requesting advice about DIY data recovery

[Paul Rubin]

I had an IBM Travelstar 30GN hard disk in my laptop. Despite the
model number it was actually a 20GB drive. It started making scary
grinding noises and I called IBM about RMA'ing it. They asked me to
run the SMART diagnostics and it passed. They then told me that noise
was normal and refused to take an RMA. A little while later the drive
started occasionally going thwock-thwock-thwock, refusing to read data
temporarily (like a recalibration), then coming back to normal. I
started making arrangements to copy all the data off the drive, but
before I could do that, the drive stopped coming back to normal. As
soon as I power it up, it's thwock-thwock-thwock like the head
assembly is just hitting the stops repeatedly. I replaced the drive
with another one and restored the data from backup, but as usual in
these situations the backup was somewhat out of date.

Anyway I'm interested in attempting a DIY data recovery on the failed
drive, to get the data off it that the backup missed. It looks like I
can still find that model of drive on ebay, so I'm thinking of buying
one and swapping the logic boards. I've also heard persistent stories
(maybe urban myth) that one can fix this type of problem temporarily
by chilling the drive in a freezer. Is that worth a try?

This data is not tremendously valuable--it's personal stuff that I'd
like to get back, but paying kilobucks to some recovery company isn't
an attractive proposition, and anyway DIY'ing it sounds like an
interesting project.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[Rod Speed]

I had an IBM Travelstar 30GN hard disk in my laptop. Despite the
model number it was actually a 20GB drive. It started making scary
grinding noises and I called IBM about RMA'ing it. They asked me to
run the SMART diagnostics and it passed. They then told me that noise
was normal and refused to take an RMA. A little while later the drive
started occasionally going thwock-thwock-thwock, refusing to read data
temporarily (like a recalibration), then coming back to normal. I
started making arrangements to copy all the data off the drive, but
before I could do that, the drive stopped coming back to normal. As
soon as I power it up, it's thwock-thwock-thwock like the head
assembly is just hitting the stops repeatedly. I replaced the drive
with another one and restored the data from backup, but as usual in
these situations the backup was somewhat out of date.

You should have backed up the first time it was making grinding noises.

Anyway I'm interested in attempting a DIY data recovery on
the failed drive, to get the data off it that the backup missed.
It looks like I can still find that model of drive on ebay, so I'm
thinking of buying one and swapping the logic boards.

That can work. Depends on where the problem is tho, if
its no on the logic card, obviously swapping that wont help.

I've also heard persistent stories (maybe urban myth)

No, its not an urban myth.

that one can fix this type of problem temporarily by
chilling the drive in a freezer. Is that worth a try?

Yes. It can work if the problem is a dry joint or cracked trace.

Important to seal it in a plastic bag before freezing it.

This data is not tremendously valuable--it's personal stuff that I'd like
to get back, but paying kilobucks to some recovery company isn't an
attractive proposition, and anyway DIY'ing it sounds like an interesting project.

Yeah, it can be quite interesting and its a reasonable
candidate since it did recover at one time, so its quite
possible the problem is a bad joint or a cracked trace.

It can also be a gradually failing head amp ic too.
That may or may not work better after being frozen.

 

[Paul Rubin]

Yes. It can work if the problem is a dry joint or cracked trace.
Important to seal it in a plastic bag before freezing it.

Hmm, the air in the freezer is very dry, do I really want to seal the
drive in a bag so moisture condenses inside the bag?

My idea had been: put the drive in a ziplock bag, but not sealed, with
one of those IDE to USB adapter cables connected to the drive. Put
plastic bag in freezer with adapter cable plugged in. Chill the
combination. Open freezer temporarily, seal the ziplock bag so that
the cable sticks out one corner, close freezer door so cable sticks
out through the crack, plug USB end of the cable into a laptop
computer next to the fridge and attempt to get the data.

Alternate versions of this: 1) seal bag (per your suggestion) before
putting drive in the freezer instead of after; 2) don't attach USB
cable to drive until after the drive is chilled, in case the adapter
electronics don't work well when cold (but the drive electronics also
might not...)

Thanks.

 

[Paul Rubin]

Yes. I recovered data off a mac 2.5" drive by pulling it from the
machine mounting in an external enclosure and letting it hang out in
between a few freezer packs while I accessed it.

