Hard Drive Recovery Tip From: Lichtenwalner Allen L TSgt
Solution:
- Carefully remove it from the computer.
- Place it in the freezer for 24 hours, then put it back in the computer. You should have approximately 30 minutes of good spin time left before a fina l and much more permanen t shut down.
This problem often arises from a catastrophic hard disk crash bearings are usually the culprit, coupled with badly worn read/write heads. I've used this technique on many computers throughout the last fifteen years as "resident expert" and saved virtually all important data.
If you're in a pinch for time, such as critical data needed for a briefing in twenty minutes, you can opt for the more drastic cooling technique a C02 fire extinguisher...
Hard Drive Recovery Tip From: Jeff Smoley
Here is a solution for really dead drives: ones that won't spin or ones that make those funny grinding noises:
Put the drive in the fridge for a few hours. This can shrink up something inside that might let it run long enough to get critical data. If not, try the freezer for a few more.
This actually has worked for me in the past.
Hard Drive Recovery Tip From: Neal Menkus
Things we have done in the past that worked:
- Remove the drive, grab it, and shake the hell out of it: "What could it hurt? It's not working anyway…."
- Place the drive in a freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Open the drive case in a laminar flow-hood, and give it a spin. (Once it was closed up and reinstalled, it worked long enough to suck the data off of it.)
- Swap the logic board with one on another drive of the same type.
Numbers 1, 2, and 3 worked with older Seagate (which we no longer purchase) drives, which were prone to "stiction" problems. Number 4 worked following an electrical surge (lightning strike), since the data on the platters were still there and OK.
