Western Digital 20 GB WD200 IDE HDD won't spin up!

[johnbullas]

Hi!

I have one of these Western Digital 20 GB WD200 IDE HDDs as the master in a second PC, it initially failed to spin up once, I powered the PC down and it booted ok second go, this time it is just sitting there clicking unseen by the BIOS with the motor spinning(?) then a click and again..... ad infinitum.......

As a slave drive installed in the #1 PC nothing is any different and it remains unseen by bios, windows and the "whirr click" continues......

.....listen to it here in a very boring 7.12 MB video :

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~johnb/download/DSCN8490_7-12MB.MOV

Any way for the "keen amateur" to get the data off this drive ( Win 2k Prof formatted FAT32)???? I'm happy with soldering iron and screwdriver!

FWIW:
S/N WTAAV3917615
MDL: WD400EB-00CSFO
WD P/N as above
DATE: 21 Nov 2001
DCM: DSBBHD2B

Heres to a hope in hell!

John
Southampton UK

 

[ski]

Try this:

http://www.runtime.org/gdb.htm

 

[stduc]

Get Data back requires that the BIOS sees the drive, even if windows doesn't.

I can't play the file, it's not a quicktime movie apparantly, but this could be the 'click of death'.

I am aware of two things worth trying.

First - remove the drive from the case, but leave connected. Try flicking the drive into life by rapid rotation (hold in your hand and flick your wrist)as your power up.

Failing that it may respond to the overnight in the freezer trick. Basically put the drive in a sealed back (ziplock will do) and place in a freezer overnight. Connect it up the next day as fast as possible!

If either works get the data off immediately - you may not have long before it really fails!

 

[johnbullas]

Will try the wrist action first once I get the new HDD in place ( Hitachi 80 GB as NTFS + Win XP SP2 ) if no joy will freeze it overnight (if there is a frost I will work outside to keep it cool [joking? Am I?] )

Any way to physically relocate the disk media in something else? just like the idea of playing neurosurgeon on a HDD

 

[johnbullas]

Tried the wrist action repeatedly nothing doing

The two versions of the software fail to see the drive

Into the freezer it goes!!!!

Anyone any more tips?

John

Off to buy a NetGear SC101 and a couple of Hitachi 250 GB HDDs to provide RAID!!!!

 

[stduc]

I have heard you can tap lightly with a small hammer. What used to be called a toffee hammer. But I have never tried it!

 

[johnbullas]

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1183509&page=1

I opened a thread in the data recovery forum: think we are now looking at paying someone to get the data off of it

It is NOT unredoable it is just very useful and will take time to recreate (Band in a Box & Sibelius composing)

YES.... Why for thee love of Clapton didn't we back it up???

Any forum members do uncontaminated/undamaged HDD datarecovery for violin lessons, cover versions, Rover A/A+ series engine tuning or beer

John & Helen

"I'm not young enough to
know the answer to everything"
Oscar Wilde