[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 15 KB, 277x368, StorE-Art-3-Series-Toshiba-Portable-External-Hard-Drive.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2174002 No.2174002 [Reply] [Original]

ANY COMPUTER SCIENTISTS IN /sci/??

I tried /g/, but got no help.

My external hard drive crashed, it just clicks and does not get recognized by my computer. I read online this is likely a "head crash" where the read/write needle basically stops working.

Anyone know any at-home fixes, or how the professionals do data recovery?

it's 300 bucks to get the data recovered. just because I don't know how to do what they do.

pic related, it's my hard drive

>> No.2174007

uhhh nice troll?

I'm pretty sure that would ruin it/wipe the information.


Anyone helpful in /g/ anymore?

>> No.2174005

Try running a magnet over the needle to move it into place.

>> No.2174011

>>2174005

What he said.

>> No.2174013

>>2174011

don't encourage him. Magnets and hard drives are a bad mix and every 12 year old knows that.

>> No.2174031

Get an identical, working HDD. Open both in a cleanroom. Remove your disk's platters without damaging them. Remove the other disk's platters without damaging its read heads. Put your platters in there without damaging anything. Plug in, copy data somewhere safe quick.
Easy enough, ain't it?

>> No.2174036

Sorry bro but I haven't taken Comp Sci III yet so I haven't learned about fixing hard drives.

>> No.2174038
File: 136 KB, 557x383, numbermuncher10.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2174038

try using another usb cable

>> No.2174044

>>2174031
If the head failed this is about all you can do. I don't imagine it'd be easy, I guess that's why they charge $300.

>> No.2174046

>>2174031
>>2174031

This looks like what I need to do. But according to /b/ there's about 20K of equipment I need in order to not damage anything. That's why I need to talk to a specialist.

>> No.2174048
File: 68 KB, 700x644, raku18.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2174048

INSTALL GENTOO

>> No.2174049

I've read somewhere once that freezing the drive (as in putting in the freezer) might give you a few minutes to copy the most important data before it fucks up again. Don't take my word for it though, never tried it and wouldn't know exactly why this could work.

>> No.2174059

>>2174049
>>2174049
>>2174049
>>2174049

I read this online too. I froze my HD last night, tried it this morning, and still just clicks. Appreciate it though.

do you guys know if I just want to recover SOME of the data I could save money/choose what folders to salvage?

>> No.2174066

>>2174059
I doubt it. They'd still have to fix the hardware in order to read anything off the disc, so the price would be the same regardless of how much you want to save.

>> No.2174070

according to price estimate I found for my university's data recovery service, 150 GB is 80 dollars up to 2TB is 320 dollars.

so the real question is if i say "only recover my "movies" folder" can they do that?

>> No.2174079

Why are bothering with this shit? Just restore from your last backup.

>> No.2174089

>>2174079
>>2174079


This IS my backup. Unfortunately it's also where I keep all the music/movies/games etc that I don't necessarily need to run from my computer's hard drive.

So I didn't back up those extras. After I get it recovered, I will do so immediately.

>> No.2174105

>mfw he mentions computer scientists and wants a hard drive fixed

>> No.2174108

>>2174089
Fuck it then. The internet is your backup, download them again. You just lost your local cache.

>> No.2174111
File: 125 KB, 399x600, 1288123658435.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2174111

>computer scientists
>fix hard drives

>> No.2174123

>>2174111
>>2174105

EECS, right Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Seems right up the alley of data recovery. What feild of study should I have mentioned?

>> No.2174130

>>2174123
This is the problem with the world. It's assumed that you need a college degree to do even the most routine tasks.

You should have said "Can anyone handy with computers help me out here?"

>> No.2174133

>>2174123
It's not really relevant to a particular field of study. It's like asking a mechanical engineering student why the tape deck in your Mazda stopped working and how to get your awesome Phish tape out.

>> No.2174144

>>2174130

Hm. A problem as delicate as this seems to require some sort of training to execute properly. But you're right, anyone who knows how, I don't care how you know but I would like to learn how myself.

So, anyone know how to recover data from broken hard drives?

>> No.2174170

>>2174002
1 put in in a plastic bag

repeat 3 times so its waterproof

2 put it in the freezer overnight

3 let it regain room temp

4 plug n pray

>> No.2174175
File: 81 KB, 400x400, western_digital_caviar-green.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2174175

>>2174144
Aside from the freezer trick no, there's no easy way to fix a hardware problem like that. I wouldn't even try to open it up and fix it if you care at all about the data on it.

>> No.2174179

the clicks are morse code, write them down and program a new HDD in the binary translation of the code


godspeed

>> No.2174185

>>2174170
>>2174170


tried this. no avail :(

I do care about the data. so I won't open it.

but is it possible to only salvage specific folders? also if I have movies/tv shows that are... acquired by not necessarily legitimate means... will there be any trouble from the data recovery guys? or do they just not even look at the information, they only recover it.

>> No.2174198

>>2174185
Of course it's possible, but they would still have to fix the hardware problem before they can read anything off the drive. At that point it doesn't matter if you want to save one folder or the entire drive, the hardware has to be fixed first anyway.

