My hard drive stopped working and began to make loud spinning noises

RedBirdz

Honorable
Oct 28, 2013
7
0
10,510
Help! I was copying stuff to a WD hard disk via USB. It's not external, but I connected it via a USB to SATA adapter. Anyway, I was copying stuff to it when all of a sudden, it stopped spinning and my PC stopped detecting it. I unplugged the power supply and plugged it BACK and it started making that loud spinning noise it usually makes when I plug it, but it kept repeating it endlessly with a slight pause between each "spin" as if it was stuck trying to read the same part. Normally, it makes that noise only once and then it becomes more silent (but not TOTALLY silent, of course). Anyway, my PC won't detect it anymore. I tried with a different USB adapter and power supply and the result was the same: after I plug the power supply, it repeats that loud spinning noise, and sometimes it stops after a few times and becomes totally silent (ie: as if it wasn't spinning due to it being dead). In case you're wondering, no, it doesn't make a clicking sound.

There was important data in it that I had no backup of. What can I do?
 
Solution

popatim

Titan
Moderator
Well I think you learned your lesson about not having important data backed up. Your drive appears to have died. Do you have another pc available for you to mount the drive internally to see if its an issue with the adapter that you currently use?
 

Trent Quan-Sing

Honorable
Jun 5, 2013
75
0
10,660


Sounds like a head has come off a platter or the like.

Unfortunately without adequate equipment and knowledge this is not a repair you can do yourself.

The data exists still and is retrievable but an expert with said equipment is necessary and also very expensive.

Sorry.
 
Solution