Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

Thanks,

buddd

"buddd" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

Yes, just forget about this project and move on to your next project.

"Charles" writes:

"buddd" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

Yes, just forget about this project and move on to your next project.

Agreed. But if you can find an identical known good controller PDB, swapping
that might have at least a chance. Going inside is basically killing it.
It's not a physical problem like a screw fell out!

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

buddd wrote:

Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

If the data's unimportant and recovering it isn't your goal, then you could open
it up to see what's going on.

Graham

"buddd" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

Thanks,

buddd


Set up a new Primary HD and then hook your old HD up as a Secondary, you
might be able to get some of the data off it. After that I'd tear it open.

I have one that did the same thing, I was going to take mine a part too, but
I did'nt have the right size bit (tools).

Cheers,
Jim

"Jim" ) writes:
"buddd" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

Thanks,

buddd


Set up a new Primary HD and then hook your old HD up as a Secondary, you
might be able to get some of the data off it. After that I'd tear it open.

I have one that did the same thing, I was going to take mine a part too, but
I did'nt have the right size bit (tools).

That's where you use the drill press. Once something is garbage, it doesn't
matter if you damage it, hence drilling out the screws is perfectly viable
at that point, to get the magnets out.

You don't actually need a drill press. A hand drill will work, though not
one of those cordless screwdrivers that get called "drills".

Michael

buddd wrote:

Any suggestions / recommendations?

I used to take the platters out and make wind mobiles or chimes out of them.

I stopped at one before realising it was stupid.

Yes, I know I should have stopped at NONE, but when you have nothing better
to do...
--
Linux Registered User # 302622
http://counter.li.org

"buddd" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

Thanks,

buddd


You have zero chance of fixing it by opening it up, but if you don't care
about the data you may as well pop it open. They have some pretty insanely
powerful magnets in them in the head actuator, fun to play with but be
careful, they can pinch.

buddd wrote:
Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

Thanks,

buddd


Classic case of a hard drive that has lost it servo track and can not
find track 0. Caused by a bad track Zero, bad head or bad mux chip in
the hd chamber.

It's dead, really dead, will not magiaclly ressurect at some future time.

Got piles of them

Hugh

buddd wrote in news:1183847601.898143.267220
@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

Hello,

I have a what I believe to be a physically damaged hard drive with
data on it. (My guess it is the heads). When I turn the drive on, one
hears a knocking sound for about 30 seconds and then the drive
automatically shuts off.

The data on the drive is not important enough to pay a professional to
fix it, and software recovery tools won't work.

I would like to take the opportunity to open and try repairing the
disk myself (as a learning process).

Any suggestions / recommendations?

Thanks,

buddd


http://www.glumbert.com/media/irack

Actually, best advice is to take it apart and salvage the magnets.
If you open the case, outside of a clean room, you have just ruined the
heads and the platters.

As for the clicking sound, it is the heads trying to find their position.
Electronic problems are just as likely to cause the clicking as a head
problem.

It has been many years since a technician in the field could replace the
heads in a hard drive. I did it back in 1982. But those heads were much
larger, flew higher and unloaded physically from the platter. That meant
the platter spun up to speed and then the heads would load. A few pieces of
loose dust got blown off during the spin up.

Now, the heads STAY on the platter. Everything must be ultra clean or the
heads will crash before they get to flying speed.

Then there is the problem of aligning the heads, even if you could replace
them. In 1981 it took a scope and the right software to put the heads over
an eccentricly written track that was special for alignment. I have no idea
how the tiny hall effect heads are aligned.

Good luck.








--
bz 73 de N5BZ k

please pardon my infinite ignorance, the set-of-things-I-do-not-know is an
infinite set.

remove ch100-5 to avoid spam trap

(Michael Black) wrote in
:

.....

You don't actually need a drill press. A hand drill will work, though
not one of those cordless screwdrivers that get called "drills".


A hefty pair of diagonal cutters will do, too. Use them like a can opener and
peel the top open. Sometimes they can be used to turn the screws too.








--
bz 73 de N5BZ k

please pardon my infinite ignorance, the set-of-things-I-do-not-know is an
infinite set.

remove ch100-5 to avoid spam trap