What symptom did the mac drive suffer from, before you did this?
It seems to me that my drive may have a mechanical problem, because
of the bearing noise. But it is an FDB drive. I also wonder if
freezing it might freeze the FDB fluid. Thanks.

 

[Todd H.]

I had an IBM Travelstar 30GN hard disk in my laptop. Despite the
model number it was actually a 20GB drive. It started making scary
grinding noises and I called IBM about RMA'ing it. They asked me to
run the SMART diagnostics and it passed. They then told me that noise
was normal and refused to take an RMA. A little while later the drive
started occasionally going thwock-thwock-thwock, refusing to read data
temporarily (like a recalibration), then coming back to normal. I
started making arrangements to copy all the data off the drive, but
before I could do that, the drive stopped coming back to normal. As
soon as I power it up, it's thwock-thwock-thwock like the head
assembly is just hitting the stops repeatedly. I replaced the drive
with another one and restored the data from backup, but as usual in
these situations the backup was somewhat out of date.

Anyway I'm interested in attempting a DIY data recovery on the failed
drive, to get the data off it that the backup missed. It looks like I
can still find that model of drive on ebay, so I'm thinking of buying
one and swapping the logic boards. I've also heard persistent stories
(maybe urban myth) that one can fix this type of problem temporarily
by chilling the drive in a freezer. Is that worth a try?

Yes. I recovered data off a mac 2.5" drive by pulling it from the
machine mounting in an external enclosure and letting it hang out in
between a few freezer packs while I accessed it.

YMMV.


Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

 

[Rod Speed]

Hmm, the air in the freezer is very dry,

Not necessarily. The room air is cooled dramatically and
you can get moisture condensing and freezing in there.

do I really want to seal the drive in a bag
so moisture condenses inside the bag?

You'll find it doesnt. And you dont want ice crystals on the logic card anyway.

My idea had been: put the drive in a ziplock bag, but not sealed,

I doubt that seal bit matters much.

with one of those IDE to USB adapter cables connected to the
drive. Put plastic bag in freezer with adapter cable plugged in.
Chill the combination. Open freezer temporarily, seal the ziplock
bag so that the cable sticks out one corner, close freezer door
so cable sticks out through the crack, plug USB end of the cable
into a laptop computer next to the fridge and attempt to get the data.

Dunno, the freezer temp is normally well below what the hard drive
manufacturer allows. I'd try it with the drive removed from the freezer first
and only use it inside the freezer if it goes bad too quickly outside the freezer.

Alternate versions of this: 1) seal bag (per your suggestion) before
putting drive in the freezer instead of after; 2) don't attach USB cable
to drive until after the drive is chilled, in case the adapter electronics
don't work well when cold (but the drive electronics also might not...)

It isnt worth obsessing that much when it wont necessarily work either way.

 

[Rod Speed]

(e-mail address removed) (Todd H.) writes

What symptom did the mac drive suffer from, before you did this?

It seems to me that my drive may have a mechanical
problem, because of the bearing noise.

You dont normally see bearing noise cause a problem with the data.

But it is an FDB drive.

Then you shouldnt have mechanical problem.

I also wonder if freezing it might freeze the FDB fluid.

Yeah, the bulk of those who have had success
with a freezer has been conventional bearings.

Another good reason to try it first removed from the freezer so
you can check if its actually spinning up. Still lose on the desktop.

 

[bealoid]

[snip]

As
soon as I power it up, it's thwock-thwock-thwock like the head
assembly is just hitting the stops repeatedly.

I had a drive where the heads got stuck in "park". Eventually I took the
lid off the drive and used tape to stick the latch open. It was fun, but
probably isn't useful for important data.

 

[John Turco]

You dont normally see bearing noise cause a problem with the data.


Then you shouldnt have mechanical problem.


Yeah, the bulk of those who have had success
with a freezer has been conventional bearings.

Another good reason to try it first removed from the freezer so
you can check if its actually spinning up. Still lose on the desktop.

Hello, Rod:

Don't you think the kind of fluid used in FDB bearings should be able to
resist freezing temperatures, though?


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

Don't you think the kind of fluid used in FDB bearings
should be able to resist freezing temperatures, though?

Its less clear how they'd react to the freezing
temps in the sense of still being a viable bearing.