so my clicking laptop hard drive is hopeless, right?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Jon wrote:
>
> So let's see. About two years ago I dropped my laptop. It still
> worked but behaved a little strangely like the drive was bad, so I ran
> scandisk, etc. and it fixed some bad sectors. I think I used
> spinrite, too. Anyway, after getting scared and copying everything
> off of it onto CDs, it actually still worked fine, so I kept using it.
> Only made backups every few months, and then stopped making backups
> after the scariness wore off, of course. Never had any problems with
> bad sectors or anything, though. About a year ago it suddenly died
> completely. It makes clicky noises and the computer doesn't recognize
> it. It doesn't make any scraping or scuffing sounds. It's somewhat
> important stuff, but not *that* important. So I tried the magical DIY
> remedies like hitting it :-) and putting it in the freezer. None
> worked.

Hello, Jon:

Well, "hitting it" was a bad idea. Hard disks should never be subjected
to such rough handling, as physical shock is often harmful to their
delicate, internal mechanisms.

For shame, you HDD-abuser, you! :-P

>I think the most I would pay to have it recovered is $150
> max, but probably more like $100. Even the cheapest hard drive
> recovery is like $600, right? I just need to get the files off, I
> don't want to save the drive itself. I didn't hear any scraping type
> noises, but it does a click-click-click like something is stuck on
> something. What does a head crash sound like for a little laptop
> drive? Does it make a sound? So it's been in a ziploc bag under the
> frozen veggies for a few months now, just sitting where I left it.
> Any suggestions?

My suggestion is, get a new drive. Your old one is dead as a mackerel,
and will make a nice paperweight or doorstop. It was probably beyond
hope, even before you "put it through the ringer," so to speak.

Good luck!


Cordially,
John Turco <jtur@concentric.net>