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View Full Version : Laptop hard drive problems


DaJe
03-09-2007, 01:24 AM
Someone gave me a hard drive for their lap top for me to look at. They have some pictures on it that they want, but the drive won't boot. It's an old laptop, a Dell Latitude, only had a pentium II.


So anyways, here's the hard drive

http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT7374.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT7375.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT7376.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT7377.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT7378.JPG


At first it gave this message when it tried to boot from it

http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT7383.JPG



But now It clicks and displays a new message

Primary hard disk drive 0 not found

No bootable device(s) selected



Here's a sound clip of the clicking (http://codeinsurrection.com/music/hdd.mp3).



Anyone have any idea? Or is he just screwed and never getting his pictures back
Zephik
03-09-2007, 01:27 AM
Mine made a similar sound.

It was because I threw it across the room out of frustration. ...lol well at least I am not kicking puppies!

But to me, that sounds like the sound of a broken hard drive. I could be wrong though.
Crimson Sky
03-09-2007, 08:50 AM
That sound is most likely a borked bearing on the hard drive read arm. Dead.
LiTHiUM0XiD3
03-09-2007, 09:11 AM
...... clicking hardrives r never a good thing..... hate to say it bud.... but there is a good chance the drive is totaly pooched lolz
xRyokenx
03-09-2007, 11:38 AM
Yeah, if it clicks or squeaks, it's totaled, I don't think anyone else needs to say so... heck, I probably didn't even need to post here... :D
Airbozo
03-09-2007, 11:57 AM
Some of the old quantum drives used to get "stiction"
( http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/stiction.html )
and if we ever powered the drives off they would make a similar sound and not spin up. If you have tried _EVERYTHING_ else, then hold the drive firmly in one hand and smack the side of the drive into the other hand (use some force but not enough to hurt yourself) and then try it again. It is important to do the side to side smackdown and not from the top or bottom, which could put a divot in the platter. This is meant to be a LAST DITCH EFFORT!
agnat
03-09-2007, 01:53 PM
Airbozo, that's exactly what we do here in IT, but like you said as a last ditch effort.

Good luck DaJe
DaJe
03-09-2007, 02:50 PM
What if I were to open it up
DaJe
03-09-2007, 02:52 PM
I just noticed something. With the other hard drive I have, I hear something move around when I shake it. I guess it's the arm. I don't hear it when I shake the broken one.
AJ@PR
03-09-2007, 03:09 PM
What if I were to open it up

Well, probably

you'd void the warranty, break the seal on the hard drive, possibly get some kind of contaminent (it only takes the slitest spec of dust on the platter to ruin a HD), and likely never get it back together the same again.

But if it's ruined, then what the hell, right?

And if you upload pictures, you'll get more respect from us geeks. :)
DaJe
03-09-2007, 06:19 PM
It probably doesn't even have a warranty on it anymore.
DaJe
03-28-2007, 06:13 PM
I opened it :O


http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/computer/mod/PICT7595.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/computer/mod/PICT7599.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/computer/mod/PICT7560.JPG


Ignore those skin flakes on the platter :(
Mitternacht
03-28-2007, 06:21 PM
Ignore those skin flakes on the platter :(

Ok Goldmember...:D
DaJe
03-28-2007, 06:47 PM
For some reason i can't edit my post to fix that last link to http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/computer/mod/PICT7600.JPG
nil8
03-28-2007, 08:56 PM
The guys are correct on everything they've told you. Including the incredible cheapness of second hand laptop drives. Dead ones make great targets for non-scoped rifle shooting btw.

I've removed a couple of failing hard drives before they completely bit the dust(SMART actually did something. Who knew?).

A trick I learned was that on dying drives sometimes it helps to cool them down to around 30-40F for data extraction. The effect doesn't last long, but it did seem to make the drive last just long enough to get the main chunk of data off.

Anyway, get your buddy a new drive, attach the adapter, slap the sucker in and install an OS and he'll be back in business fairly quickly.
Hard drives are one of the easiest things to replace or repair on most laptops.

Get a couple of torx bits and take apart the drive fully. It gives you a much better understanding of how a hard drive actually functions. Neat stuff.
DaJe
03-29-2007, 04:27 PM
I already have those, in all sizes. And I've already taken it all apart. You're a little late!