Why does the freezer trick work?

[rsutoratosu]

So today marks 4th drive data saved.. actually data were redirected to file server but user settings from profile saved !

This is a wd 500gb sata drive.. 1 yr old..

Couldn't boot off it, plugged it into a pc, it grinds.. throw it in the freezer at 9am, just pulled it out, got all my profiles back, going to try to clone the disk too

so why does it work ? pure luck?

 

[William Gaatjes]

Maybe the fluid bearing ?

I have no idea.

 

[corkyg]

Freezing the HDD causes metal parts that have become worn and loose to contract and, for a short time, allow those parts to perform normally. The effect does not last long, and should be exploited quickly. It can be subsequently refrozen in some cases so as to get more data off the drive. Always remember to put it in a closed Ziplock bag and remove excess air before locking and freezing.

 

[LPCTech]

corkyg is correct and the bag is to lockout moisture.

 

[PliotronX]

I've had great luck with it as well. Check this out:

Can freezing your hard drive actually repair your hard drive?
The answer is:


YES! In rare and particular circumstances it is possible. Especially on specific drives whose size are under 10 GB. The reason for this is that certain drive manufacturers used material to fabricate platters that would swell in extreme heat. Placing the hard drive in the freezer would cause the platters to shrink to their original specifications.

 

[Blain]

Why does the freezer trick work?

Expansion & contraction...
If the failing HD components aren't effected expansion & contraction, freezing won't have any impact.

 

[Dahak]

huh, i have never had this work, tried on various drives over the years.
maybe i never left it in long enough. usually about an hour

 

[denis280]

Did it a few time.and worked.Dahak i leave mine overnight.

 

[Binky]

I've tried the "freezer trick" 2-3 times, with one success. I have also tried the different yet related cook-your-video-card trick, which has failed once out of one try.

 

[onichikun]

Why it works is explained above.

I found that using a freezer basket from an ice cream maker works wonderfully. I keep my worn hard drive in a plastic bag, submerge it in salted ice water in the ice cream maker basket. This keeps the drive cold, keeping it working for longer, giving you time to get your files off the drive.

Special care should be taken to avoid condensation/water touching any electrical connections (such as removing all the air from the plastic bag and sealing it tight -- leaving only a data/power connector outside the plastic bag.

 

[bryanl]

I've had great luck with it as well. Check this out:

Can freezing your hard drive actually repair your hard drive?
The answer is:

YES! In rare and particular circumstances it is possible. Especially on specific drives whose size are under 10 GB. The reason for this is that certain drive manufacturers used material to fabricate platters that would swell in extreme heat. Placing the hard drive in the freezer would cause the platters to shrink to their original specifications.

An engineer said expansion was not a problem:

"The alloy used in the substrate of today's [early 1990s] drives is based on a 5086
aluminum with a titanium and nickle clad which makes the substrate literally
movement free in a temperature range from 50-150 degrees F. This is in
stark contrast to the substrate used in the old 8 / 11 / 14 inch drives
which would literally CRASH the drive when the platters would warp when
overheated (over 120 degrees F)."

 

[Gillbot]

I leave mine in the freezer and use a USB->SATA adapter with a long cord to pull the data while it remains in deep freeze.

 

[magomago]

how do you guys get data while its in the freezer? Doesn't that break the seal? Unless...you have a special bag where you melted the plastic around the cable itself haha ;-)

 

[PliotronX]

An engineer said expansion was not a problem:

"The alloy used in the substrate of today's [early 1990s] drives is based on a 5086
aluminum with a titanium and nickle clad which makes the substrate literally
movement free in a temperature range from 50-150 degrees F. This is in
stark contrast to the substrate used in the old 8 / 11 / 14 inch drives
which would literally CRASH the drive when the platters would warp when
overheated (over 120 degrees F)."

Interesting! No idea why it works then :hmm:

how do you guys get data while its in the freezer? Doesn't that break the seal? Unless...you have a special bag where you melted the plastic around the cable itself haha ;-)

When you take it out of the freezer to fire it up, you usually have a twenty minute window before it can crash the head (if it was a head fault in the first place) which if you know where the truly important files are is enough time to get 'em off. You can go to more extremes like the other posters to keep it cold but condensation is a risk.

 

[rsutoratosu]

so this drive that wouldn't detect and clicks is now working after freezer trick.

i try running wd diagnostic for a rma, it runs fine, no errors, no clicking. no way im reusing this drive.

 

[Gillbot]

how do you guys get data while its in the freezer? Doesn't that break the seal? Unless...you have a special bag where you melted the plastic around the cable itself haha ;-)

I don't even put mine in a bag usually, just work fast.