Data from an HD that does not boot.

Bill Ward wrote:
On 15/06/2018 13:19, Dave wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jun 2018 23:27:16 +0100, Bill Ward wrote:

I recently bought a Startech universal dock for 2.5/3.5in Sata and IDE
HDD. I had read that the data on disks that no longer boot can be
retrieved from them. In my case the device does not show the disk. It is
a Seagate Barracuda 2TB. Does anyone have any advice apart from diving a
steam roller over it ?

Bill.

I saw a video on youtube where someone tested whether sticking the drive
in the freezer for a while would help. Sounds crazy, but if all else
fails give it a try. Let us know if any luck.

Why not ! I've heard of other things like that working.
Bill.

I'd stick my ear on the drive, and let the sound
guide my next move.

If the drive is spinning, it's already had a chance
to load the heads. Using the freezer in that situation,
I can't think of a reason it might help. The voice
coil has more than enough power to pull the heads
down the ramp and load the heads.

If the drive isn't spinning, and you hear a strange
modulated tone coming from the motor, then you might
consider the freezer. As otherwise, it's never going
to have a chance to load the heads. FDB motors will
seize up if the lubricant leaves the motor. There
are only two drops of oil inside the FDB chamber,
and to tell lubricant state in the lab, they weigh
the motors on a milligram balance. That's how they
detect all the oil is gone during lab testing. They
test motor designs for longevity. (Some of the drive
motors are provided by Nidec.) They can stop the
test every once in a while, and weigh the motor.
And that helps plot "fuel remaining" versus time :-)

Stiction is no longer a problem on modern hard drives,
because the heads park on a plastic ramp, not on the
platter surface. Maybe back in the stiction days,
the freezer was the right call. Or, give it a smack.

Paul

On 15/06/2018 18:12, Mark Lloyd wrote:
On 06/15/2018 11:40 AM, Bill Ward wrote:

[snip]

I have a Canon printer that falsely reported a paper jam. I put it in
a cupboard until I had enough junk to get the council to collect it.
After about A year I took it out and attached it to my wife's computer
and it it worked.
Bill.

I've often had things that stopped working, then would work again after
being unused for awhile. However, this "afterlife" may be a short one.

I have found that as well but my wife's printer has now been back to
life for about a year.
Bill.

On 15/06/2018 18:55, Paul wrote:
Bill Ward wrote:
On 15/06/2018 13:19, Dave wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jun 2018 23:27:16 +0100, Bill Ward wrote:

I recently bought a Startech universal dock for 2.5/3.5in Sata and IDE
HDD. I had read that the data on disks that no longer boot can be
retrieved from them. In my case the device does not show the disk.
It is
a Seagate Barracuda 2TB. Does anyone have any advice apart from
diving a
steam roller over it ?

Bill.

I saw a video on youtube where someone tested whether sticking the drive
in the freezer for a while would help. Sounds crazy, but if all else
fails give it a try. Let us know if any luck.

Why not ! I've heard of other things like that working.
Bill.

I'd stick my ear on the drive, and let the sound
guide my next move.

If the drive is spinning, it's already had a chance
to load the heads. Using the freezer in that situation,
I can't think of a reason it might help. The voice
coil has more than enough power to pull the heads
down the ramp and load the heads.

If the drive isn't spinning, and you hear a strange
modulated tone coming from the motor, then you might
consider the freezer. As otherwise, it's never going
to have a chance to load the heads. FDB motors will
seize up if the lubricant leaves the motor. There
are only two drops of oil inside the FDB chamber,
and to tell lubricant state in the lab, they weigh
the motors on a milligram balance. That's how they
detect all the oil is gone during lab testing. They
test motor designs for longevity. (Some of the drive
motors are provided by Nidec.) They can stop the
test every once in a while, and weigh the motor.
And that helps plot "fuel remaining" versus time :-)

Stiction is no longer a problem on modern hard drives,
because the heads park on a plastic ramp, not on the
platter surface. Maybe back in the stiction days,
the freezer was the right call. Or, give it a smack.

Â*Â* Paul
Did not hear any spinning. Smacks used to help old valve TV's and
crackling radios.
As a child I remember my father putting plasticine round the valves on
his old Blue Spot radio. He placed it in the middle of the hall and
turned it on and told me to stand well away. I waited for a big bang but
there was only a whimper and we then got a big new Bush radio.
Bill.