If they give you tiered pricing according to how much data then it probably depends on the size of the drive itself, not how much you want saved. Larger drives have more platters and more read/write heads, so it's more work to disassemble them and fix whatever's wrong.

I doubt you'll get any trouble from them unless they find a stash of CP on your drive.

>> No.2174213

>>2174198
>I doubt you'll get any trouble from them unless they find a stash of CP on your drive.
OP is screwed.

>> No.2174220

>>2174198
>>2174198


no CP, but the fact that they do look through it at all makes me uncomfortable. There is certainly pornographic content on the drive, which is in a hidden (invisible) folder (because I often share the drive with family/friends).

would they see the hidden folder? how snoopish are these guys? is there privacy restrictions where they're not supposed to look too deep into the folder?

Also now that you mention it there might be some photos of possible 15-17 year old "facebook" girls from a /b/ thread. I don't know why I saved that but in retrospect I'm like 90% sure I did.

>> No.2174233

>>2174220
I have no idea man, it all depends on who you get. Some guys have no qualms about snooping through the drive, others will just copy the data and be done with it. Though you can be sure the guys who snoop around have seen it all already, everyone has a porn folder nowadays.

Just don't take it to Best Buy... or any other place staffed by stupid teenagers.

>> No.2174249

so do they actually fix the drive?

or do they just somehow extract the information?
because I heard that in the end, the actually drive does not work, you have to get a new one.

At this point, the hard drive just clicks and doesn't even get recognized by the computer.

so how do they see the folders without first fixing the hard drive?

do they just "rent out" the needed parts and then it works temporarily? if so the fact that it's in a hidden(both invisible and buried) folder would make it very difficult to find unless they were looking

>> No.2174292

Well if its a hardware problem you can do the following, but as soon as you start you pretty much HAVE to do it properly and cleanly....

1.go out and purchase the EXACT SAME HARD DISK (i mean exact same, model, size, sectors etc..)
2. get yourself an aquarium large enough to fit the drive an d your hand inside for operation.
3. make yourself some sort of plastic cover for the aquarium, with 2 holes and 2 layers of good surgical gloves stuck inside (make sure you get the ones that don't have talc on them). ALso make a hole for the power and usb cables and seal them in
4. get a screw driver set that has all the bits that the hdd has)
5.get yourself a box of desiccant, about 3 cups wort, scatter it at the bottom of the aquarium and place a big flat CLEAN ceramic plate(like the one u use to eat off) on top. Place the faulty HDD andthe new HDD and all your tools inside (clean everything), and anythign else you think you may need
6.Seal the aquarium with good tape, duct tape or similar. Wait 24 hours until the moisture is sucked out by the desiccant.

Continued........

>> No.2174294

Continued...

1. Remove the actual HDD from the case, take off the sticker on top of the hdd and remove all warranty stickers(at this point your warranty is void)
2. Unscrew the top of the HDD(the side with the metal case not the board)
3. Carefully pull open the metal case to reveal the discs inside(at this point data recovery xperts will not be able to help you)
4. Carefully remove the read head. it will be in a locked position, you shoudl be bale to unscrew the head from its mount, when you do slowly rotate the disc and the head will pop out. Take it out
5. Unscrew the top of the discs, there should be about 5 or 6 tiny screws that hold the discs on the motor drive...
6.Ever so FUCKING CAREFULLY, pull out each disc, remember their order and position
7. do the same thing for the new hdd...you will be left with the empty shell of the new hdd
8. reisert the disc platters into the new hdd, screw everythign in , SUPER CAREFULY
9. reinsert the disk head, this is really dangerous so do it slowly and carfeully
10. Screw evetyhign back in and seal it up!

now hook up the usb and power and plug it into your pc, get everything off and dump it!

>> No.2174299

>>2174292
>>2174294
If you do not want to go through with all of this....Pay the $300 and get your data!

>> No.2174314

>>2174299

why doesn't the new HD work after you've gotten the data off it?

>> No.2174320

http://forum.hddguru.com/hard-disk-drives-data-recovery-and-repair-f1.html

Don't be such a cripple, search the internet

If you open the drive case, you are screwed, guaranteed, you probably won't be able to even pay someone to repair the data.

Post the problem there, beg for a better price. Feklar sent you

>> No.2174338

>>2174314
>>2174002
well, it may or may not work at all...if it does work i would get your stuff of there. soon as the plates are exposed to air and light, in your room they will eventually die. the smallest particle on the plate will destroy the read head eventually. Unless you do all this in a clean room or your aquarium set up as i described above is as clean as a clean room, i would not put anything else on the new drive....just be thankfull that it worked.

>> No.2174351

>>2174320
You are correct...its best to get a pro to do this, but my instructions make sense and are possible to pull off

>> No.2174365

go to the manufacturer site and download all HDD tools

read the descriptions of each tool, maybe one of them have a functionality that may be helpful to you

>> No.2174410

>>2174314
The new hard drive won't work for long because you WILL fuck something up. Even if you worked data recovery for 20 years, something in the new drive will get fucked up because it's essentially like throwing another person's brain into a new body using only a drill.