Hard disk Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 broken - Advice

[Mr Wolf]

So, unfortunately my external hard disk (a Packard Bell Sprint with inside a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 of 500 GB) broke, maybe because of an electric shock: I was keeping it in my hand, I just plugged it to the electric socket, then I felt a bad sensation, maybe I got an electric shock, too

Since then, when I plug it to the electric socket, it makes a "bzzzz", then, after a while, there's a sort of "click" at regular times

I bought an identical hard disk and tried to change the pbc (the one with the SATA socket and the electricity socket), but it didn't work, something burned or broke inside the hard disk.

So, since there's nothing I can do, I'd almost decided to send it to a recovery company, even if I know it will cost me a lot of money

Can anyone tell me what could have happened? Maybe that "bzzzz" means the engine of the plates can't start?

In this hard drive I have a partition encrypted with TrueCrypt; here:
http://forums.truecrypt.org/viewtopic.php?p=57244#57244
I'm asking if it would be possible to recover the encrypted data

So, would it be possible to dismantle the platters from the broken hard disk and to mount them on another hard disk, so to access directly to the data?

I can't accept that the hard disk broke that way, I could understand if the hard disk had fallen, or got a hit...

Btw: some times ago a 2.5'' hard drive fell (luckly I hadn't nothing important inside it) and, since then, the head goes back and forth; I opened it, but I don't really know what to "touch" to repair it!
So, in this case, maybe the head "threw out of alignment"?

Thanks for your answers!

[harddrivespecialist]

If you can record a sound of the drive and post it, so we could hear it.

Those drives do suffer a lot from motor siezures. When you plug such a drive into power it vibrates, but disk would not spin up.

Anything you do, please don't open that drive, because you will make it only worse.

[Mr Wolf]

Ok, when I'll come back home I'll record the noise!
Thanks!

Actually, I "felt" that those hard drives may be defective... I'm reading several problems about them

[quasimodo]

Questions:

- Have you tried using a different adapter, or plugging the drive in to your PC? IT could be that your external power adapter is not getting enough power.

- If you put your hand on top of the drive do you feel the platters spinning?

- that bzzz, is this short or a long bzzz?

-you said that there's a sort of "click" at regular times. Is that 1 click or multiple, fast or slow?

Note:
If you have the truecrypt boatloader backed-up and remember the password recovery should be possible by a professional. If you do send in the drive for recovery make sure, to include a copy of the truecrypt boatloader and password.

[sc00ter]

The sound recording will help diagnose the problem but I am almost sure it will most likely lead to a jammed spindle (motor) and will definitely require a reliable data recovery company to perform the recovery

Might be a good idea to ask the forum of a known company in your area that is confident in dealing with this fault

Also in my experience most electrical faults with the PCB are open & closed circuit issues such as too much power being drawn from the power supply so not even your computer will turn on when this is plugged into your pc.

Then there’s always the clicking but that’s another story

[BlackST]

Re-read. First pcb is fried, the second makes drive spin but clicking, if I am right. Problem addressed.

[Mr Wolf]

Thanks to all for the answers!

Ok, I recorded the noise, pump up the volume!
http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=WU6PE1KN

The "bzzzz" is continuous, the platters don't move, and, when I tried to put the hard disk in a desktop, it freezed!
As I said, I bought an identical hard disk and tried to change the pbc, but it didn't work, and there's nothing else I can try to change

As reguards TrueCrypt, of course I remember the password, but I didn't make a copy of the bootloader! AZZZZZ!!!

@ BlackST
I'm Italian too, could you suggest me a company (a cheap one!) where I could send my hard disk?

[scratchy]

Where are you based Mr Wolf ?

Country:
Town:

<itch>

[pasiz]

Thanks to all for the answers!

Ok, I recorded the noise, pump up the volume!
http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=WU6PE1KN

The "bzzzz" is continuous, the platters don't move, and, when I tried to put the hard disk in a desktop, it freezed!
As I said, I bought an identical hard disk and tried to change the pbc, but it didn't work, and there's nothing else I can try to change

As reguards TrueCrypt, of course I remember the password, but I didn't make a copy of the bootloader! AZZZZZ!!!

@ BlackST
I'm Italian too, could you suggest me a company (a cheap one!) where I could send my hard disk?

Sounds like a spindle problem, platter swap needed for 99% sure, don't do anything to avoid platter scratching. Hope someone near you could help soon.

[pasiz]

And for the truecrypt thingie, if the data can be extracted, you could also recover truecrypt from image file / another disk, if you know the password for sure.

[Mr Wolf]

Where are you based Mr Wolf ?

Country:
Town:

<itch>

I'm Italian, I lived in Bologna, but now I live in a small country in Sardinia
I should send the hard disk to a recovery company for sure, if maybe one italian could suggest me one (a cheap one!)... thanks!

[Mr Wolf]

Thanks to all for the answers!

Ok, I recorded the noise, pump up the volume!
http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=WU6PE1KN

The "bzzzz" is continuous, the platters don't move, and, when I tried to put the hard disk in a desktop, it freezed!
As I said, I bought an identical hard disk and tried to change the pbc, but it didn't work, and there's nothing else I can try to change

As reguards TrueCrypt, of course I remember the password, but I didn't make a copy of the bootloader! AZZZZZ!!!

@ BlackST
I'm Italian too, could you suggest me a company (a cheap one!) where I could send my hard disk?

Sounds like a spindle problem, platter swap needed for 99% sure, don't do anything to avoid platter scratching. Hope someone near you could help soon.

Well, I'm not going to open it! So, you say platters could be scratching? Thanks for your solidarity!

Last edited by Mr Wolf on October 17th, 2008, 9:21, edited 1 time in total.

[Mr Wolf]

And for the truecrypt thingie, if the data can be extracted, you could also recover truecrypt from image file / another disk, if you know the password for sure.

Ok, my fear is that it could not possible to recover the whole encrypted partition, so I just wondered if it could be possible to access the encrypted data anyway, if it possible to copy them, of course

[scratchy]

www.ultrarecovery.com

Viale Europa 13 Z.I.
Casut
33070 Brugnera (PN)
Italy
+39 0434 627897

<itch>

[Mr Wolf]

Did you turn to them? Are they cheap and reliable?
I registered, I'm waiting my account to be activated

[pasiz]

Well, I'm not going to open it! So, you say platters could be scratching? Thanks for your solidarity!

You get me wrong, i meaned, don't turn it continuously on and off, becouse heads moving over platter without rotation could scratch platters in some cases.

Sorry for that misunderstanding.

[BlackST]

Wolf, cheap and reliable often don't match. Beware! Considering price FIRST in dr = suicide.

[Mr Wolf]

Well, I'm not going to open it! So, you say platters could be scratching? Thanks for your solidarity!

You get me wrong, i meaned, don't turn it continuously on and off, becouse heads moving over platter without rotation could scratch platters in some cases.

Sorry for that misunderstanding.

Ok, I'm not going to touch it anymore... since there's nothing I can do! AZZZ!!!

[Mr Wolf]

Wolf, cheap and reliable often don't match. Beware! Considering price FIRST in dr = suicide.

Ok, I'll keep it in mind and I'll agree on a compromise!

However, since dismantling hard disks requires expensive tools and equipment, I don't think (read "hope") someone could become hard disk fixer all of a sudden!

[Mr Wolf]

And BlackST: did you turn to them, then?