Lots of clicking noise--No start up

[flames9]

Good morning. Thanks for everyones help on my new build a little over a month ago--it is working well. But I need helps with my wifes now dead computer!!

Specs: Gateway AMD Phenom X4 9750 Quad-Core Processor 2.4GHz (bought refurbished from Revonate) 1TB hard drive! On start up, it clicks away and thats all it does---nothing comes up on the monitor---just clicks and clicks away. I'm assuming it is the hard drive-----yep, unplugged hard drive, and clicking noise goes away!!

So I'm thinking that one is just better off in buying a new hard drive. question is----how can i get the old info off the "damaged" hard drive, or is that just lost forever??

I'm assuming I will have to buy a new copy of Windows 7----as this computer had vista and then came with a upgrade cd to windows 7!! Guess our concern is getting the old info off the damaged hard drive-----and yes she does have an external HD--just has not saved to it for awhile--duh!!! lol

thanks

 

[popatim]

The damaged harddrive can be sent to a data recovery specialist thou I hear they are expensive and data recovery is not guaranteed. This usually voids any warranty on the drive.

As for reinstalling the OS, the factory disks, or the ones you made, should work fine for reinstalling windows thou you may have to install Vista and then upgrade to 7 from there. I would try installing 7 first.

 

[flames9]

Solution: Went out to Microcentre and bought a new Samsung 1TB 7200 internal HD!! And Windows 7 OEM. Fixed

Asked Microcenter on how much to recover the data on the HD----$1850.00!! Holey moley!!! I had to ask her twice,lol

Lesson learned-------Back up ur HD often!!

Many Thanks all!!

 

[Crashman]

Solution: Went out to Microcentre and bought a new Samsung 1TB 7200 internal HD!! And Windows 7 OEM. Fixed

Asked Microcenter on how much to recover the data on the HD----$1850.00!! Holey moley!!! I had to ask her twice,lol

Lesson learned-------Back up ur HD often!!

Many Thanks all!!

I'm surprised nobody recommended the freezer trick. Stick the drive in your freezer for a couple hours then try to see if it will start with the computer. You might get a couple good starts out of it that way. Now that you have a new drive with loads of space, anything you can do to temporarily revive the old drive could help with your data rescue and, best part is, its free.

 

[Twoboxer]

Lanny McDonald . . . ice . . . ironic, eh? Anyhow, if Crash's trick works, copy important stuff ASAP . . . by which I mean have a plan ready.

 

[Crashman]

Lanny McDonald . . . ice . . . ironic, eh? Anyhow, if Crash's trick works, copy important stuff ASAP . . . by which I mean have a plan ready.

I probably should have mentioned the quick thing, or at least told him that I've never been able to keep a drive running for more than around ten minutes when the trick did work...

 

[flames9]

lol!!! Will give it a try, she doesnt have any real important stuff on it, so thats a bonus!! Thanks all

 

[flames9]

Best answer selected by flames9.