Samsung 2.5" HM500JI failed; makes sequence of 5x3 beeps

[jedstern]

My partner's 2.5" portable La Cie Rugged 500Gb (firewire 800/400 & usb) Hard disk connected by firewire was unplugged from a mac laptop without being properly ejected while Final Cut Pro was running in the background. To our knowledge nothing was being written to the disk at the time.

The disk has irreplaceable data linked to her studies so she is practically in tears.

After that the disk is no longer detected by either windows or mac.

As soon as the disk is plugged in it makes a series of 3 synthesized beeps descending in tone from high to low in quick succession 5 times in a row followed by a very light mechanical head movement sound & then goes completely silent (disk is not spinning).

The sound is closer to some sort of synthesized beep code than the disk trying to spin though I could be mistaken.

The disk has never been dropped or bumped.

I have tried connecting the disk via both firewire and usb to different computers with the same result.

I have also tried taking the disk out of its enclosure and connecting it with a sata to usb adapter with the same result.

The sound comes as soon as I give it power irrespective of whether a data cable is connected or not. The disk cannot be seen in the disk manager.


Could this be an issue on the system board of the disk and would changing the hard disk's system board with that from a disk of the same model have a chance of success?

The disk inside is a Samsung Spinpoint
Model: HM500JI
HDD P/N HM500JI/Y
Rev. A

Looking online I see that I can purchase the HM500J1 I don't see however the HM500J1/Y . Is the model without the /Y likely to be the same and is there any risk in simply attaching the system board from another HM500J1 drive

I have read stories of giving the drive a bump or freezing it.

I'm willing to try anything.

Thank you for any help or suggestions.


Jed

 

[Ubrales]

You seem to have done most of the logical actions to solve this issue. Here is a link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152168 - the Feedback sections may provide some more clues.

Your idea of changing the controller board on the HDD is a good idea worth a try.

If these attempts do not work, and the data is valuable, try taking the HDD to a data recovery service. Expensive approach.

 

[saplaye]

The problem is the internal Samsung hard drive. The HM500JI HAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLOOR. There is a raised surface near the connector for the r/w heads. With very little force the logic board will short against the drive body base casting, and destroy the MLB and causing a nasty short. With any luck it is only the traces on the MLB that get fried, Replacing the MLB, using capstan tape to prevent the same thing happening again may fix the problem. I suspect Samsung may have done a silent role to replace these drives in later revisions.

 

[giannino]

I just had the same problem. My Samsung was in a 13.3 Vaio by Sony. 4 beeps, descending, 5 times, then nothing. The vaio fell from the table and from then the HD stopped working. By reading this post, I realized there was a chance that some contacts doing short could be restored by trying an "inverse shock"... so I started throwing the disc to the ground (on a carpet). Well, after the third launch.. it started working again. I copied all the data and put it to rest.
That was just pure luck, dont do this if you have critical/important data.
giannino

My partner's 2.5" portable La Cie Rugged 500Gb (firewire 800/400 & usb) Hard disk connected by firewire was unplugged from a mac laptop without being properly ejected while Final Cut Pro was running in the background. To our knowledge nothing was being written to the disk at the time.

The disk has irreplaceable data linked to her studies so she is practically in tears.

After that the disk is no longer detected by either windows or mac.

As soon as the disk is plugged in it makes a series of 3 synthesized beeps descending in tone from high to low in quick succession 5 times in a row followed by a very light mechanical head movement sound & then goes completely silent (disk is not spinning).

The sound is closer to some sort of synthesized beep code than the disk trying to spin though I could be mistaken.

The disk has never been dropped or bumped.

I have tried connecting the disk via both firewire and usb to different computers with the same result.

I have also tried taking the disk out of its enclosure and connecting it with a sata to usb adapter with the same result.

The sound comes as soon as I give it power irrespective of whether a data cable is connected or not. The disk cannot be seen in the disk manager.


Could this be an issue on the system board of the disk and would changing the hard disk's system board with that from a disk of the same model have a chance of success?

The disk inside is a Samsung Spinpoint
Model: HM500JI
HDD P/N HM500JI/Y
Rev. A

Looking online I see that I can purchase the HM500J1 I don't see however the HM500J1/Y . Is the model without the /Y likely to be the same and is there any risk in simply attaching the system board from another HM500J1 drive

I have read stories of giving the drive a bump or freezing it.

I'm willing to try anything.

Thank you for any help or suggestions.


Jed

 

[im2vague]

Jed (and others),
I have some experience in recovering damaged hard drives and I know what causes the high beeps as mentioned below.
When a hard drive is on and spinning and then is impacted or falls most often the head gets stuck just at the edge of the platter - just before the head rack.
So impacting it may push the heads back on to the rack and then it will read properly.
But this is hit and miss and you may do more damage and lose your data altogether.
If you have a minute there is a better way to fix this. Just find the right "T screw driver" and take out all of the screws on the top plate (you'll obviously have to remove the hard drive from the Lacie or other case before you do this).
Remember that there is usually 1 "hidden" screw under the label.
Carefully remove the top and you will see the read/write head stuck on or near the edge of the platter.
Just take a small flat blade screw driver and eases the head back onto the rack by putting it inside one of the holes in the read/write head arm and gently push it back.
Once the head is on the stack, put the cover on and most of the screws back in place.
The drive should boot properly now and get your data off of it as quickly as possible. Then throw it away.
I know - I know - people are yelling at me right now "But....but...you can't just open a drive - you need to be in a clean room." Sorry, for something this basic (in terms of recovery) you can do it in your office or room and it'll be ok. I am currently removing data from a drive in just the manner I described - no problem.
Recovery labs have been charging at least $800 to perform this action and I think it's time we didn't throw away our money.
Now, you can always Paypal a small sum for this information and I would certainly appreciate it ;-)
Take care and good luck!

Jim

"As soon as the disk is plugged in it makes a series of 3 synthesized beeps descending in tone from high to low in quick succession 5 times in a row followed by a very light mechanical head movement sound & then goes completely silent (disk is not spinning).

The sound is closer to some sort of synthesized beep code than the disk trying to spin though I could be mistaken."