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 Post subject: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: December 27th, 2009, 13:16 
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Joined: December 27th, 2009, 13:03
Posts: 1
Location: Norway
Hi

About 2 months ago I bought a samsung s2 portable 500 gb. It has worked fine until yesterday. It slipped down from where it was laying (while plugged in and running) and was hanging the 20 cm usb-cabel. Now I can't get it alive. When I plug in the usb-cabel a spinning noise appears and lasts for about 5 seconds, before the diode light start flashing. The disk is not showing up in windows and bios (at least not in the list over boot devices). Can anything be done to save the disk and/or its content?

HDD noise: http://files.myopera.com/tehcucumber/fi ... 165603.wav


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: January 30th, 2010, 14:59 
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Joined: January 30th, 2010, 14:53
Posts: 4
Location: Austria
tehcu wrote:
Hi

About 2 months ago I bought a samsung s2 portable 500 gb. It has worked fine until yesterday. It slipped down from where it was laying (while plugged in and running) and was hanging the 20 cm usb-cabel. Now I can't get it alive. When I plug in the usb-cabel a spinning noise appears and lasts for about 5 seconds, before the diode light start flashing. The disk is not showing up in windows and bios (at least not in the list over boot devices). Can anything be done to save the disk and/or its content?

HDD noise: http://files.myopera.com/tehcucumber/fi ... 165603.wav


Just happen to me ...

While it was playing a video from this HD, it slipped down, and fall down 50 cm ... it was inside the leder protection and the "crash" was very soft ... since the cable did protect from folling down completely ...

The noise that I hear is the same that you post above.

I can't believe I lost this HD for so little ...

Did you find any solution ?

How can this HD be open ?

Is there any SW tool for low level access this HD ?

Thanks

e_lm_70


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: January 30th, 2010, 17:17 
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Joined: January 30th, 2010, 14:53
Posts: 4
Location: Austria
tehcu wrote:
Hi

About 2 months ago I bought a samsung s2 portable 500 gb. It has worked fine until yesterday. It slipped down from where it was laying (while plugged in and running) and was hanging the 20 cm usb-cabel. Now I can't get it alive. When I plug in the usb-cabel a spinning noise appears and lasts for about 5 seconds, before the diode light start flashing. The disk is not showing up in windows and bios (at least not in the list over boot devices). Can anything be done to save the disk and/or its content?

HDD noise: http://files.myopera.com/tehcucumber/fi ... 165603.wav


I had the same problem of techcu ...

I did find some software, some diagnostic and some low level format from the Samsung site (US flavor) ... anyhow ... they did not help, since if the HD is not recognized by the PC ... these SW does not do anything ...

Anyhow ... I did not gave up ... and I decided to open this HD ... I mean ... the platic cover (that damn it) has has no screw ....

So, I did damage a bit the nice plastic shell of this HD ... but I manage to open ...

Again ... bad surprise ... this is not a standard USB HD that is made using a IDE or SATA adapter ... this HD is born for USB ... so ...

I could have try to change the USB to something adapter ... but this is not possible ...

Ok ... so ... for some reason I got in mind that maybe in the fall .. the USB cable could have couse a broken contact somewhere ... but ... the design is nice and clean ... and this is not possible ... the USB plug is well stick ... so ... a pressure or a hit in the USB connector cant cause any damage ....

With HD naked ... was more clear to hear and see the problem ... after power up the HD try to make some meccanical start up ... it try repitevely for 4/5 times ... then it gave up ... after these few second... the meccanic sound sleeping ... the led blink 3 time .... pause ... and other 3 blink ... this forever .... and HD is not recognized by the PC (not even by my Samusng LE37B651 TV)

Anyhow ... in my mind I got the idea that possible one of the magnetic head, or moving part of the hard disk may have been just outside the running path ... like my old Floppy disk in was able to "die" if send to read the 83 track out of 80 :shock: ... (temporary die ... sinde with the head exposed .. was possible to give a manual push .. and put the head back in the "path")

So ... I decided to try to give some shocks to the HD in the start up phase ... maybe I can by luck push back the out of space/range meccanical part into a workable position ...


And ... bang ... at the second attemp ... give one single shake up at the start up ... I heard a different noise ... and it start to work again ....

I immediately I did copy my critical data ... then I disconnect it ... plug it back ... it did work fine ... as before crach :mrgreen:

So ... I feel lucky to have these 500b online again ...

