Clicking external 1TB HD

[GibsonSGKing]

Sometimes it does .

But yeah...any time you get a clicking sound it's pretty much over. One thing I have noticed is to never buy external hard drives from a factory (ie, Western Digital MyBook). I have had 3 total MyBook's fail on me, as well as my close friend has had his fail as well. Each of these had clicking failure problems. Talking with a few of my closest IT friends, the best you can do is build an external drive. Get a server rated hard drive, buy an enclosure, done.

I'm familiar with the click of death. Had quite a few drives die like that. Once the clicking was accompanied with a screeching noise, and I new it was over. But I would imagine that they don't put server grade harddrives in mybooks I say that you get what you pay for, but your method is just as good, because then you're positive you have solid components in it.

 

[berry120]

Once the clicking was accompanied with a screeching noise

That's usually when the head is scraping against the platter, hence scratching it and hence making it nigh on impossible for anyone to get the data off at all...

That really is game over!

 

[Kage]

It took me a good 30 minutes to get it out of its packaging.
I now know that if there was ever a burgular trying to break into locks, my family wouldn't bat an eyelid, because there were quite a few bangs I made and clacking noises trying to get that thing open!
It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. Only a rubber surround was keeping the sides firmly in the housing, but then there were screws, but only standard phillips ones.

I don't trust external drives either. My dads had 2 go in the past, and there are no fans in it either, so the heat must be terrible.

CONNECTING IT UP:

Well, I managed to find a sata connector after a lot of hunting, and connected it up along with my other 2.

But alas, when it was trying to find the SATA 3 connection, the drive started clicking, powering up again, clicking, and then again after around 6 times, the drive completly powered down, and the computer booted up as normal, as it froze it, with a message on SATA 3 saying "Problem with port"

It tried again as Windows was loading, but did exactly the same thing, so it may want to be a survivor (probably not though... haha)

I tried knocking it, but that didn't do any good, and I'm scared of powering it up any more.

I'll have to try that freezer trick, but where can I buy a non condensing bag?

 

[Remeniz]

Well at least you gave it a shot. You had nothing to loose.

You can get those little packs of moisture absorbing bags of balls of something?!?

You know what I mean.

Pop a few of those in the bag with the HD and leave it in the freezer for a week.

 

[Kage]

A week?!!! haha, what about 24 hours?

I'm worried that if I do put it in the freezer, it won't spin at all, and will lock up

 

[Remeniz]

Yea. Give it a week in the deep freeze.

Seriously though 24 hours is cool, excuse the pun, just stick it under some other frozen items.

Don't think it will lock up though. Theoretically the components will contract under dropping temps. So you might get half hours use out of it.

 

[Kage]

Okay, thanks

Any idea what program I could use that as soon as the drive is recognised, to copy the data to another external drive I'd have ready in a USB?

I know I wouldn't have much time to do it, before it'd heat up again (especially in this room) but really need to back up the entire drive if possible.

Turns out the drive is a 500GB, not a 1TB as I initally thought.

 

[Remeniz]

See that's the problem. The USB interface on these externals is very slow regardless of what they say the transfer rates are.

Assuming the 'Deep Freeze Fix' works you won't have much time to use the HD.

So straight out of the freezer, into your machine and copy the data to an internal drive in your machine is the best bet. You'll copy more of the data much quicker.

If it's a few GB's then you should have the time via USB.

 

[Kage]

I think the drive is pretty full...

I'd try and use firewire, but I never actually installed the hardware on my PC, as I got the dongle for it to plug into the main board, but never did it, and its finding it now.

I'd remove the new 1.5TB I have to backup with as well, but maybe he wants that external, so shouldn't really mess.

I definietly have not got enough space on my drives to back up all 500GB (its pretty much full)

 

[berry120]

You'll probably half 20-30 minutes max if it does work - you can always stick it back in the freezer for another 24 hours though if it cops out half way through copying.