Hard drive problem - help!

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user

All right, so I have become a victim of my own negligence. I thought only
other people's hard drives die. Wrong. However, I am hoping there is a
chance I can fix my malfunctioning hard drive. Here's the problem: recently,
I tried to turn on my computer and it wouldn't. For several seconds the
drives and the power supply made repetitive noises and then it shut off. So
I open it up and start disconnecting all the components one by one,
attempting to turn on the computer after each disconnect. Finally, when I
disconnected the hard drive, the computer turned on and began to boot up. If
I connect the hard drive back, the same story - noises, processor and hard
drive lights flashing for several seconds and then a shut off. This kind of
behavior gives me reason to believe that the problem is not mechanical, but
electrical and that the internals of the drive are stil intact. If anyone
has seen anything similar before or has any advice, it will be GREATLY
appreciated.

~L
 
Hi,
First alternatives are to try a different power connector and data cable.
Can you substitute another hdd on your machine?

It's about the easiest thing I can come up with the certify that it's the
drive.
 
Hi,
First alternatives are to try a different power connector and data cable.
Can you substitute another hdd on your machine?
Click to expand...

Did that. Same thing - still not working. :-(
 
Could be the PSU, but if you don't have a spare then a multi-meter will
tell the tale

Nope, don't think that it's the PSU - the computer works fine with 2 CD
drives and another HD connected, so I'm pretty sure it's the hard drive
that's bad.
 
Buy another drive and restore from the backup you have.
You DID backup . . . didn't you ??
Click to expand...

:), yes, but only the critical data. It would still be nice to recover the
rest.
 
Buy another drive and restore from the backup you have.

You DID backup . . . didn't you ??
 
when you say another drive...you mean one that replaced the possible bad one or a 2nd hard drive originally on the system?
it would be unusual for a drive to kill the system power wise....not impossible....but a rare instance when the PSU is in good
condition.
 
when you say another drive...you mean one that replaced the possible bad
one or a 2nd hard drive originally on the system?
it would be unusual for a drive to kill the system power wise....not
Click to expand...
impossible....but a rare instance when the PSU is in good
condition.
Click to expand...

Originally there were two hard drives (WD and IBM), one of them is now
malfunctioning (WD). The IBM (the system drive) works fine. I am guessing
the hard drives require about the same amount of power, so if a PSU can
power 2 cd drives and IBM hard drive, I don't see why it wouldn't be able to
power a single WD drive.
 
I see, I missed where everything was out but the WD.....I would say also the drive is the culprit
 
:), yes, but only the critical data. It would still be nice to recover the
rest.
Click to expand...

Once upon a time I had a bad scsi drive; wouldn't spin up.
Tried multiple times as it had irreplacable info on it.
My drives spin up sequentially sooooo....
When it got to the H drive or whichever it was, I rapped it 3 times spaced across
the front of the HD frame with the back end of a solid metal ream.
Made 3 nice little dimples but it spun up one last time.
I, of course, started dragging and dropping like a madman starting with the most
critical data first. 'Course that was stiction.
For logic board problems it's been known to occasionally work to swap the controller
board on the drive with the board from an identical drive.
Depends on how badly you want the rest of the data....
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one or a 2nd hard drive originally on the system?
impossible....but a rare instance when the PSU is in good

Originally there were two hard drives (WD and IBM), one of them is now
malfunctioning (WD). The IBM (the system drive) works fine. I am guessing
the hard drives require about the same amount of power, so if a PSU can
power 2 cd drives and IBM hard drive, I don't see why it wouldn't be able to
power a single WD drive.
Click to expand...


I know this is useless information for your current situation but,
BACKUP is a MUST for irreplaceable data !

CDR discs are sooooo cheap, so is $60 for a second hard drive.
Don't ever let it happen to you again.

:-) Greg B.
 
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