So I have a seagate barracuda 320GB, and when I plug the power connector into it, what happens is not your typical power up sound, in fact it doesn't power up at all.

The HD just continuously makes a power up sound every 2 seconds, interspersed with silence.

What is this, and why does it do this?

I'm 90% sure this HD came out of a satellite receiver box and I've never been able to use it, though that doesn't seem like an answer, just a fact that has wound up being an excuse over time.

Any help is appreciated, thank you.

Sounds like a stuck spindle to me. Did you or someone else drop the harddisk by any chance?

TO identify the problem it needs to be properley diagnosed.

If the problem is a stiction / spindle related problem then DIY is not an option.

If data is not important toss this HDD in the garbage.

If data is important, get some quotes from local (reputable) firms and decide your next step there.

If data is not important and you want to 'learn' then remove the top cover and write here your fidnings

No one who has handled this HD since it has been purchased second hand has dropped it, however, like I said it came out of a satellite receiver box and that could have been mishandled anytime by the previous owners of that.

As the drive has never worked since I got it, data is not important.

I'm the kind of guy that will open that thing up just to see if I could fix it for the heck of it, so, I would appreciate any advice on methods to correct a "stuck spindle."