Failing WD drive

[ragagaga]

Hello,
My WD 1tb hard drive disappears from computer,
sometime reappears after about 20 min,
sometimes if I disconnect and reconnect, it will appear. There is never any warning. I suspect it is a heating problem, though some times even when i leave it to cool, it will not appear. I do hear it spinning up. WD have sent an advance RMA drive , but I need to copy my large files from ailing drive. any advice please?

 

[szaboaz]

So you excluded faulty data/power cable and motherboard sata connector, is that right?

Lame advice I know, but you may try to place the hard drive in a different position, e.g. upside down, or on it's side. Who knows.

Put it under a desktop fan, if you have one. That might reduce the heat expansion, if that is the reason.

I've read about some crazy "treatments" like dropping it on it's edge from a reasonable height. But that's a very very last resort, and has more chance for mechanical failure, not so much for contact failure.

 

[ragagaga]

yes checked cables. also drive will not work in Mac Pro at all but works intermittently in
external caddies. thanks for the advice I have also tried it in various positions..upside down.sideways. etc. nothing. haven't tried the drop trick!..yet!

 

[ragagaga]

So you excluded faulty data/power cable and motherboard sata connector, is that right?

Lame advice I know, but you may try to place the hard drive in a different position, e.g. upside down, or on it's side. Who knows.

Put it under a desktop fan, if you have one. That might reduce the heat expansion, if that is the reason.

I've read about some crazy "treatments" like dropping it on it's edge from a reasonable height. But that's a very very last resort, and has more chance for mechanical failure, not so much for contact failure.

sorry may have posted the reply wrongly so here it is again
yes checked cables. also drive will not work in Mac Pro at all but works intermittently in
external caddies. thanks for the advice I have also tried it in various positions..upside down.sideways. etc. nothing. haven't tried the drop trick!..yet!

 

[ragagaga]

now trying the fan to cool it.

 

[ragagaga]

So you excluded faulty data/power cable and motherboard sata connector, is that right?

Lame advice I know, but you may try to place the hard drive in a different position, e.g. upside down, or on it's side. Who knows.

Put it under a desktop fan, if you have one. That might reduce the heat expansion, if that is the reason.

I've read about some crazy "treatments" like dropping it on it's edge from a reasonable height. But that's a very very last resort, and has more chance for mechanical failure, not so much for contact failure.

hi yeah
drive still disconnected even with fan directly next to drive. I,m using arRsync so can continue copying when drive comes back on line.
may take me a few days!

 

[szaboaz]

Okay, some more ideas:
- you know that professional services exist for data recovery from failed hard drives, don't you? They cost an arm and a leg, but if the data is important, they will take the drive apart, get out the platters, and copy the data over a new hard drive

- if the drive is spinning, and the files can be seen/copied sometimes, then the failure must be in the electronics part of the drive.
I've seen people looking for identical models of their old drives just to place the working electronics (even the engine?) over.

- there's the crazy freezer trick. If dropping was a "very-very" last resort, this is a "very" last resort.
http://lifehacker.com/5515337/save-a-failed-hard-drive-in-your-freezer-redux


ps. but these may affect your warranty procedure... I guess when you send it off in the end, they'll want to take a look at it...

 

[ragagaga]

Okay, some more ideas:
- you know that professional services exist for data recovery from failed hard drives, don't you? They cost an arm and a leg, but if the data is important, they will take the drive apart, get out the platters, and copy the data over a new hard drive

- if the drive is spinning, and the files can be seen/copied sometimes, then the failure must be in the electronics part of the drive.
I've seen people looking for identical models of their old drives just to place the working electronics (even the engine?) over.

- there's the crazy freezer trick. If dropping was a "very-very" last resort, this is a "very" last resort.
http://lifehacker.com/5515337/save-a-failed-hard-drive-in-your-freezer-redux


ps. but these may affect your warranty procedure... I guess when you send it off in the end, they'll want to take a look at it...

And of course if I were to try swapping controllers i would void the warranty.
I have read/seen that that its not always possible to swap modern controllers. Any how I have a month to send it to WD
I hope it will last the time it takes to get the data off. This is the second Green drive that has failed me in a similar fashion.
it is a recertified. thank you for your advice. the data is important as its my music written over some time.

 

[gelliott]

We have had some success taking a hard drive and putting it inside a ziploc bag inside a freezer for several hours and then hooking it up in order to get data off of it. This is of course a last resort but it has let use get important files off a drive that was otherwise failing.

 

[joemama069]

freezer trick seems to work very well actually, drives that i cant even get my machine to see seem to work fine after a night in the freezer. Usually though you only get about 3-4 hours out of them so transfer your data with haste.

 

[ram1009]

Your first problem is buying any computer part "recertified". I'd rather buy a recertified pacemaker.

 

[ragagaga]

I like the freezer trick. I shall copy when the drive allows it, or until it fails, and if i haven't got all my stuff then in in the freezer it goes!
I shall buy some freezer bags tomorrow............

 

[ragagaga]

Your first problem is buying any computer part "recertified". I'd rather buy a recertified pacemaker.

Hi
sorry i haven't made it clear, but the drive is a replacement drive for another faulty drive i sent back to WD 4 months ago. Wd don't replace with new drives, just recertified