Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (
More info?)
D.Currie wrote:
>
> No, it can't be fixed, but there are a few things you can try. That
> clicking sound is a mechanical failure, so software isn't going to be
> very helpful. A recovery company could get the data, but to do so,
> they've have to take the drive apart in a clean room and rebuild it,
> so it's not an inexpensive process.
>
> BUT...I've had about 50/50 success by taking the drive out, putting
> it in sealed plastic bag, and putting it in the freezer for an hour
> or so.
>
> When you take it out, make sure there's no condensation, or you could
> end up frying things. Don't try to boot off of it, install it as a
> slave, and if you can see the drive and the data, be ready to make
> your backups immediately. This is probably a one-shot deal, so know
> what you want to save and do it quickly. The drive may fail in the
> midst of this, so grab the really important stuff first. The times
> I've gotten this to work, it's been good for one time that the drive
> spins up, then it goes back to being very dead again. So after you
> copy the important stuff, if you aren't absolutely sure you got
> everything, copy it all. You probably won't have a second chance to
> go back and hunt for more files later.
>
> The first time I read about this, I thought it was a bit crazy, but
> I've had a few customer's drives that were unusable that I was able
> to salvage data off of this way. It not a sure thing, but it doesn't
> damage anything, either, so you aren't going to void the warranty.
>
> Next time, if a hard drive is clicking, the time to think about
> backing things up is when the drive is still working, not after it
> has failed completely. You were lucky to get 6 months use out of the
> drive. It could have died that day or that week.
I agree with this, done it myself a couple of times, left in the freezer
overnight and hooked up a slave, wrapped in a towel, IF it works you'll
probably get 10 minutes, maybe more out of it.
If this doesn't work, and as a last resort, take the drive in one hand and a
small hammer in the other and tap (quite firmly, but don't whack the thing)
around the edges, turning the drive around as you do it. This has been
known to un-stick a stuck head from the platter.
Good luck
--
Ian