Clicking noise of WD drives - bad head or....

[BGman]

When a drive is clicking one should find out is it a result of a bad head or something else - damaged SA, deffective PCB, etc.
In the case of WD drives I have found a relatively easy way to identify drives with broken heads. Just put the drive in safe mode and use the ID command (MHDD). If the drive reports the same model as on the label the heads are OK, if not - there is a head broken.
For example WD400EB could identify itself as WD1000BB (no good heads) or WD200EB (1 good head). Obviously, the processor check the heads even in safe mode. What about the drives from other manufacturers? Does anybody know?

[pepe]

Good info, thx.
I will check this out.

pepe

[prodata]

Good to know friend
Thanks

[TerraNova]

great tips thanks, but only MHDD? How about safemode in pc3k? like utility?

[BGman]

great tips thanks, but only MHDD? How about safemode in pc3k? like utility?

Just the same. You can use any program you like.
One more tip. If the BUSY signal stay ON - the PCB is BAD.

[TerraNova]

thanks BGman

[Steve]

will this work on a normal ide port , or does one need pc3000 or hrt board for it to work ?

[acforensics]

Thanks for the post BGman. I was under the impression that in safe/pcb/kernel mode, an ATA "IDENTIFY" command would get the info straight from the ROM, bypassing the HDA completely. I'm going to play around with this. Interesting...

A

[BGman]

will this work on a normal ide port , or does one need pc3000 or hrt board for it to work ?

On normal IDE .
1. Put the jumpers for safe mode.
2. Connect the power cable.
3. Start the computer in DOS.
4. Connect the data cable to the drive.
5. Start MHDD ( or a similar program).
6. Press F2 (in MHDD) and read the model.

That is all.

[beto]

Cool info

Best Regards hddguru´s

By the way now was solved the WD problem and fujitsu MHU

Thanks ll hddguru´s

Sinceraly

Alberto

[arturk]

On normal IDE .
1. Put the jumpers for safe mode.
2. Connect the power cable.
3. Start the computer in DOS.
4. Connect the data cable to the drive.
5. Start MHDD ( or a similar program).
6. Press F2 (in MHDD) and read the model.

That is all.

I am trying to diagnose my broken WD5000KS drive using this procedure. No luck.
I jumpered it for "safe-mode". Since this is SATA drive I installed three jumpers close to interface, please correct me if I am wrong.
When I power up computer drive spins-up and clicks few times and than turns itself off. The same behavior as in regular mode. In neither mode drive is being detected by the BIOS nor it is detected by MHDD program.

Since WD5000KS is broken and I have never tried "safe-mode" before so I do not exactly not what to expect. I grabbed perfectly working WD200 IDE drive.
I set it up for "safe-mode", three jumpers close to power connector, again please correct me if I am wrong. Now, when I power computer drive is silent all the time, I think it makes sense but still it is not detected by the BIOS or MHDD.

What am doing wrong?
When hdd is in "safe-mode":
1) should it remain quiet, is it the sign that it is in "safe-mode"
2) should it be detected by the BIOS?
Based on described behaviour of my WD5000KS, does it mean PCB is bad and not even entering "safe-mode"?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[DRNJ]

My WD5000AAJS also spins-up and clicks few times and than turns off.
If I install 3 jumpers in the slots furthest away from the SATA connector the drive does not spin up.
This is how most other WD SATA drives are put in the safe mode.
I get no drive ID either way.

These drives do make good door stops.

[arturk]

DRNJ, thanks for your input. I did try WD5000KS today with jumpers "furthest away from the SATA connector" and it still spins and clicks. Perhaps PCB is totaly messed up.
Someone on this forum said that jumper for safe-mode on SATA drives should be insatalled closer to interface which would be popsite to IDE drives.
Is this true or not?

[pcimage]

SATA is all four jumpers