Some newbie questions

Ok, HDD repair newbie here so be kind...

Say I have a HDD that's clicking. I purchase an equivalent(assuming the criteria is correct - model, part, firmware, etc.).

Now I'm ready to take the platters out of the damaged drive and put them in the matching drive. Do I need to obtain the P-List from the damaged drive and import it into the match? Do I even need to bother? Do I even need the donor? Could it simply be a firmware fix? Could I use MHDD to fix this? What steps do I need to take to perform as smooth a recovery as possible in this situation?

Any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks for indulging.

A

Hi first step is to determine why the drive is clicking, is it firmware,heads, pre-amp or PCB, and go from there. If drive spins at all platter change is the last thing you would want to do, and the best guarantee to not get data back ever. Please post drive model ect and how drive behaves and someone will try to guide you further.

To determine cause of clicking - not trivial at all. The real question is: Can that be done, I mean with 100% sure, without opening the drive?

depends upon the problem if its a firmware problem then u can fix the cliking without opening the drive also if its a pcb prob it can be done without opening the drive .

Yes, but if it is a pre-amp problem, how to be sure it is not a firmware one?

How do I check if it's a firmware problem? Will MHDD help with this? Even if the BIOS does not see it?

A

Hi that's why I was asking, what model drive is it for starters, they all have some indicators by behavior that can help diagnose. Also does it stay clicking or does it click a few times then stop seeking?

I'm curious about how various models react under different conditions. The one I'm working on now is a ST910021AS. It clicks four times when powered up and is never recognized in windows, Linux, BIOS or MHDD.

I assumed that clicking meant that the heads are not reading. What does clicking mean on WD, Hitachi, Samsung and Maxtor drives? Can a generalization be made about the cause of clicking?

A

Hi some simple generalizations can be made by model, by the way they behave when started, and the most common failures for each model. Since it is a seagate you need to try to access the drive by com terminal and someone can help you. If the spin rate sounds normal, and the clicks are fast and regular it's likely a main module or heads/pre-amp, but I'm still a learner myself. If you don't have pc3000 or com port connector the schematic is herehttp://files.hddguru.com/index.php?&direction=0&order=&directory=SEAGATE/Seagate%20terminal%20command.
The reply from drive will help with diagnosis.