Thread: Hard Drive: A tricky treat

  1. #1
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    Hard Drive: A tricky treat

    Ok guys heres the deal. I got a Western Digital 30.0gig hard drive here, real quick heres the model/date:

    MDL - WD30GAB-00BVAD
    MAN - 23 JUL 2001

    It was running windows 98 in a buddies computer, and stopped working. He doens't know why so hell if i know what he did. I slapped it into my pc and tried to format with MaxBLAST as well as format/fdisk and it keeps giving an error about access or failure. I will post a exact error shortly when i can get back on after messing with it.

    I need ideas as how to save it when i can't do anything with it, not even access it as a slave. Utilities, etc.

    Post more soon.

  2. #2
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    Ok heres the deal, if its slaved windows installs it but it doens't show in my computer and if i try to access it thru command it says invalid drive specs.

    If i master it windows installs just fail.

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    Sounds like it could be a dead drive. I'm assuming you have the jumpers/cables in order. Have you run Maxblast's diagnostics? You might try a LLF. (Sometimes called write zeros to drive) It takes some time (a lot) and will TOTALLY wipe the drive but sounds like the data's gone already. LLF returns the drive to the original factory condition so you then have to fdisk and format.

    It's been a while since I've used Maxblast so I don't remember all the testing features. I do remember a problem some time ago(caused by using the drive copy feature of Maxblast to install originally) that required an LLF to straighten out.

    Hard to tell but it sounds like the drive may be road ballast.

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    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    Yea well i got a new thing that makes me almost positive i can't save it:

    I had it slaved and opend its properties in device manager, it said it was working right but it started making this real low whine. I had a drive do this once before after it went thru a x-ray machine at the airport.

    Well anyway as soon as i clicked "populate" to get its stats, it brought up all 0's and stopped making the noise.

    Anyway, so how might i 0 zap it?

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    Not exactly sure. I don't have a maxtor drive installed on anything right now so I can't launch the utility to find out. Generally, you need to download the lastest version of Maxblast or Powermax (not sure which) from Maxtor's web site. Then use the download to make a bootable floppy utility disk.

    Boot off this floppy with the problem drive connected and make sure the drive selected is the one you want to work on. Then start looking for an option like low level format or write zeros to drive. If you can't find it post back and I'll see if I can locate a Maxtor to pop into my system this afternoon so I can find out what they call it.

    Always use the drive manufacturer's utility to LLF a drive. You shouldn't be able to use anything else but I thought I'd mention that.

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    Did some checking. It's the PowerMax utility you need to download from maxtor. I'm pretty sure they call the option "write zeros to drive".

  7. #7
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    Is the drive even detected on boot?
    You can try going into your BIOS and automatically setting the drive/disc/cluster size/type automatically. There are a few other ways to get a drive back up long enough to get the data off of it (put it in a freezer bag and stick it in the freezer; drop it a few inches above a flat surface and let it land completly flat; take a hairdryer to it for a few minutes)

  8. #8
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Eibro
    Is the drive even detected on boot?
    You can try going into your BIOS and automatically setting the drive/disc/cluster size/type automatically. There are a few other ways to get a drive back up long enough to get the data off of it (put it in a freezer bag and stick it in the freezer; drop it a few inches above a flat surface and let it land completly flat; take a hairdryer to it for a few minutes)
    Yea i have a list of 200 ways to get info off, but i'm not as concerned about the data as i am getting it working right again (even tho its a reach).

    Yea it picks up fine in both boot and windows, just doens't let me access it and i can only see it from device mngr when in windows.

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    Does sound like a dead disk. I always try an LLF as a last resort to confirm it.

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    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    LLF failed, and i found the problem....I failed to pay attention to his case when i recieved it, as i got right into it.....its COVERED in magnets, gee wonder if that had anything to do with this.....

  11. #11
    wtf, he had magnets on his computer case? trying to act like its a refrig or what?

  12. #12
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    He said they looked cool! It was about this time i payed more attention to the fact that he colored his keyboard, has band stickers covering his monitor(vents are open thank god), and his cords are covered in colored electrical tape.

  13. #13
    Solution: Take the hard drive, slap your friend with it, take his wallet, buy him a new one

  14. #14
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    You think maybe the magnets disturbed the servo tracking data...Jeez.

    The up side is that the factory might be able to reformat the drive.

    If it's still under warranty.

    And if they can stop laughing long enough.

    Cgawd...I like your idea better.

  15. #15
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    Eh i took care of it, i orderd him the same kind, lectured him about the magnets and....crap....and charged him 20 bucks to fix it and load xp/progs back in.

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