Hard Drive Failure on my PC

[Ronbo]

If you can get the exact same hard drive and have a small torx screwdriver try swapping the controller board. there will be one connector in the middle for platter motor, arm motor and head connection. (got a 50% chance here) Data recovery companies will whack you for $500 and this is the first thing they try.

If the drive isn't detected this sounds like the controller fried and the mechanicals are still good. Bad mechanicals will give a SMART error (as well as nasty sounds).

Laptop drives are prone to higher failure as they're exposed to bumps and temp extremes. Well worth it to get a USB external drive for $100 and back up often. If you want brute reliablity and speed put a SSD (solid state disk) in there. Very expensive but only true server grade drives (also $$$) share 2 million hour failure ratings.

[Randy Rosenberg]

Originally Posted by Ronbo

If you can get the exact same hard drive and have a small torx screwdriver try swapping the controller board...

I thought one needed to pay close attention to the environment where one chose to open up a hard drive. Aren't the tolerences between head and disk platter measured on the molecular level? If so, then doesn't one need to be in like a clean room to be successful here?

Maybe I wrong... (hint: wouldn't be the first time )

[ccomt]

Got The Bug,

Chances are your problem is with the controller board as Ronbo suggested. Replacing the controller board doesn't require opening the drive so you don't need a "clean" room. If that doesn't work, check out
Gillware Inc. Data Recovery -- these guys do great work and are very reasonable.

[dlang14]

Brother from another mother.....

Give me a ring or an email, I'm glad to try to help (I'm in Boston this week though). As others have suggested swapping out the controller board is pretty easy. Disk recovery is bucks, and just so you understand what you'll get back it'll be some of your files, and some garbage files. Don't expect a recovery shop to get 100% of your data.

Daryl