Hard drive completely dead - can I repair ir?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DooMuk
  • Start date Start date
D

DooMuk

Hi,

I recently had a PSU failure and so i replaced it but from this point on the
hard disk failed to be detected during the post and became dead.
I had another pc so I put it in that, same result. Nothing. and so I bought a
new hard drive.
Is it possible for me to physically repair the drive? can i simply unscrew it
and remove the disk and then place it in another hard drive?

I could really do with some of the data off it and as it would seem that it
is perhaps an interface or power related problem I would guess that the disk
itself is still intact.

Any help of this would be of exteme use.

Thanks in advance
DooM
 
DooMuk said:
Hi,

I recently had a PSU failure and so i replaced it but from this point
on the hard disk failed to be detected during the post and became
dead. I had another pc so I put it in that, same result. Nothing. and
so I bought a new hard drive.
Is it possible for me to physically repair the drive? can i simply
unscrew it and remove the disk and then place it in another hard
drive?

I could really do with some of the data off it and as it would seem
that it is perhaps an interface or power related problem I would guess
that the disk itself is still intact.

If the hard drive is dead, it cannot be repaired - by yourself or by
anyone else. The only way to get data off the drive at this point is by
sending it to a professional data recovery firm like Drive Savers (my
preference) or Seagate Data Recovery. General prices run from $500USD
on up. Drive Savers recovered all the data on a failed laptop drive for
one of my clients and it cost $2,700. He thought it was worth the
money; only you know what your data is worth. I understand that some
insurance companies are now covering data recovery charges under "Loss
of Intellectual Property" so check with yours.

Drive Savers - http://www.drivesavers.com
Seagate Data Recovery Services - https://www.seagatedatarecovery.com/

Malke
 
So non of this 'putting it in the fridge' will work or anything like that?
BAH! all my hours of gaming in oblivion has GONE!!!!

and a few pages of a book Ive been writing, i can re-write those but my
oblivion save :(

[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
that it is perhaps an interface or power related problem I would guess
that the disk itself is still intact.

If the hard drive is dead, it cannot be repaired - by yourself or by
anyone else. The only way to get data off the drive at this point is by
sending it to a professional data recovery firm like Drive Savers (my
preference) or Seagate Data Recovery. General prices run from $500USD
on up. Drive Savers recovered all the data on a failed laptop drive for
one of my clients and it cost $2,700. He thought it was worth the
money; only you know what your data is worth. I understand that some
insurance companies are now covering data recovery charges under "Loss
of Intellectual Property" so check with yours.

Drive Savers - http://www.drivesavers.com
Seagate Data Recovery Services - https://www.seagatedatarecovery.com/

Malke
 
What happened to your backup?

doomuk said:
So non of this 'putting it in the fridge' will work or anything like that?
BAH! all my hours of gaming in oblivion has GONE!!!!

and a few pages of a book Ive been writing, i can re-write those but my
oblivion save :(

[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
that it is perhaps an interface or power related problem I would guess
that the disk itself is still intact.

If the hard drive is dead, it cannot be repaired - by yourself or by
anyone else. The only way to get data off the drive at this point is by
sending it to a professional data recovery firm like Drive Savers (my
preference) or Seagate Data Recovery. General prices run from $500USD
on up. Drive Savers recovered all the data on a failed laptop drive for
one of my clients and it cost $2,700. He thought it was worth the
money; only you know what your data is worth. I understand that some
insurance companies are now covering data recovery charges under "Loss
of Intellectual Property" so check with yours.

Drive Savers - http://www.drivesavers.com
Seagate Data Recovery Services - https://www.seagatedatarecovery.com/

Malke
 
Hi,

I recently had a PSU failure and so i replaced it but from this point on the
hard disk failed to be detected during the post and became dead.
I had another pc so I put it in that, same result. Nothing. and so I bought a
new hard drive.
Is it possible for me to physically repair the drive? can i simply unscrew it
and remove the disk and then place it in another hard drive?

I could really do with some of the data off it and as it would seem that it
is perhaps an interface or power related problem I would guess that the disk
itself is still intact.

Any help of this would be of exteme use.

The mere act of opening it will destroy it. Drives are only opened in
clean rooms--and by that I don't mean just a room you've cleaned up
well.
 
doomuk said:
So non of this 'putting it in the fridge' will work or anything like
that? BAH! all my hours of gaming in oblivion has GONE!!!!

and a few pages of a book Ive been writing, i can re-write those but
my oblivion save :(

The freezer (not the fridge) trick usually only works when the hard
drive is still detected but has bad sectors or won't spin up properly.
If you're rich, then send the drive to DriveSavers. Otherwise consider
it a hard-won life lesson that you should back up important stuff
regularly.

Malke
 
So non of this 'putting it in the fridge' will work or anything like that?
BAH! all my hours of gaming in oblivion has GONE!!!!

and a few pages of a book Ive been writing, i can re-write those but my
oblivion save :(

Putting it in a fridge can sometimes help with a drive that won't spin
up. It's a very temporary fix, though--if you get it back this way
copy your data off at once as it's less likely to work a second time.

Note that it is only a fix for drives that won't spin up, not for any
other sort of failure, and it is by no means a sure thing even then.

If you try it make sure to protect the drive from moisture.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
that it is perhaps an interface or power related problem I would guess
that the disk itself is still intact.

If the hard drive is dead, it cannot be repaired - by yourself or by
anyone else. The only way to get data off the drive at this point is by
sending it to a professional data recovery firm like Drive Savers (my
preference) or Seagate Data Recovery. General prices run from $500USD
on up. Drive Savers recovered all the data on a failed laptop drive for
one of my clients and it cost $2,700. He thought it was worth the
money; only you know what your data is worth. I understand that some
insurance companies are now covering data recovery charges under "Loss
of Intellectual Property" so check with yours.

Drive Savers - http://www.drivesavers.com
Seagate Data Recovery Services - https://www.seagatedatarecovery.com/

Malke
 
DooMuk said:
Hi,

I recently had a PSU failure and so i replaced it but from this point
on the hard disk failed to be detected during the post and became
dead. I had another pc so I put it in that, same result. Nothing. and
so I bought a new hard drive.
Is it possible for me to physically repair the drive? can i simply
unscrew it and remove the disk and then place it in another hard
drive?

I could really do with some of the data off it and as it would seem
that it is perhaps an interface or power related problem I would guess
that the disk itself is still intact.

Any help of this would be of exteme use.

Thanks in advance
DooM

Hi,

My PC PSU cooked a few weeks ago and took 2 HD's with it also.

If you do want to try to retrieve the data, there may be a way. If the
drive fails detection during POST, that is actually a good thing. It
means that the controller (the PCB physically screwed to the drive) it
fried. Most likely, no mechanical issues.

You can try replacing the controller board on the drive with an
'identical as possible' model. (The link will explain what 'identical'
menas when it comes top HD's.)

Read this site for stories/details/and issues concerning this operation.

www.deadharddrive.com

Disclaimers - Nothing beats regular backups. Fixing the drive by swapping
the controller may be a hit-n-miss affair. The newer and larger the drive
is the lower the chance of this repair being successful.

If anything, it's an interesting read.

Gotta go...Sabres game starting......

Regards,

DanS
 
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