  CylonRed Premium,MVM join:2000-07-06 Bloom County
1 edit | reply to Jeffrey Re: [hard drive] Hard Drive Failure - Realistic Opinions/Suggest
the chance of getting anything off the laptop is less than 1% I would say. Click of death means you will be lucky to get anything off of it unless you take the platters out and put them in another drive case and the reason data recovery is so expensive.
You can try the freezer trick but that is the last, last, last resort. |
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  Jeffrey too dark too early Premium join:2002-12-24 Dix Hills,NY clubs:
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1 edit | said by CylonRed :the chance of getting anything off the laptop is less than 1% I would say. Click of death means you will be lucky to get anything off of it unless you take the platters out and put them in another drive case and the reason data recovery is so expensive. You can try the freezer trick but that is the last, last, last resort. That's what I sort of figured, but nice to hear the confirmation.
I have been under the impression the entire time that the chances of getting data off of this drive is next to nothing. This being said, how hard would it be for me to do exactly that; take out the platters and put them in another drive casing? Basically, a learning experience, and if I happen to get data, then great. Is it even worth my time?
I was thinking about the freezer trick, I'll have to read up on the exact process. -- "Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin
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  CylonRed Premium,MVM join:2000-07-06 Bloom County
1 edit | The tolerances are so close for the heads that you would really need a clean room to remove the platters as dust will interfere with the heads.
Process for the freezer trick is not difficult - I tried it once with my mom's hard drive. Took the drive out and attached it to a enclosure for ease, wrapped it in a couple of layers of paper towel, then out it in a plastic freezer bag. Left it in the freezer for a good while then cut a hole in the plastic to insert the power and data cable while it was in the freezer - to prevent condensation and powered it up. In my case - it was a resounding failure.
I have a write up and pics somewhere here at DSLR - I will have to try and find the thread.
Thought i had pics but I don't see any in the thread: »[hard drive] Official freezer trick instructions... |
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  Jeffrey too dark too early Premium join:2002-12-24 Dix Hills,NY clubs:
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| said by CylonRed :The tolerances are so close for the heads that you would really need a clean room to remove the platters as dust will interfere with the heads. Well, that sort of closes the book on that unless they let me borrow the clean room here at work. (Finally, something at work that's potentially useful to me, personally! Although they will question while a hard drive is being taken apart, and medication is not being mixed. )
said by CylonRed :Process for the freezer trick is not difficult - I tried it once with my mom's hard drive. Took the drive out and attached it to a enclosure for ease, wrapped it in a couple of layers of paper towel, then out it in a plastic freezer bag. Left it in the freezer for a good while then cut a hole in the plastic to insert the power and data cable while it was in the freezer - to prevent condensation and powered it up. In my case - it was a resounding failure. I have a write up and pics somewhere here at DSLR - I will have to try and find the thread. Interesting. I did a quick search here, and the consensus seems to be leavng it in a few hours/overnight. I wasn't clear from my own search whether or not I was to actually leave the HDD in the freezer while hooked to the PC, or if I could remove it from the freezer. From your reply here, you answered my question. Thanks!
I'm off to Newegg to get a SATA enclosure. -- "Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin
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  CylonRed Premium,MVM join:2000-07-06 Bloom County | I should ask - the drive is a SATA drive and not a PATA (IDE) correct? Just be sure to get the right connector in teh enclosure. The enclosure is not mandatory but it does make it a bit easier. |
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  Jeffrey too dark too early Premium join:2002-12-24 Dix Hills,NY clubs:
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| said by CylonRed :I should ask - the drive is a SATA drive and not a PATA (IDE) correct? Just be sure to get the right connector in teh enclosure. The enclosure is not mandatory but it does make it a bit easier. Thanks for your link in your post above this one---gave me a better idea of what I'm supposed to do.
Yeah I have a EIDE external enclosure, and I always meant to pickup an SATA enclosure, but never did. Guess now is the time. I think what I'll do is setup my PC in the kitchen, and put the failed drive in the SATA external enclosure, and then run a 6 foot USB cable from it - in the freezer - to my laptop. Someone will need to take a photo of this, as I'm sure I'll get asked what the hell it is I'm doing.  -- "Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin
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  Jeffrey too dark too early Premium join:2002-12-24 Dix Hills,NY clubs:
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| reply to CylonRed HDD enclosure is here, and ready to go. Hooked up the drive to it, put it in the freezer in the paper towel + bag. Going to leave it in overnight. Sometime tomorrow morning, I'm going to bring my laptop to the freezer, turn on the enclosure while it's in the freezer, and hook the USB cable from it to my laptop. And cross my fingers. 
In a strange twist of luck, when I looked at his PC today I noticed a second hard drive. Pulled that out, and put it into a spare PC I had here. This second HDD did not crash, and on it was his porn and music - two things he was worried about losing. I guess a few years ago when I setup his PC, I must have setup iTunes to put it on this D: drive. So, looks like the music is saved. However, his newborn baby photographs are on the broken HDD.
Until tomorrow... -- "Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin
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