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Data recovery and disk repair questions and discussions related to old-fashioned SATA, SAS, SCSI, IDE, MFM hard drives - any type of storage device that has moving parts
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seagate could this be a motor issue or a gremlin attack

September 10th, 2010, 3:25

ok i done some more with my drive seagate

is seen now correct 160gb

but as it wont be seen in windows at all
or infact any other os

i use the data compass to mount the drive
which it mounts ok.

then i use a program called power data recovery pro

it see the drive now and i can start to do the recovery
after 1 hour it just goes on vacation.

now the drive is making a weird start up for 5 mins
when i turn the drive on.

sounds like spindle motor locking up

then it stops


any advance on this

Re: seagate could this be a motor issue or a gremlin attack

September 10th, 2010, 4:43

What was the ORIGINAL problem and what you did exactly ?

Re: seagate could this be a motor issue or a gremlin attack

September 10th, 2010, 5:54

Are you keeping the drive cool whilst imaging?
Is it making a squealing sound?
Is it getting hot?
Is there a slight odeur similar to a mechanical engineers workshop? Maybe like burning oil or grease?
Possible bearing/spindle starting to sieze whilst warming up?
I have had this before so you have to force cool the drive whilst imaging.
You also have to use the fastest imaging process available to you! Otherwise in such a scenario it will sieze completely.

Re: seagate could this be a motor issue or a gremlin attack

September 10th, 2010, 9:12

Terminal output...

Re: seagate could this be a motor issue or a gremlin attack

September 10th, 2010, 10:20

Those gremlins man, they everywhere. Hit them hard :mrgreen:

Re: seagate could this be a motor issue or a gremlin attack

September 11th, 2010, 1:33

well to begin with it was working fine but i been told now that the dog pulled the laptop of the table.
just a small coffee table
when i boot it up it goes blue screen of death.



1) hard drive is kept cool running fans on it (its not over heating or running hot)

2)Is it making a squealing sound yes for 5 mins then the drive stops

3)Is there a slight odour similar to a mechanical engineers workshop? Maybe like burning oil or grease? ( no nothing at all)

4)Possible bearing/spindle starting to seize whilst warming up (this is what im thinking it is now the bearing is starting to seize)

5)Terminal output... not tried this still waiting for my lead to come throu

6)data compass mounts to drive no problem but no other os sees the drive but to image it shuts down 45 mins

7)power data recovery pro program sees the drive and lets me mount it no problem

8)tried to use data compass to image the drive but it fails after 45mins of imaging


allso there is no scratching coming from the hard drive
so i dont think its platter damaged.

next option im going to try and do a selective head and test them

can i do a head exchange or platter exchange easy

any know issues


thanks all

Re: seagate could this be a motor issue or a gremlin attack

September 13th, 2010, 4:36

without seeing the disk the best way anyone here can help is to see the terminal report.

If you are not certain on the problem, then maybe heads/platter exchange is not so good idea.

If you can image for 45 minutes, then I am guessing within this all heads have successfully read the surface. Spindle oviously is working as ID and surface is reached.

Without seeing Terminal I would guess a pemding bug or similar.

Not so sure about the squealing though, this would concern me and maybe even prevent me working further until I know the casuse of it.

Re: seagate could this be a motor issue or a gremlin attack

September 24th, 2010, 9:32

ok update on my drive now

checked with data compass and its got servo error issue
and its makes the weird noise for 5 mins
then stops.

but the weird thing is that the spindle motor is not getting hot at all or the pcb.


so the qeastion is can i unstick the spindle motor and recovery my information

i decided not to send the piece of crap to seagate for exchange

thanks all
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