Hard drive will not turn on

  • Thread starter Thread starter chadvandemark
  • Start date Start date
C

chadvandemark

If anyone has ideas/past experiences with this problem, please let me
know and thanks in advance!

I recently turned on my computer and left the room while it was booting
up. When I returned the computer was off and it smelled like burning.
I immediately turned off the power supply and unplugged everything.
Originally I thought that the power supply had finally burned up, so I
replaced that with no problems. The major issue now is that the PC
won't turn on at all when the power is plugged into my Master hard
drive. It will boot-up when it is still plugged into my slave, but as
soon as I attempt for power with the Master it won't come on at all.

Has my hard drive kicked the bucket? If so, can I recover any of my
files?
Thanks,
Chad
 
If anyone has ideas/past experiences with this problem, please let me
know and thanks in advance!

I recently turned on my computer and left the room while it was booting
up. When I returned the computer was off and it smelled like burning.
I immediately turned off the power supply and unplugged everything.
Originally I thought that the power supply had finally burned up, so I
replaced that with no problems. The major issue now is that the PC
won't turn on at all when the power is plugged into my Master hard
drive. It will boot-up when it is still plugged into my slave, but as
soon as I attempt for power with the Master it won't come on at all.

Has my hard drive kicked the bucket? If so, can I recover any of my
files?
Thanks,
Chad
Click to expand...

It is a pretty good assumption that the hard drive has crashed.
If the hard drive platters are intact, then a professional data
recovery outfit should have no problems at swapping the electronics
card and/or drive motor of the hard drive and starting data recovery.
 
Be ready to shell out BIG $$$$ for this type of recovery service and
several do not offer any "guaranty" that they will ever recovery data.
This is one reason why "backups" are important.
 
Was the HD a Maxtor by chance?
I have two that smoked a chip (Bubbled the chip case) on the HD logic card.
Suspect MBD regulator failure as the cause in my case. (Video card, memory,
processor were OK, so either the MBD or the HDs are the primary suspects.)
Like you, I first suspected the power supply.
 
A general rule is that if anything fails it is possible that a resultant
power surge will take something else with it. This is, of course, most
common with power supply units.

You say that you can boot up to the slave hard drive. If you were to swap
the master slave settings on the two hard drives and swap the ribbon cables
you would have a working computer. If it accepts your hard drives in this
configuration you may be able to copy off your files before it finally dies
(and it is permanently disconnected). If it doesn't accept your hard drives
in this configuration I'm afraid its back to Plan A (relying on the backup
or data recovery). I can recommend someone to do this if you want.

Regards.

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
 
(e-mail address removed) wrote in 48g2000cwx.googlegroups.com:
If anyone has ideas/past experiences with this problem, please let me
know and thanks in advance!

I recently turned on my computer and left the room while it was booting
up. When I returned the computer was off and it smelled like burning.
I immediately turned off the power supply and unplugged everything.
Originally I thought that the power supply had finally burned up, so I
replaced that with no problems. The major issue now is that the PC
won't turn on at all when the power is plugged into my Master hard
drive. It will boot-up when it is still plugged into my slave, but as
soon as I attempt for power with the Master it won't come on at all.

Has my hard drive kicked the bucket? If so, can I recover any of my
files?
Thanks,
Chad
Click to expand...

Even though it's a longshot, take a read here:

http://www.deadharddrive.com/
 
charles said:
can i get some input on my comp. dos and do nots

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com
Click to expand...

Try MVP Patty MacDuffie's site (new users) http://computerhaven.info/

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Back
Top