Main HDD Failure?

[Ki Frost]

Ok, so my new-ish, POS computer decided it would like to be dumb again.

It did the total lock-up/freeze, same as last time, and then, it decided it didnt want to boot off the HDD again, so I was trying some of the same stuff that I did last time to get it to work, and when I put it back into its SATA drive, it wouldn't register it. Tried multiple times to disconnect/reconnect it, and every time it will not register it even being connected, hooked up my secondary drive, and it reads just fine, i used my secondaries cords on the main to see if that was the issue, and no, it just likes to play dead.

So I try it on the brand new computer we got today, took out its HDD, put mine in, and same thing, it will not register it as having any form of existance.

Is it fried or just being retarded?

If it is fried, what I wouldnt get would be why it registers it one minute, disconnect it, and reconnect it, and it doesnt register it the next...

Ty for the help, if any.

~KF~

[Joeku]

Did you try putting it in as a slave drive?

[Ki Frost]

Originally Posted by Joeku

Did you try putting it in as a slave drive?

O.o didnt think about that, ill see what it does.

[Anti-Basic]

It might just be the PCB, in which case the discs themselves might still be OK.

[Ki Frost]

tried all the combos I could think up, and nothing gets it to even register as a drive installed...

not really to worried about it not working cause I have all the stuff I want on my secondary, but if I have to install an OS on my secondary till I can get a new main, ima be a little bit pissed...

Plus the fact its a 500GB HDD out the window...

[Lysdexic]

If the drives board can still function even partially, it will always register at first. After it conducts it's own form of POST (S.M.A.R.T. tests, etc), it will fail and the OS will drop it entirely.

Try two things for the final hoorah:
1) Use a GParted disk, generally it will recognize it beyond the points that most OS's will and you may get lucky being able to do a fresh format.
2) Seatools boot disk. Even if it's not a Seagate drive, their DOS disk can accomplish a bit more than most other recovery/diagnostic tools.

If neither one can "find" the drive, enjoy your overpriced paperweight

[Ki Frost]

Originally Posted by Lysdexic

If the drives board can still function even partially, it will always register at first. After it conducts it's own form of POST (S.M.A.R.T. tests, etc), it will fail and the OS will drop it entirely.

Try two things for the final hoorah:
1) Use a GParted disk, generally it will recognize it beyond the points that most OS's will and you may get lucky being able to do a fresh format.
2) Seatools boot disk. Even if it's not a Seagate drive, their DOS disk can accomplish a bit more than most other recovery/diagnostic tools.

If neither one can "find" the drive, enjoy your overpriced paperweight

I tried the Seatools and it couldnt find a HDD either, currently making the GParted disk...

I dont think it will be able to detect or "find" a drive either though, because if you go into the BIOS, on mine, the very first page, it lists all of the things in the SATA slots, and it goes:
Slot 0: EMPTY (HDD Should be here)
Slot 1: Somethin Funky DVD RW +/-
Slot 2: EMPTY
Slot3 : EMPTY

Something else I just noticed that I didnt notice before.
Before, when the drive was "found" when the comp booted up, it would start the Processer Fan, loudly, which is normal, and then it would beeb once and start, but now, all it does is start up the Processer Fan, loudly, and no beeping...

[Vorspire]

I know this is stupid... But you did remember to put the seperate power supply cable in the HDD right?

[Ki Frost]

Originally Posted by Vorspire

I know this is stupid... But you did remember to put the seperate power supply cable in the HDD right?

lol, yes i did.

i know the power is good too, cause if I hold the drive, yea yea i know its not good, I can feel it spinning and such.

[Jeff]

When you start the computer does the drive do a fluttering noise? If so how long, it should be something like 1 to 1.5 seconds long. This is called a shoeshine ya dumb, but if you open it, thats what it looks like. Anyway, if the drive isnt working on a completely different computer, something is wrong. Also, does the BIOS recognize it? Maybe I missed that answer but you can answer it again

[Ki Frost]

Originally Posted by Jeff

When you start the computer does the drive do a fluttering noise? If so how long, it should be something like 1 to 1.5 seconds long. This is called a shoeshine ya dumb, but if you open it, thats what it looks like. Anyway, if the drive isnt working on a completely different computer, something is wrong. Also, does the BIOS recognize it? Maybe I missed that answer but you can answer it again

The drive is extremly silent, so you have to hold it against your ear... but yes, as far as I could tell it did.

No the BIOS does not recognize it, the SATA port just says None.


