freezer trick is amazing

[Jetster]

So today i did a really stupid thing. when i was cleaning my room today, i found my old WD 120GB ide hard drive collecting dust there. For the heck of it, i connected it to my computer. But for that moment, i must be brain dead or something, i put it facing down on top of my steel case after pluged in power and data cable (pcb board touching steel surface).
After i pressed the power button, the system simply went into loop of restarting. I was like wtf, i was pretty sure all settings are correct and everything. Then finally, i realized i was shorting the damn thing as i lift it and saw sparks flying around. i quickly shut down and unplugged everything. Then i installed everything in correct position, but at that point the drive was simply dead, it can be detected by bios, but windows just cant use it and bsod.
For the heck of it, i put it in the freezer, thought at least it wont hurt to give it a try. After half hour or so, i plugged it back, and to my amazement, it sprung up and all working again. and so far no problems.
anyway, i just want to share this story. and my advice is: take extreme care when dealing with your computer hardwares, you never know u fuked something up. and hard drives are build pretty tough, if it can survive a short, then it certainly can survive your delivery man playing football with it

 

[Billb2]

The freezer trick compensates for worn bearings (platter or arm) and only works until the drive heats up again. If yours continues to function, it wasn't the freezer that did it.

Note: The freezer trick doesn't work for the "clicking" failure.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Billb2
The freezer trick compensates for worn bearings (platter or arm) and only works until the drive heats up again. If yours continues to function, it wasn't the freezer that did it.

If a drive continues to work after a trip to the freezer, and the freezer wasn't what fixed it, what was it...
Black Magic?

I had an 80GB WD that would hard lock after heating up. I didn't have anything to lose but some data I needed from it.
I put it in the freezer for a couple of hours, pulled it out, connected it and quickly copied the data I needed.
That was several years ago and the drive is still in service today.
Do I attribute the drives resurrection to Black Magic? :shocked:

I understand that pixies didn't open the drive in the freezer and work on it. But some physical movement of components happened as a result of contraction, restoring functionality to the drive.

 

[Binky]

I must need a new freezer, because the one time I tried this it didn't work for me. I've read many reports that it does (occasionally) work.