Data Recoverable? Clicking hard drive

[mACKnIFE]

Hi,
I have a 60GB Quantum Fireball Plus AS (Quantum P/N: qmp60000as-a)
that started clicking when the computer boots up. It's not recognized
by the Bios anymore. After the system has finished starting up, the
hard drive just seems dead (it doesn't click; it just do nothing). I
have some data on that disk I would like to recover.

If I get a working hard drive of the exact same model and take off the
circuit board of it to replace the one on the faulty drive, is there
any chances that I'll be able to access my data again?

Any Ideas?

 

[CJT]

Hi,
I have a 60GB Quantum Fireball Plus AS (Quantum P/N: qmp60000as-a)
that started clicking when the computer boots up. It's not recognized
by the Bios anymore. After the system has finished starting up, the
hard drive just seems dead (it doesn't click; it just do nothing). I
have some data on that disk I would like to recover.

If I get a working hard drive of the exact same model and take off the
circuit board of it to replace the one on the faulty drive, is there
any chances that I'll be able to access my data again?

Any Ideas?

It's unlikely.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Hi,
I have a 60GB Quantum Fireball Plus AS (Quantum P/N: qmp60000as-a)
that started clicking when the computer boots up. It's not recognized
by the Bios anymore. After the system has finished starting up, the
hard drive just seems dead (it doesn't click; it just do nothing). I
have some data on that disk I would like to recover.

If I get a working hard drive of the exact same model and take off the
circuit board of it to replace the one on the faulty drive, is there
any chances that I'll be able to access my data again?

50-50.
Depends on the pre-amp in the drive Head Disk Assembly being
still OK or not. Also check that Firmware rev. is the same or close.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

It's unlikely.

Oh, why?

 

[Ron Reaugh]

Hi,
I have a 60GB Quantum Fireball Plus AS (Quantum P/N: qmp60000as-a)
that started clicking when the computer boots up. It's not recognized
by the Bios anymore. After the system has finished starting up, the
hard drive just seems dead (it doesn't click; it just do nothing). I
have some data on that disk I would like to recover.

If I get a working hard drive of the exact same model and take off the
circuit board of it to replace the one on the faulty drive, is there
any chances that I'll be able to access my data again?

A VERY slim chance. Decide to spend the bucks on a data recovery service or
dump the drive.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Hi,
I have a 60GB Quantum Fireball Plus AS (Quantum P/N: qmp60000as-a)
that started clicking when the computer boots up. It's not recognized
by the Bios anymore. After the system has finished starting up, the
hard drive just seems dead (it doesn't click; it just do nothing). I
have some data on that disk I would like to recover.

If I get a working hard drive of the exact same model and take off the
circuit board of it to replace the one on the faulty drive, is there
any chances that I'll be able to access my data again?

Unlikely. Clicking is usually not a problem with the electronics.
In order to be able to click, the drive electronics has to do a
sucessful self-test and power up, i.e. a lot of things have to be
working correclty in the electronics. That limits the possibilities
for electonics failure. Also electronics is _far_ more reliable than
drive mechanics.

If you don't have a backup, consider professional data recovery.
They will give you a price quote. Expect professional prices,
though.

Arno

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Unlikely.
Clicking is usually not a problem with the electronics.

Oh? How exactly did you come to that conclusion?

In order to be able to click, the drive electronics has to do a
sucessful self-test

and power up,

Presumably that is to mean spin-up?

i.e. a lot of things have to be working correclty in the electronics.

Maybe, maybe not.
If I expand on that then a drive spun-up is actually tracking, so everything
reading circuit wise is fine, but it just can't find/read the reserved area,
meaning very specific data loss.

Why then, do I ask myself, are most drives doing the whizz-click thing at
ad nauseum and not stop after say 3 times and then spindown.
It's more plausible that (IDE) drives spinup at all time, whether they can
read or not and that the problem can be in the media, the heads read element,
the HDA preamp *or* the r/w channel on the electronics card.

Btw, how is the drive to check the IDE interface? The drive can be dead inter-
face wise but still OK media wise and spin-up successfully but not be recognized.

That limits the possibilities for electonics failure.

Also electronics is _far_ more reliable than drive mechanics.

Not my experience. Out of 4 drives dead, 3 had electronics failure.