Clicking Hard Drive

[herme3]

I have a Western Digital 40GB hard drive from work that I'm trying to recover data from. When I turn it on, it will start making a loud clicking noise. Each click is about one second apart. Then I get a "Non-System disk or disk error". Some times, the hard drive will stop spinning for a few seconds, then it will start again and continue making the clicking noises. Sometimes it will stop completely until I reboot the computer. At one point, I turned the hard drive upside-down, and the clicking noise stopped. It sounded like it was actually reading from the hard drive for a few seconds, then it stopped spinning again.

 

We already have a new hard drive. We just want to recover some files from the old one. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Sometimes manufacturers will let you mail back a defective/broken hard drive so they can professionally recover the data. Check your warranty.

[eruheru]

hey, i had a harddrive that did the exact same thing. i eventually just had to get rid of it. try calling the company you got the computer from.

[herme3]

The hard drive isn't under warranty anymore. I've actually made a little progress by using techniques most computer repair people wouldn't think of. I've tried dropping the hard drive, and I've tried hitting it with a hammer. Believe it or not, the hard drive will sometimes start working whenever I hit it or drop it. The clicking noise will stop, and it will start reading from the hard drive.

 

I just got the Windows 98 boot screen to load. Every few seconds, the hard drive would start clicking again, and I would hit or drop it. It would stop clicking, and then load a little more. I didn't get very far before the hard drive shutoff completely again. I had the restart the computer, and now I can't get to the boot screen anymore.

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Remember, I'm just trying to burn a few files to a CD. I'm not actually trying to fix it.

[Klaynos]

hrmmm... yes... *recalls job tittle and giggles a bit*

 

Have you tried booting a live CD and trying to mount it?

[herme3]

Have you tried booting a live CD and trying to mount it?

 

It didn't do any good. The computer won't even recognize that the hard drive is attached until it starting reading from it. Now I can't get it to do that. Also, the hard drive is now making a horrible squealing noise.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Try putting the disk in the freezer, in a sealed plastic bag, for about 15 minutes, then pulling it out and getting the data off as fast as you possibly can. The disk may last longer, but it may also die rather quickly.

 

(Freezing the disk seems to help fix the heads of the disk, which are probably what are causing the clicking noises)

[Klaynos]

It didn't do any good. The computer won't even recognize that the hard drive is attached until it starting reading from it. Now I can't get it to do that. Also, the hard drive is now making a horrible squealing noise.

 

That'll be the impact damage...

[Pleiades]

Aren’t clicks roughly 1 second apart indicative of a track 0 failure? Not that it really helps you to recover the data… also, I would recommend using an USB external enclosure for the hard drive, then you can keep it in the freezer while you access it, you will also be able to boot the computer first and then plug in the drive when you are ready.

[Bettina]

My dad did the freezing thing and it worked. The drive was clicking all the time and would eventually error out. It was his second drive he uses for backups.

 

He did the plastic bag thing, for an hour. Then without hesitation, he installed it and it worked. Got all his files off and about 10 minutes later it began clicking again.....

 

Bee

[H2SO4]

thats wierd. I wonder why this temporaily fixes it. I know htey have some lubrication in them maybe it thickens or something. maybe the heads start working differently.

[gcol]

A can of spray-freezer is an essential part of the tool kit when diagnosing computer faults to component level for intermittent failures that occur at specific points on a temperature gradient.

 

The clicking noise is probably the heads moving to the home position for a re-seek after failing to find a data track a certain distance from the head landing zone. The number of attempts depends on the hard drive firmware, before a permanent error is reported to the system software.

 

I have successfully broken the seals, opened up a drive, cleaned platters and heads with isopropyl, and re-used the drive. If the crash was not in the O.S. area, it even booted o.k. afterwards without reformatting.

[insane_alien]

thats wierd. I wonder why this temporaily fixes it. I know htey have some lubrication in them maybe it thickens or something. maybe the heads start working differently.

 

shrinks the disks so the read/write heads don't impact the surface as often. Its only a few nanometers but its enough to work.

[5614]

Yep. The scales inside a hard drive are so small a nanometer is a relatively large distance.

 

As for herme3... try the freezing. The clicking is hardware error ie. the hard drive is broken.

 

Hitting it and dropping it may be a very temporary solution to remove the clicking for a minute or two but in the long run it will probably end up worst. The read/write heads are already not where they should be, knocking them about will probably just make it worst.