Still ... it scares me that a little hit in this HD, can bring it out of order ...

Tchuss

e_lm_70

ps: Any attempt to repeat my experience, and any possible damages, it is outside my responsabiity ... I just want to share my story that may help some desperate "samsung" users


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: February 24th, 2010, 5:30 
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Joined: February 24th, 2010, 5:13
Posts: 1
Location: Bolivia
e_lm_70 wrote:
So ... I decided to try to give some shocks to the HD in the start up phase ... maybe I can by luck push back the out of space/range meccanical part into a workable position ...

And ... bang ... at the second attemp ... give one single shake up at the start up ... I heard a different noise ... and it start to work again ....


Thank you very much e_lm_70, your solution worked very well for me too.

A friend brought one of these disks and asked me to try to fix it, his wife uses it and he says that she didn't drop it or anything, it was making exactly the same noise with the blue led just blinking. It looks that these units are very fragil probably any any small movement while they're in use causes the problem.

Anyway his wife is going to be very happy to hear that her data was recovered, it's been copied to another disk for precaution while I'm writing this.

Thank you again.


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: February 25th, 2010, 5:28 
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Joined: October 3rd, 2005, 0:40
Posts: 4301
Location: Hungary
It is nice that these worked for all of U :)

But. I would like to make a warning here. Or rather two.
1. This kind of solution is pretty drastical so if the data integrity is critical it might not be the best choice. The recovery costs of such drive is usually not very high, and the data can be safely recovered. Not to mention that it is easy to confuse the actual problems that a Hdd can develop, and if the problem is not the same, the solution will do more harm to the surface.
2. Avoid using this drive especially for important data in the future.

pepe

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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: February 28th, 2010, 23:59 
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Joined: February 28th, 2010, 23:09
Posts: 2
Location: philippines
I have the same problem with techu.e_lm_70 how did you shock the device on which side was the hdd on when you gave the shock on start-up or on what position should i shock it and how hard would the shock be?So that i can try it myself.we tried to freeze the hdd but to no avail.I have to recover some very important files on it.
Attachment:
File comment: this side/position?
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File comment: or this position/side?
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DSC05525.JPG [ 678.76 KiB | Viewed 146087 times ]
Attachment:
File comment: this position or the other side of i?
DSC05526.JPG
DSC05526.JPG [ 869.82 KiB | Viewed 146087 times ]


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: March 13th, 2010, 6:08 
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Joined: January 30th, 2010, 14:53
Posts: 4
Location: Austria
paraskave wrote:
I have the same problem with techu.e_lm_70 how did you shock the device on which side was the hdd on when you gave the shock on start-up or on what position should i shock it and how hard would the shock be?So that i can try it myself.we tried to freeze the hdd but to no avail.I have to recover some very important files on it.
Attachment:
DSC05524.JPG
Attachment:
DSC05525.JPG
Attachment:
DSC05526.JPG


Hi

Sorry for late reply ... I don't check this site very often ...

Anyhow ... as somebody reply before ... be advised that you can make more mess then recovery in this action ... so ... it is up to you ... in my case I did not care much about louse the warranty ... and I did know that it would have been complicated and expensive for me find a different way to recover data ...

So ... this is exactly what I did ... honestly I dont remember the exact direction I did use for "shock" my HD .. but this is how I did:
- I was keeping it in one hand, and immediately after plug the usb for power it up ... I did move the hand with my HD to hit my other hand that was still ... making around 20-30cm movement with my hand with the HD on it ... so the shock was not too hard
- The movement direction was keeping the HD flat ... so the show was only in the horizontal direction ... you don't want to shock the HD up/down ... you just want it to move horizontal ... in the same direction that the head of the HD is allowed to move


------
| |
| |
| | ---->
| |
| |
------

So In case the above skema direction help ... this is the direction of the movement ...

Good luck

e_lm_70

ps: I'm using my HD since then without any problem ... not a single sector was find damage ... now I just take care more to don't make it to move at all while I'm using it.


