inside of the platters (near the center), then it moved
a little bit to the outside and then go directly back to the inside.
This gives that clicking sound.

It looks like the arm stuck. Can it have anything to do with automatic
head parking?

Ok...you need not worry about the comments that a drive must be opened
in a clean room. the drive is already defective so that will hardly matter
at this point.

if you *gently* wiggle the arm a bit you *might* be able to free it up
long enough to get it moving again and retrieve your data. i have tried that
trick
quite a few times and though it probably won;t work...i did get it working
on one occassion... the drive actually continued working for several
days after that.

 

[meulbus]

Ok...you need not worry about the comments that a drive must be opened
in a clean room. the drive is already defective so that will hardly matter
at this point.

if you *gently* wiggle the arm a bit you *might* be able to free it up
long enough to get it moving again and retrieve your data. i have tried that
trick
quite a few times and though it probably won;t work...i did get it working
on one occassion... the drive actually continued working for several
days after that.

Thank you all for your reactions. I already tried the freezer trick,
but that didn't work.
When I wiggle the arm when the drive isn't on, it looks like the heads
stick to the surface of the platters, but when I put the drive on and
the platters are turning round, then I can move the arm and the head
much easier. Is this normal? (still the same problem eventhough).

Rescueing the data from this disk isn't very important, but now I'm
this far, I found it a challenge to make this drive working again, so
other suggestions?
Or is there a piece of software that can "see" defective harddisks
that the BIOS isn't able to see?

Jeroen

 

[philo]

Ok...you need not worry about the comments that a drive must be opened

Thank you all for your reactions. I already tried the freezer trick,
but that didn't work.
When I wiggle the arm when the drive isn't on, it looks like the heads
stick to the surface of the platters, but when I put the drive on and
the platters are turning round, then I can move the arm and the head
much easier. Is this normal? (still the same problem eventhough).

Rescueing the data from this disk isn't very important, but now I'm
this far, I found it a challenge to make this drive working again, so
other suggestions?
Or is there a piece of software that can "see" defective harddisks
that the BIOS isn't able to see?

Jeroen

well if the drive is physically defective to the point that the bios won't
detect it
there is not a heck of a lot you can do

you could try slaving it to another drive and try to read the data...
but it's not very likely you'll see anything

 

[~misfit~]

As a last resort you could try freezing it !!!

Or frying it and serving it with a side of chips.

I don't think the old freeze trick is gonna help in this case.

 

[~misfit~]

Thank you all for your reactions. I already tried the freezer trick,
but that didn't work.
When I wiggle the arm when the drive isn't on, it looks like the heads
stick to the surface of the platters, but when I put the drive on and
the platters are turning round, then I can move the arm and the head
much easier. Is this normal? (still the same problem eventhough).

Yes. You have effectively ruined the data storage area for sure now. When
the drive isn't running the heads are in contact with the platters, (that's
why they 'park' in a data-free, hardened area) when it's running the heads
effectively float on a cushion of air due to the rotation of the platters
pulling the surface air with them. As you have dragged the heads across the
data area while it wasn't spun-up you will have damaged it for sure.

Rescueing the data from this disk isn't very important, but now I'm
this far, I found it a challenge to make this drive working again, so
other suggestions?

The platters make good windchimes.

Next time ask questions before getting the torx screwdriver out.