Internal Hard Drive Failure

[stealth]

So I have this old internal hard drive from an old computer, that has a few files on it.

One day the computer would never boot. So I got a IDE to USB adaptor.

After investigation I found out that the HDD only works/powers up if only power is put to it and the IDE cable is disconnected...

Any way of fixing this so I can recover my files?

[revelations]

So youre saying that once its powered up and spinning, plugging the IDE cable just kills it?

Wierd - probably an internal short somewhere - not a whole you can do about it short of sending it away to be recovered.

[stealth]

Yea I think I am screwed. I heard there was a way of fixing it if the HD powers up...

[J NRG]

.

[Grogador]

Does the drive make any clicking or grinding noises? While I'm a big fan of the 'freezer trick', it won't generally help with what sounds like a fried controller. Do any of the chips on it get really hot? See if you can find the same drive (exact same model, revision and preferably firmware) with the same controller board (chips have same numbers on them) then swap it out.

[stealth]

I do not hear any clicking or grinding noises. I will have to research the make and model of the HD.

I am not sure how to tell or what the chips are on it...

[stealth]

Anyone else?

[RMS]

So I got a IDE to USB adaptor.

maybe that's the problem?

Maybe you should get an IDE cable and just plug it as a slave drive and copy the files over?

[Zero102]

If you are in the central NW area I also have an IDE-USB converter, it is possible your adapter is NFG and that is your problem. If you are located near me we can try it with my adapter to rule that out.

Other than that, throw it in as a slave drive and try it that way, and if it also does not power up with the cable connected you have a dead control board and will need to swap the board to recover your data, which means you need an _IDENTICAL_ drive to do this yourself.

[jswankster]

one thing you can do is the freezer trick, put the hardrive in the freezer for about 30 mins, then immediately turn it on, with the cables connected, i have used this method to recover lost files before

[stealth]

Why would that be the problem?

The adapter is so that you can connect the drive via USB.

[stealth]

I tried that frozen method, with the adapter and it didn't work.

I put it in the freezer overnight.

[stealth]

Originally posted by Zero102
If you are in the central NW area I also have an IDE-USB converter, it is possible your adapter is NFG and that is your problem. If you are located near me we can try it with my adapter to rule that out.

Other than that, throw it in as a slave drive and try it that way, and if it also does not power up with the cable connected you have a dead control board and will need to swap the board to recover your data, which means you need an _IDENTICAL_ drive to do this yourself.

Thanks for the offer, I am in Edmonton. But I bought 2 brand new adapters from MemExpress, and it didn't help.

I did buy a new control board, and will wait for it to arrive.