Harddrive + Clicking sound = Dead? Reviveable?

[trance]

My deskstar 40gig just died overnight. It makes a clicking noise and my attempt to run Drive Fitness Test stalls at the drive scan. I suppose the obvious conclusion that it is dead. However, is it possibble to retrieve or even revive the drive? Thanks.

 

[mobobuff]

The popular thing to do is throw it in the freezer for a few hours and hook it back up to see if you can get some life out of it long enough to copy some files.

 

[SickBeast]

IBM DEATHSTAR MAKES THE CLICK OF DEATH. OH YEAH!!!!

 

[Robor]

I'd suggest trying to stick that thing into another system and see if you can get the data off of it before it competely dies.

I had 3 Deathstars myself. All died shortly after warranty... :disgust:

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

Originally posted by: mobobuff
The popular thing to do is throw it in the freezer for a few hours and hook it back up to see if you can get some life out of it long enough to copy some files.

i second this notion.i don't think it works with new hard drives,i believe this was an old trick from back in the day however it still seemed to work for me a few times.

 

[trance]

I don't understand thise "freezing" procedure? Can you expound a bit? Wouldn't putting a harddrive in a freeze effectively "kill" it (from moisture)?

 

[mobobuff]

Nah. The only moisture that you'd get would be if any frost which had gathered on the outside of the chassis melted after taking it out of the freezer, and that wouldn't be very much at all. Humidity levels inside the drive wouldn't get high enough to form any frost that would melt and soak the platters. Just place the drive on a metal rack or shelf in the freezer and not on the frost itself.

Anything electronic just always seems to work a little bit better when really cold. Just like almost any substance becomes a superconductor at absolute zero.

Cold + electronics = Good.

 

[MDE]

Put the drive in an antistatic bag before tossing it in the freezer!!! Also, try squeezing out as much air as possible from the bag to minimize frost\condensation.
I've revived a drive like this before, just barely long enough to back up what I could.