Seagate Momentus 5400.6 not showing up in bios.

[Predabot]

Indeed. I have a Samsung n140 notebook and recently something rather odd happened. The HDD stopped being read by bios, and it doesn't boot Windows 7 any more.

The error-code was this all-time classic: "Operating System not found".

I've plugged the HDD into my desktop tower, but it's a no-show in there as well.

Here is the specs for the HDD:

Seagate Momentus 5400.6 2.5"
250gb
Firmware revision: 0001SDM1

I've checked the disc, and I can see no visible damages, nor can I smell any fuzed components. Physically, aesthetically, the disc looks fine.

It does make some odd sounds at attempted start-up tho'... It almost sounds like... an alarm of some kind? Quite strange.

What do you say fella's? Who are the most likely suspects for the ailments of this HDD?
Any well-known problems with the n140 Notebook, or the Seagate Momentus in perticular? Could it be a firmware-bug? (I had the famous Barracuda bug, so I wouldn't put it past Seagate...) Or is it just a classic case of a fuxxored spindle...?

[loki]

Sounds like it could be stiction (head stuck to the platter)
Not a DIY fix. The drive would need to be opened in a cleanroom envoirment to confirm it.

Loki

[Predabot]

Hmm... not an improbably diagnosis.

But I do wonder, would a stuck head really make the disc not show up in BIOS? Surely it would be visible there?

[poehere]

Alarm, chirping and buzzing sounds means motor stuck or head stuck on platter. This OC will cause the HDD to not spin up and show up in your BIOS. As for DIY on this one not possible if you want or need your data on it. You do need a pro who can do this in a clean room. Sorry

[Predabot]

Man, that sucks... Well, gonna' have to check out the local option for data-recovery then.

But hold on... I see here, that sometimes you can unlosen stiction by spinning the entire hard-drive, half a rotation, 3 times or so.

Think I'm going to try that, and see what happens. Not much to lose with that, it seems.

http://burgessforensics.com/article_myths.php

[Predabot]

Cheers for all of the advice btw, guys. I really appreciate the skill and knowledge that is distributed on this forum.

I tried the advice of spinning the entire disk on the floor, 3 times, rapidly for half a rotation, but it did not work... But is it possible to run a low-level diagnotic on a disc with Stiction? I'm thinking no, since it doesn't even show up in bios... But I'd love to be proven wrong.

[labtech]

Heads stuck on platter has to do with a physical problem preventing the read-write component from reading data off the platter, therefore since no reading can take place, then the drive will never register correctly in BIOS.

Software is not a solution here as the hardware issue has to be addressed first.

[northwind]

http://burgessforensics.com/article_myths.php

Modern drives (those since 1995 or so) almost never get stiction.

(From above link)

Are they for real?

[hddguy]

http://burgessforensics.com/article_myths.php

Definately would not send my failed media to this company! Inaccurate and misleading articles like this encourages dangerous DIY procedures.

without letting go, spin the drive abruptly a half turn. Repeat twice. Be careful not to let it go Frisbee-ing across the room! Now apply power and see if it works. If it doesn't work, the drive probably does not have stiction

Its actually pretty concerning that this is a statement from an actual recovery firm....

[Cleanroom]

that website should be nuked... It should state that if you do not care about your data you can try these "patented" techniques.

what a joke...

[danoglam]

So what happened?
It is doing clicking or squeaks? (like in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRzZb76jOHM)