Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
From: Joseph Bruno
Actually, the solution Isn't mine. We had several Dell PCs and the C drive went out on one
(with no current backup, of course). The Dell tech came out with a new drive but the warranty
didn't include data recovery for which they wanted a $5,000 deposit and offered no
guarantees. I asked the tech if there was anything we could do on our own to get the drive to
spin up so we could get a backup. "Well", he replied, "there is one thing I've done that
sometimes unsticks the drive." He then took the drive out and slammed it flat down on the
desk as hard as he could. After putting it back in the drive, it spun up. I was advised to back
up the data before shutting down the system as "the slam" doesn't always work and seldom
works a second time. Fortunately, once was enough in this case. The data was backed up to a
portable tape drive and the C drive was replaced and restored.
From: Sam Espana
I have used several ways to solve the same issue. The reason is the fact that a hard drive is a
hard drive is a hard drive, or is it? The answer is NO. If a hard drive is failing it's usually
because it is legacy equipment that often doesn't even support LBA mode. But, sometimes it
isn't even the hard drive that's causing the problem. Say what? That's right. By in large, I first
approach this situation by asking the user how much hard drive space he/she used to have.
Usually the answer is over 512 megabytes. But, again, you'll be surprised. Secondly, I ask the
user if this is the first time this situation has occurred and whether or not he/she knows if we
are dealing with a new or old computer. Armed with the above answers. I usually solve this
problem by performing a combination of the tasks described below.
1) Test the motherboard BIOS/CMOS battery. Often, the hard drive is just fine. But, the
internal battery is dead. Some computers like a few Packard Bells I have dealt with have LBA
and 32-bit mode turned off by default. Those settings may have been enabled during
assembly, but now that the battery is dead they are set back to factory settings (when the
user turns his/her computer off) rendering the hard drive inaccessible. Solution: Change the
internal battery and enable CMOS LBA/32-bit mode.
2) Ask if the computer has been moved recently. Often, when computers are moved, data
cables are detached from hard drives and/or motherboards. Obviously, without a data or power
cable, a hard drive will never work. Solution: Reattach cables and be prepare to actually
replace them.
3) Worst case scenario. It is the hard drive that does not seem to respond. Then, replace the
hard drive with a new Master drive and install the faulty drive as a Slave drive. Make sure you
install the same Operating System used by the Slave on the Master. Then, proceed to probe
the Slave drive. Ideally, at this point you should use diagnostics tools such as Micro-Scope
from Micro2000. If you have experience, you should not close the computer box making sure
that the Slave drive is within reach. Twice, I have been able to restart a hard drive after
gently banging on it
(once as Slave and once as a Master.) Don't miss the boat. Even if you
happen to restart the faulty Slave drive, you must copy your info to the Master so that you are
not placed in the same situation again because the next time you may not be as lucky. The
above procedure works whether the drive is an IDE or SCSI drive. However, when using SCSI
hard drive, you may have to test the SCSI card as well. I am leaving now to fix a drive that
belongs to a RAID
