In which direction do HDDs spin?

[Piotr ne]

Hello,

as I wrote before, I have been unsuccessful recovering data from my
damaged Maxtor drive. Because a professional recovery service is
a bit expensive, I'd like to try to do something with the drive myself
(which probably won't work, but why not to waste some time).

The drive is not spinning. I have been told (on this group), that swapping
platters, heads etc. (generally dismounting the drive) would probably
completely damage it and make recovery impossible. Instead, the drive
could be forced to spin by an external motor. Which of course requires
opening it and finding another motor spinning at 5400 rpm. The easiest
solution would be using another drive, put it with its upper side down
on the damaged drive and somehow connect both stacks
of platters. But it requires a drive spinning in the opposite direction...

My question is: are all drives spinning counter-clockwise, like the Maxtor?
And does it make sense to try it? Is it possible to disconnect the damaged
motor from the logic card and keep the rest working? There are four pins
located close to the axis of the drive, possibly providing power supply
for the motor. Is there a feedback necessary for the logic? I would like
to disconnect it in order to prevent damaging the new logic card by
the motor (a few photos: http://tinyurl.com/g3ol).

Regards
Piotr

 

[Rod Speed]

Hello,

as I wrote before, I have been unsuccessful recovering data from my
damaged Maxtor drive. Because a professional recovery service is
a bit expensive, I'd like to try to do something with the drive myself
(which probably won't work, but why not to waste some time).

The drive is not spinning. I have been told (on this group), that swapping
platters, heads etc. (generally dismounting the drive) would probably
completely damage it and make recovery impossible. Instead, the drive
could be forced to spin by an external motor. Which of course requires
opening it and finding another motor spinning at 5400 rpm. The easiest
solution would be using another drive, put it with its upper side down
on the damaged drive and somehow connect both stacks
of platters. But it requires a drive spinning in the opposite direction...

My question is: are all drives spinning counter-clockwise, like the Maxtor?

You can see which way it spins from the drive you are
using the motor out of. Just use the same model for that.

And does it make sense to try it?

Hard to say when only you can say what your capabilitys
are on that question of using an external motor is concerned.

Its non trivial and a mechanical klutz will certainly stuff it up completely.

Is it possible to disconnect the damaged motor
from the logic card and keep the rest working?

Impossible to say definitively because that
depends on how the logic card is designed, what
it does to check if the drive is spinning up etc.

There are four pins located close to the axis of the
drive, possibly providing power supply for the motor.

Connection for the motor, anyway.

Is there a feedback necessary for the logic?

Impossible to say definitively because that
depends on how the logic card is designed, what
it does to check if the drive is spinning up etc.

I would like to disconnect it in order to
prevent damaging the new logic card by
the motor (a few photos: http://tinyurl.com/g3ol).

The short story is that it looks like you're in over your head.

 

[HddGuru]

The Maxtor needs very precise speed settings. You will have no luck.

 

[Piotr ne]

Forget it. For one thing, hard drives are assembled in a "clean room", which
is a room that is dust free down to extremely small particles by very
expensive filtering equipment. So if you have opened the case to the point
where the disks are exposed, they are contaminated and will probably result
in additional data errors.

I know about clean rooms etc. I have been told on this group, that it is
possible to run a drive for a short time even if it was exposed to "unclean"
air. I have bought another completely damaged Maxtor drive (cost: 4$;
apparently there are plenty of them) to open it and take a look at the clean
parts inside
Indeed, platters are clean and became a bit dusty after 15-30 minutes. I did
not manage to get to the motor, because heads prevent platters to get them
out of the stack.
Some photos: http://tinyurl.com/hfmv
....does it (did it) spin clokwise or counter-clockwise?

Piotr

 

[Rod Speed]

Papa wrote:

I know about clean rooms etc. I have been told on this group, that it is
possible to run a drive for a short time even if it was exposed to "unclean"
air. I have bought another completely damaged Maxtor drive (cost: 4$;
apparently there are plenty of them) to open it and take a look at the clean
parts inside
Indeed, platters are clean and became a bit dusty after 15-30 minutes. I did
not manage to get to the motor, because heads prevent platters to get them
out of the stack.
Some photos: http://tinyurl.com/hfmv
...does it (did it) spin clokwise or counter-clockwise?

Get another one that does spin and see.

 

[Rod Speed]

Papa wrote:

I know about clean rooms etc. I have been told on this group, that it is
possible to run a drive for a short time even if it was exposed to "unclean"
air. I have bought another completely damaged Maxtor drive (cost: 4$;
apparently there are plenty of them) to open it and take a look at the clean
parts inside
Indeed, platters are clean and became a bit dusty after 15-30 minutes. I did
not manage to get to the motor, because heads prevent platters to get them
out of the stack.
Some photos: http://tinyurl.com/hfmv
...does it (did it) spin clokwise or counter-clockwise?

Get another one that does spin and see.

I'd be very surprised if the drive in the top set of pic didnt
spin clockwise. Just because of where the heads are.

The bottom one appears to be a different drive and may well rotate the other way.

 

[CJT]

Papa wrote:




I know about clean rooms etc. I have been told on this group, that it is
possible to run a drive for a short time even if it was exposed to "unclean"
air. I have bought another completely damaged Maxtor drive (cost: 4$;
apparently there are plenty of them) to open it and take a look at the clean
parts inside
Indeed, platters are clean and became a bit dusty after 15-30 minutes. I did
not manage to get to the motor, because heads prevent platters to get them
out of the stack.
Some photos: http://tinyurl.com/hfmv
...does it (did it) spin clokwise or counter-clockwise?

Piotr

Look at the arm the heads are mounted on. It'll spin in the
direction that results in drag that pulls, rather than pushes,
on the mount.

 

[Chopah]

If the drive really won't spin there is a quick and easy fix that sometimes
works.
Sometimes the heads stick to the platters.
Remove the drive from the computer.
Hold it tightly and abruptly flip the drive in a direction that is the same
as the platter rotating. Do this several times. Sometimes this is enough to
get the platters unstuck. Re-install and see if it spins. If it does, copy
all data off or it will stick again nest time it is allowed to sit.
In the past I have"un-stuck" a large number of IDE drives saving many hours
of user re-entering programs and data.

Chopah

 

[Piotr ne]

Hold it tightly and abruptly flip the drive in a direction that is the same
as the platter rotating.

I did it before and I could hear a sound like rotating platters. At least it
was exactly like in the second (working) drive, so I suppose the heads are
where they should be.

I have bought a small air cleaner:
http://www.allegro.pl/show_item.php?item=14952783
which should remove 99.97% of dust particles, smoke etc. and maybe I'll try
to clean the air in a small box, put the drive into it and take a look
inside.

Regards
Piotr

 

[chrisv]

My question is: are all drives spinning counter-clockwise, like the Maxtor?
And does it make sense to try it? Is it possible to disconnect the damaged
motor from the logic card and keep the rest working? There are four pins
located close to the axis of the drive, possibly providing power supply
for the motor. Is there a feedback necessary for the logic? I would like
to disconnect it in order to prevent damaging the new logic card by
the motor (a few photos: http://tinyurl.com/g3ol).

It depends on whether you're North or South of the Equator.

 

[Piotr ne]

It depends on whether you're North or South of the Equator.

I'm at 50 degrees 17 minutes North, so what is the direction? I have asked this
question because (maybe) I'll try to use a second HDD for spinning my "dead" Maxtor, which
simply does not spin. The second HDD should spin at exactly 5400 rpm in the opposite
direction.

Piotr