Software or Hardware HD Failure?

[Guest Serge Skysi]

My 500GB WD MyBook finally keeled over. I restarted my computer yesterday

and the drive didn't show up either in Explorer or Disk Management.

I tried to restart the drive manually by pushing the on-off button and

disconnectinf the usb and power cables, but this doesn't help. The drive

actually starts to spin, but then there're tree clicks one after another;

after 3 seconds there's another 3-click succession, after which the drive

spins down.

Those three clicks -- are they the sound of the heads crushing? I'm

assuming this drive is finished and can't be restored to a working state.

---------------------------------

I have a lot of data on it that I need restored. Could you suggest any

reasonable priced service that could do this?

 

Thank you.

[Guest PD43]

Re: Software or Hardware HD Failure?

 

"Serge Skysi" <feurio@sbc.net> wrote:

>I have a lot of data on it that I need restored. Could you suggest any

>reasonable priced service that could do this?

 

What is "reasonable"?

 

The more you have to recover, the less "reasonable" the fee will be.

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: Software or Hardware HD Failure?

 

You need to stop trying to run the disk drive. You are lessening the

chances of recovering any data on the drive the more you run it.

 

Replace the drive and reinstall Windows. Take the drive to your local

computer shop and ask them to assist you. If you have not been backing up

your files then you are simply at the mercy of whatever state the disk is

now in.

 

You can obtain recovery software, but your first task is getting your

computer up and running again. I use a commercial package, EasyRecovery

DataRecovery from Kroll Ontrack,

http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com/file-recovery-software/

 

Others will suggest various software solutions, some free, all with varying

effectiveness.

 

"Serge Skysi" <feurio@sbc.net> wrote in message

news:eekvXmZfIHA.4696@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> My 500GB WD MyBook finally keeled over. I restarted my computer yesterday

> and the drive didn't show up either in Explorer or Disk Management.

> I tried to restart the drive manually by pushing the on-off button and

> disconnectinf the usb and power cables, but this doesn't help. The drive

> actually starts to spin, but then there're tree clicks one after another;

> after 3 seconds there's another 3-click succession, after which the drive

> spins down.

> Those three clicks -- are they the sound of the heads crushing? I'm

> assuming this drive is finished and can't be restored to a working state.

> ---------------------------------

> I have a lot of data on it that I need restored. Could you suggest any

> reasonable priced service that could do this?

>

> Thank you.

>

>

>

[Guest James W. Long]

Re: Software or Hardware HD Failure?

 

 

pick up the drive physically and twist it- quick snap of the wrist -and then

pray..maybe you can get the motor to spin up.

thats what youre hearing..its trying to spin up.

 

"Serge Skysi" <feurio@sbc.net> wrote in message

news:eekvXmZfIHA.4696@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> My 500GB WD MyBook finally keeled over. I restarted my computer yesterday

> and the drive didn't show up either in Explorer or Disk Management.

> I tried to restart the drive manually by pushing the on-off button and

> disconnectinf the usb and power cables, but this doesn't help. The drive

> actually starts to spin, but then there're tree clicks one after another;

> after 3 seconds there's another 3-click succession, after which the drive

> spins down.

> Those three clicks -- are they the sound of the heads crushing? I'm

> assuming this drive is finished and can't be restored to a working state.

> ---------------------------------

> I have a lot of data on it that I need restored. Could you suggest any

> reasonable priced service that could do this?

>

> Thank you.

>

>

>

[Guest PD43]

Re: Software or Hardware HD Failure?

 

"James W. Long" <JamesLong@wowway.com> wrote:

>pick up the drive physically and twist it- quick snap of the wrist -and then

>pray..maybe you can get the motor to spin up.

 

Does that work better than throwing it against the wall a couple

times?

[Guest Patrick Keenan]

Re: Software or Hardware HD Failure?

 

"Serge Skysi" <feurio@sbc.net> wrote in message

news:eekvXmZfIHA.4696@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> My 500GB WD MyBook finally keeled over. I restarted my computer yesterday

> and the drive didn't show up either in Explorer or Disk Management.

> I tried to restart the drive manually by pushing the on-off button and

> disconnectinf the usb and power cables, but this doesn't help. The drive

> actually starts to spin, but then there're tree clicks one after another;

> after 3 seconds there's another 3-click succession, after which the drive

> spins down.

> Those three clicks -- are they the sound of the heads crushing? I'm

> assuming this drive is finished and can't be restored to a working state.

> ---------------------------------

> I have a lot of data on it that I need restored. Could you suggest any

> reasonable priced service that could do this?

>

> Thank you.

 

Good recovery services aren't inexpensive, and "reasonable" is a relative

term. The more data you have and the sooner you need it, the more

expensive recovery will be.

 

The last times I've used recovery services, the price has been in the $1000

range for around 40 gig. We did have to pay around $5000 to recover more

quickly from a 20 gig drive, but all the data was recovered.

 

The problem you will face is that if the drive has failed electrically or

mechanically, the platters have to be removed and installed on special

hardware. You cannot do this with software, and you can't do it at home.

 

HTH

\-pk

[Guest GHalleck]

Re: Software or Hardware HD Failure?

 

 

Serge Skysi wrote:

> My 500GB WD MyBook finally keeled over. I restarted my computer yesterday

> and the drive didn't show up either in Explorer or Disk Management.

> I tried to restart the drive manually by pushing the on-off button and

> disconnectinf the usb and power cables, but this doesn't help. The drive

> actually starts to spin, but then there're tree clicks one after another;

> after 3 seconds there's another 3-click succession, after which the drive

> spins down.

> Those three clicks -- are they the sound of the heads crushing? I'm

> assuming this drive is finished and can't be restored to a working state.

> ---------------------------------

> I have a lot of data on it that I need restored. Could you suggest any

> reasonable priced service that could do this?

>

> Thank you.

>

>

>

 

Learn to cross-post. Check your multi-posted question in

microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware. I like the answer posted

by Ghostrider. Especially, underpowered external USB enclosures

exhibit the same type of behavior.