worthwhile to fix HD?

T

tempus fugit

Guest
I think my 20 gig HD is dead. Last nite it started acting screwy, and
finally I got a message that it failed. The DVDRom is on the same IDE
channel and it appears to be working OK. The BIOS detects it, but it hangs
on the startup screen and eventually just gives me a HDD failure message.
FDisk doesn't see it, so i can't reformat. I tried it on the other
channel - still nothing.

It seems like it bit the dust. Is it worth trying to troubleshoot (i.e., is
it likely that I may find the problem in that SMT mess and be able to repair
it for less than replacement cost)? Has nayone here had any luck repairing
this type of thing?



Thanks
 
tempus fugit wrote:

I think my 20 gig HD is dead. Last nite it started acting screwy, and
finally I got a message that it failed. The DVDRom is on the same IDE
channel and it appears to be working OK. The BIOS detects it, but it hangs
on the startup screen and eventually just gives me a HDD failure message.
FDisk doesn't see it, so i can't reformat. I tried it on the other
channel - still nothing.

It seems like it bit the dust. Is it worth trying to troubleshoot (i.e., is
it likely that I may find the problem in that SMT mess and be able to repair
it for less than replacement cost)? Has nayone here had any luck repairing
this type of thing?



Thanks

Look at the connectors first. removing the power cable will sometimes
Click to expand...
damage the the solder connection.


Did you hear any suspicious noise when the HDD failed? Noise means
the heads crashed. In that case, unless you never backed up your work
it is a hopelees case.

One time at work a drive got damaged by an external power surge, damage
on the HDD pcboard was visible. We were able to dismantle a second
identical drive and with those parts recoverd the data from the damaged
drive.
 
On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 11:01:55 -0400, tempus fugit <toccata.no.spam@ciaccess.com> wrote:
I think my 20 gig HD is dead. Last nite it started acting screwy, and
finally I got a message that it failed. The DVDRom is on the same IDE
channel and it appears to be working OK. The BIOS detects it, but it hangs
on the startup screen and eventually just gives me a HDD failure message.
FDisk doesn't see it, so i can't reformat. I tried it on the other
channel - still nothing.

It seems like it bit the dust. Is it worth trying to troubleshoot (i.e., is
it likely that I may find the problem in that SMT mess and be able to repair
it for less than replacement cost)? Has nayone here had any luck repairing
this type of thing?
Click to expand...
The only reason for screwing around with a hard drive is to recover your
data that you were stupid enough to have failed to make backups.

Easiest way to fix the electronics is to simply get an identical drive and
swap the controller boards. I assume you value your time at least a buck
an hour.
 
Most of the data is backed up, so it's not really an issue of data recovery.
I just wondered if it is economically feasible to try o repair one or not,
and whether it is likely to fail again.

the white zone is for loading and unloading only....

Thanks



"TCS" <The.Central.Scrutinizer@p.o.b.o.x.com> wrote in message
news:slrnbj7ggs.2pjd.The.Central.Scrutinizer@turing.kaosol.net...
On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 11:01:55 -0400, tempus fugit
toccata.no.spam@ciaccess.com> wrote:
I think my 20 gig HD is dead. Last nite it started acting screwy, and
finally I got a message that it failed. The DVDRom is on the same IDE
channel and it appears to be working OK. The BIOS detects it, but it
hangs
on the startup screen and eventually just gives me a HDD failure
message.
FDisk doesn't see it, so i can't reformat. I tried it on the other
channel - still nothing.

It seems like it bit the dust. Is it worth trying to troubleshoot (i.e.,
is
it likely that I may find the problem in that SMT mess and be able to
repair
it for less than replacement cost)? Has nayone here had any luck
repairing
this type of thing?

The only reason for screwing around with a hard drive is to recover your
data that you were stupid enough to have failed to make backups.

Easiest way to fix the electronics is to simply get an identical drive and
swap the controller boards. I assume you value your time at least a buck
an hour.
Click to expand...
 
What purpose would you use a hdd that is known to fail for?
Children's computer perhaps? Games only computer?
I never suggest a client reuses a hdd that has failed.
To fix the hdd you have would require buying an identical hdd - why not buy
a known good (ie. new hdd) and use it instead?


"tempus fugit" <toccata.no.spam@ciaccess.com> wrote in message
news:zOPYa.15018$ZF5.7307@nntp-post.primus.ca...
Most of the data is backed up, so it's not really an issue of data
recovery.
I just wondered if it is economically feasible to try o repair one or not,
and whether it is likely to fail again.

the white zone is for loading and unloading only....

Thanks



"TCS" <The.Central.Scrutinizer@p.o.b.o.x.com> wrote in message
news:slrnbj7ggs.2pjd.The.Central.Scrutinizer@turing.kaosol.net...
On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 11:01:55 -0400, tempus fugit
toccata.no.spam@ciaccess.com> wrote:
I think my 20 gig HD is dead. Last nite it started acting screwy, and
finally I got a message that it failed. The DVDRom is on the same IDE
channel and it appears to be working OK. The BIOS detects it, but it
hangs
on the startup screen and eventually just gives me a HDD failure
message.
FDisk doesn't see it, so i can't reformat. I tried it on the other
channel - still nothing.

It seems like it bit the dust. Is it worth trying to troubleshoot
(i.e.,
is
it likely that I may find the problem in that SMT mess and be able to
repair
it for less than replacement cost)? Has nayone here had any luck
repairing
this type of thing?

The only reason for screwing around with a hard drive is to recover your
data that you were stupid enough to have failed to make backups.

Easiest way to fix the electronics is to simply get an identical drive
and
swap the controller boards. I assume you value your time at least a
buck
an hour.
Click to expand...
 
"tempus fugit" <toccata.no.spam@ciaccess.com> wrote in message
news:zOPYa.15018$ZF5.7307@nntp-post.primus.ca...
Most of the data is backed up, so it's not really an issue of data
recovery.
I just wondered if it is economically feasible to try o repair one or not,
and whether it is likely to fail again.

the white zone is for loading and unloading only....

Thanks

Save yourself time, energy and hassle and throw it away. No modern drive I
Click to expand...
know of is repairable, at least not cost effectively. Apart from anything
else, if it miraculously started working again it would be a time bomb
waiting to go off again.

Dave.
 
If it is a Fujitsu, check to see if it under warranty. Fujitsu no
longer replaces drives, but sends you a refund instead. They had a lot
of trouble with a defective controller chips and are no longer
building drives. I got a new 60 gig for the amount they sent me for my
dead 20 gig.

Just a thought.
 
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