Still what puzzles me is that it would "register" then I unplugged it to see if I could get it to actually "boot" off of it after reconnecting, but when I reconnected... it doesnt recognize it anymore...

//EDIT//

I found an oddity (I think...)

when its on the DELL loading screen, you know press F2 for BIOS F12 for Boot Menu, if I press F12, and go to Utility Partition, it goes to a black screen that says:

No Boot device available:
SATA 0: Installed
SATA 1: Installed
SATA 2: None
SATA 3: None

Now, if thats what I think it is, then that detects something connected to the SATA port 0, wich would be my HDD, but nothing else detects it or uses it... port 1 would be my DVD/CD Drive

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Ki Frost

The drive is extremly silent, so you have to hold it against your ear... but yes, as far as I could tell it did.

No the BIOS does not recognize it, the SATA port just says None.


Still what puzzles me is that it would "register" then I unplugged it to see if I could get it to actually "boot" off of it after reconnecting, but when I reconnected... it doesnt recognize it anymore...

Yes very strange, If it worked, and now it doesn't, even in a seperate machine, soemthing is definately wrong with the drive... I use to do data recovery so in my opinion, there isnt much else you can try. What I would do, is let it sit for a bit, perhaps till tomorrow, it shouldnt matter, but maybe you will get lucky enough to get it going one time to get things off it. If I think of something else I will pop in and tell you, I've been out of the data recovery business for just over 8 months so the things we use to try have skipped my mind. The one thing I can tell you is do not try anything you find online, its all bullshit and its all wrong, all of it(freezer, oven, hit it, its all wrong, and it will all just make things worse). Hope it works for you tomorrow..... hope you don't lose anything very important.

[Ki Frost]

Originally Posted by Jeff

Yes very strange, If it worked, and now it doesn't, even in a seperate machine, soemthing is definately wrong with the drive... I use to do data recovery so in my opinion, there isnt much else you can try. What I would do, is let it sit for a bit, perhaps till tomorrow, it shouldnt matter, but maybe you will get lucky enough to get it going one time to get things off it. If I think of something else I will pop in and tell you, I've been out of the data recovery business for just over 8 months so the things we use to try have skipped my mind. The one thing I can tell you is do not try anything you find online, its all bullshit and its all wrong, all of it(freezer, oven, hit it, its all wrong, and it will all just make things worse). Hope it works for you tomorrow..... hope you don't lose anything very important.

Edited my post above, incase you didnt notice it...

//EDIT//

I found an oddity (I think...)

when its on the DELL loading screen, you know press F2 for BIOS F12 for Boot Menu, if I press F12, and go to Utility Partition, it goes to a black screen that says:

No Boot device available:
SATA 0: Installed
SATA 1: Installed
SATA 2: None
SATA 3: None

Now, if thats what I think it is, then that detects something connected to the SATA port 0, wich would be my HDD, but nothing else detects it or uses it... port 1 would be my DVD/CD Drive

But I dont know if that makes any difference...

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Ki Frost

Edited my post above, incase you didnt notice it...

//EDIT//

I found an oddity (I think...)

when its on the DELL loading screen, you know press F2 for BIOS F12 for Boot Menu, if I press F12, and go to Utility Partition, it goes to a black screen that says:

No Boot device available:
SATA 0: Installed
SATA 1: Installed
SATA 2: None
SATA 3: None

Now, if thats what I think it is, then that detects something connected to the SATA port 0, wich would be my HDD, but nothing else detects it or uses it... port 1 would be my DVD/CD Drive

But I dont know if that makes any difference...

does the hdd have an OS on it? If so and its not booting, something is still wrong...

[Anti-Basic]

obviously a virus. (hey i provided real input earlier)

[Ki Frost]

yes the HDD has my Vista OS on it...

and AB I seen, just trying alternates.

//edit

oh and the letting it sit out over night approach didnt seem to work.
drive doesnt register anywhere except the utility partition...

[Anti-Basic]

utility partition?

[Ki Frost]

Originally Posted by Anti-Basic

utility partition?

*shruggs* thats what it calls it...

On boot up gives you two options, F2 for BIOS Settings, F12 for Boot Menu go to boot menu, and it lists DVD Drive and something it calls "Utility Partition"

If I go to utility partition it just lists the SATA ports and if something is connected to it or not.

Originally Posted by The Screen

No Boot device available

SATA 0: Installed
SATA 1: Installed
SATA 2: None
SATA 3: None

Thats the screen it shows...