Question Trying to load an old IBM Travelstar DBCA-206480

[Henri9009]

Hi all!

I'm trying to access the content of an old computer's HD (I couldn't load Windows, so I removed the HD).

I bought an IDE 2.5” to USB adapter.

I'm a Mac user, but I have a PC laptop. It's the same behavior on both machines.

The disk is not detected by the operation system (even if I go to Disk Utility or Disk Management).

The disk makes that noise non stop: https://mega.nz/file/4yQmnaBQ#P69ILfeQFH69_UVBAZhrN7Zp6Oe4efSOAQcjSTVpNxU

I've noticed that the 4 pins that are isolated from the rest are not connected (can't connect ALL the pins onto the adapter, these four are just in the air).

Any advice?

Thank you!

 

[Ralston18]

All I could hear is a "hum".

That said, what are the jumpers set at?

 

[USAFRet]

I bought an IDE 2.5” to USB adapter.

Link to this specific device?

 

[evermorex76]

The 4 extra pins are normally not connected or jumpered. Those are the master/slave selector pins, and generally with laptop drives no jumpers means it's master or "cable select" and the cable is always configured to make the drive master (because rarely would you ever have a laptop drive on a cable with a second drive).

And OH YEAH that's a busted drive. I can hear the clicking quite clearly. Grind click grind click grind click. It's different from normal seek noises.

It's a travel-size DeathStar drive.

 

[Henri9009]

All I could hear is a "hum".

That said, what are the jumpers set at?

I don't know. Where are they? ChatGPT told me something about it, but I can't see any "jumpers" anywhere.

 

[Henri9009]

Link to this specific device?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00EHDTRJ6?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

 

[Henri9009]

The 4 extra pins are normally not connected or jumpered. Those are the master/slave selector pins, and generally with laptop drives no jumpers means it's master or "cable select" and the cable is always configured to make the drive master (because rarely would you ever have a laptop drive on a cable with a second drive).

And OH YEAH that's a busted drive. I can hear the clicking quite clearly. Grind click grind click grind click. It's different from normal seek noises.

It's a travel-size DeathStar drive.

So there's no hope?

 

[evermorex76]

I don't know. Where are they? ChatGPT told me something about it, but I can't see any "jumpers" anywhere.

There are no jumpers since it doesn't need them as master. And no, there's no hope if it's clicking like that. Your only real option would be sending it to a recovery specialist, where they would open it up and either replace what is broken or mount the platters in another device, if the data is worth a few hundred dollars (or a thousand, depending on how big the drive is and how much data needs to be recovered).

Or you could buy another of the exact same model if you can find it, disassemble them yourself in a room with heavy air filtration and static electricity control, and swap the internal components and pray, if it's not worth that much money. It's a fun project. But you may end up watching the read/write arms scratch a spiral into the platters, after which you can dump your data dust onto a piece of paper and hope it reassembles itself into words.

Replace it with a $35 SATA 2.5" SSD and be amazed at the new life breathed into that laptop.