HDD Dead, replace spindle motor?

Firefly86

Firefly86

Firefly86

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Joined
19 Jul 2006
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258
Location
Gibraltar
Hi guys,

Need some advice. About a year back my father in law dropped a hard drive while helping me move stuff around. On trying to plug in the hard into new computer...it clicks twice...does not spin up...and well that's about it.

It's detected in Drive manager but can't initialize.

I tried all sorts to try and get it detected and then gave up and got some quotes for professional hard drive recovery.

On getting the quotes (all £1k + ) I decided while the information was pretty important, it's not worth 1k!

So...understanding that I might completely balls it up and lose the data, I've decided to take the risk and try and salvage the data. I opened up the hard drive in the cleanest environment I could set up, started the hard drive and notice that everything appears intact, but the hard drive just does not spin at all. After a little research I've read that when getting dropped one of the most common things to happen is the 'spindle motor' to stop working, and this in effect does appear to be the case.

I've replaced the PCM board just to remove that as being a problem from the equation but it makes no difference.

Essential I've read that with a 'similar' hard drive I can replace spindle motor and that that could perhaps work.

Can anyone offer any advice on what constitues similar?
The hard drive in question is a Maxtor DiamondPlus 9 250GB which isn't sold anymore...so not sure which hard drive to buy.

Thanks!!
 
have you tried the freezer method, ie wrap it in a bag and freeze it for a few hours then try it in a pc?

one hard knock method? one large hit on a wooden desk sometimes free up the heads

as far as the re placeing the spindle is concerned, its the same as the pcm board, needs to be from the same make and model, never done it before tbh, normally just either using the 2 methods above or change the board has worked.

as dropping it stopped the spindel, one hard band on the corner of the drive could get it going, it's not enough that it would dent the case, but hard enough to free the heads.

when you opened it up, did the heads move easy?
 
Hi Zak,
Thanks for the reply appreciate any advice I can get here hehe!

I did try the freezer method first but no luck :( It just seems to have no life.
I did also try the knock method but was a little weary of doing more damage, perhaps not tapping in the right place?

When you say do the heads move easy are you referring to the head on the actual arm over the spindles? I'll check that for you and revert back...
 
Trying to be super gentle but not it doesn't seem like the head can move atleast not with gentle nudges...any idea what this could mean?
 
both arm over and spindles moving, the force needed will link the pages for you to read and study if its correct for you worth the risk,

h88p://www.extremetech.com/computing/133294-raising-the-dead-can-a-regular-person-repair-a-damaged-hard-drive

h88p://www.ehow.com/how_7621870_fix-hard-drive-motor.html

this is the most useful for the people i have helped in the past ^^

like i tried it a few times banging with it not connected, then tried a few with it connected, might have just been lucky, but all methods above have worked in the past
 
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Some harddrives have a mechanism that releases the head once the discs are spinning at a set speed. I have seen these, and they can look like a bit of plastic which flaps back once the airflow is strong enough to push it back.
 
ok I had a good look at lunchtime....

the arm is able to move (moved it very gently just to make sure it wasn't stuck) so it's not stuck to the spindles.

dareal thanks for the input. Looks like nothings really wrong with the arm itself, it just seems to have no power no life!

The damn spindles just wont spin...thinking more and more a dead spindle motor...ordered an identical hard drive from ebay and will say a little prayer and take a shot lol
 
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