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: March 13th, 2010, 11:02 
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Joined: February 9th, 2009, 6:19
Posts: 40
Location: Earth
If you really need your data, you have to be aware if you use this technique that there's a chance that heads will still stick to the platters but the arm will be freed (as seen on a wd 2.5). This maneuver is not riskfree.
Rgds


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: March 24th, 2010, 6:39 
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Joined: March 24th, 2010, 6:36
Posts: 1
Location: Netherlands
I had the same problem with my Samsung S2. I used the shocking technique, but at first it didn't work. I kept on trying and my HDD is now working fine. Great technique!!


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: March 24th, 2010, 7:20 
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Joined: September 8th, 2009, 18:21
Posts: 15440
Location: Australia
sntgo11 wrote:
I had the same problem with my Samsung S2. I used the shocking technique, but at first it didn't work. I kept on trying and my HDD is now working fine. Great technique!!


The correct technical term is "percussive maintenance":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percussive_maintenance

:-)


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: April 5th, 2010, 16:33 
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Joined: February 28th, 2010, 23:09
Posts: 2
Location: philippines
My samsung portable HDD 500gb is now working i also used the shocking technique (percussive maintenance) now its working.thanks e_lm_70.you just have to have the guts to do it.


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: April 6th, 2010, 9:33 
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Joined: January 30th, 2010, 14:53
Posts: 4
Location: Austria
Nice to see my post did save HD and data for 3 people :wink:

I personally think that there must be a HW/SW design problem in this HD from Samsung ... it is too strange that a little shock can bing KO an HD ... and a new shock can bring it back alive ...

Maybe some Samsung expert will read this posts, and use this info for build up a better HD in the future ...

Anyhow ... my S2 is still running very fine ... but, my last external HD that I just bought ... it was a 2.5" SATA + a cheap adapter box ... I like more the old stuffs .. with a non proprietary USB plug ...

Tchuss

e_lm_70


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: April 7th, 2010, 16:07 
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Joined: April 6th, 2010, 22:04
Posts: 8
Location: London
Just tried that, with no success, so I decide to bite the bullet and open the thing.

I don't know where the heads are supposed to be when they rest, but it seems they are stuck towards the center of the plates. I can see a faint ring around the plates, of the same width as the heads. I tried to rotate the plates from the sides, but they seem to be stuck.

I guess this means that the heads are somehow pushing against the plates, more than they are supposed to. What am I supposed to do? Are there any screws that are used to regulate the distance of the head to the rotating disks?


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: April 7th, 2010, 16:18 
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Joined: November 29th, 2006, 10:08
Posts: 7843
Location: UK
You mean the ring of slightly differently textured platter surface, right next to the centre spindle?

If so that's the landing zone and it's meant to be like that to stop the heads sticking to it.

The heads aren't stopping the platters moving, the stuck spindle is.

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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: April 7th, 2010, 16:40 
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Joined: April 6th, 2010, 22:04
Posts: 8
Location: London
how can you unlock the spindle?


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: April 7th, 2010, 16:49 
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Joined: March 13th, 2005, 12:33
Posts: 872
Location: Dublin
Try one of these badboys...


Attachments:
RB214_Core_Drill_3C (1).jpg
RB214_Core_Drill_3C (1).jpg [ 31.86 KiB | Viewed 145446 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: April 7th, 2010, 16:59 
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Joined: April 6th, 2010, 22:04
Posts: 8
Location: London
hehe...
is it possible to buy just the head for a drill?


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: April 7th, 2010, 17:13 
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Joined: March 13th, 2005, 12:33
Posts: 872
Location: Dublin
seriously though, you won't be able to DIY a spindle repair unless you want to spend money on custom tooling. Even then, your chances would be low. Either forget it or send it to a pro, but your efforts thus far will have doubled the cost of recovery - and voided your warranty.

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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: May 23rd, 2010, 15:56 
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Joined: May 23rd, 2010, 15:53
Posts: 1
Location: Mexico
OMG!! TY! The guy that said to bang it helped a lot!!
It WORKED!!!!

I just made an account here to ty and to say that my model was the 320gb one

So if you guys have the 320gb that died like this, it can also be fixed with a little punch xD!!

THANK YOU!


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 Post subject: Re: Samsung s2 portable 500gb dead?
PostPosted: June 12th, 2010, 8:51 
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Joined: June 12th, 2010, 8:38
Posts: 1
Thank you so much e_lm_70! I thought I had lost everything but after a bit of 'percussive maintenance' it works fine! :D Just for reference my S2 is the 500GB version and after repeated spin-ups it still works fine, Thanks again :P


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