 

I'm guessing you've never seen the warnings on hard drives about intense/strong vibrations and/or suddent shocks damages them.

[herme3]

As for herme3... try the freezing. The clicking is hardware error ie. the hard drive is broken.

 

I tried freezing it for a few hours. It didn't make a difference. I immediantly reconnected it to the computer, and it still kept clicking.

 

I'm guessing you've never seen the warnings on hard drives about intense/strong vibrations and/or suddent shocks damages them.

 

I've seen the warnings. Hitting and dropping it wasn't the first thing I tried. I tried other things first, but hitting and dropping was the only thing that was working. It was the only way I got Windows to even start loading. It never got very far, so I eventually gave up. Does anyone have any other suggestions or should I just throw it away?

[herme3]

I HATE WESTERN DIGITAL!!!!

 

I'm never buying another hard drive from them again!!!

 

I gave up on fixing it, and I just wanted to open it to see what was inside. I've seen people who have opened their hard drives and taken pictures of it, and posted it on their web site but I don't want to look at pictures of what someone else did! I need to analyze it myself!!! But the stupid hard drive wouldn't even open!!! Why can't they just be normal and use regular screws? Instead they had to seal the piece of junk! I tried everything, but it won't open. I started hitting the stupid thing with my hammer and trying to break it open, but instead little pieces of the case flew all over the place! I never got to open it, and now I just have a huge mess to clean up!

 

I work on computers all the time, but I've never seen the inside of a hard drive before. I've seen pictures, but I want to see it myself! What is wrong with Western Digital? Why are they so selfish that they make their hard drives impossible to open? This is absolutely ridiculous! I'm sending them an e-mail, and telling them that I'm never buying anything from them again!

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Perhaps it's because a small speck of dust that hits the reading head can make it scratch the disk and render it unusable, so they have to make it hermetically sealed.

[Klaynos]

Some of them are pressurised, to create the optimum enviroment...

 

TBH I doubt you'd be able to fix it... Probably just destroy it...

[herme3]

Sorry about the angry rant a few hours ago. I was frustrated at the time because I really wanted to see some of the components of the hard drive. I guess they have their reasons to seal them like that, so sending Western Digital an angry e-mail would be a little silly.

 

Well, I decided to clean up the mess, and throw the hard drive away.

[gcol]

Perhaps it's because a small speck of dust that hits the reading head can make it scratch the disk and render it unusable, so they have[/i'] to make it hermetically sealed.

 

As I remember it, it's not a perhaps but a definite. The read/write head flies above the disc due to the Bernoulli effect at a height of approx. o.1 micron, and even the smallest particle of smoke is about this size.

 

If you are lucky, a small crash results in damage to a small area of the disk. If unlucky, the head itself is compromised.

[herme3]

As I remember it' date=' it's not a perhaps but a definite. The read/write head flies above the disc due to the Bernoulli effect at a height of approx. o.1 micron, and even the smallest particle of smoke is about this size.

 

If you are lucky, a small crash results in damage to a small area of the disk. If unlucky, the head itself is compromised.[/quote']

 

How can a hard drive be so delicate? What happens if I'm using my laptop computer in the car, and the car hits a bump? Wouldn't the read/write heads hit the disc?

[Klaynos]

How can a hard drive be so delicate? What happens if I'm using my laptop computer in the car, and the car hits a bump? Wouldn't the read/write heads hit the disc?

 

If it's reading or writing at the time, the chances are quite high, some laptops have motion sensors in them to "lock" the read/write head when they feel a shock, but that wont always work.

 

You should NEVER bang a hard disk. I hate receiving them through couriers as I know how they shouldn't be battered :s

[5614]

Western Digital are generally a very good make. All hard drives fail eventually, don't blame the manufacturers on something inherent in all hard drives.

 

Also you should be able to open your hard drives. I've opened loads. Some have normal screws. Some screws are hidden under "removing this voids the warranty" stickers. Some are those star shape screws, but you can buy star shaped screwdrives if you really want to.

 

The only hard drive I've never been able to open is one with star shaped screws because I don't have the right size screwdriver.

[herme3]

If it's reading or writing at the time, the chances are quite high, some laptops have motion sensors in them to "lock" the read/write head when they feel a shock, but that wont always work.

 

I know that Apple advertises that feature, but I've never heard another manufacturer talk about it. Would my Compaq laptop have a motion sensor? It was the top-of-the-line model, but it's over a year old.

[Klaynos]

tbh I've no idea on specific models, you'd have to investigate. I know some toshibas do...