There are many techniques for performing a Hard Drive Repair. This article will discuss some of the ways to address the different issues that can cause a hard drive to fail. If your data is critical, it’s best to turn the repair of your hard drive over to a professional because your problem can always get worse.
Before doing any work, the first step is to identify the issue preventing you from accessing the data on your hard drive. Which of the following applies?
1. Your computer starts normally, but some of your data is missing.
This can be due to one of 3 things: 1. Your file system is corrupt 2. Your hard drive has developed bad blocks or 3. You have a virus
If your hard drive is functioning but your data is missing, the best practice is to first use disk imaging software to make a duplicate of your entire drive. Ideally, this should be done by either removing the drive and performing the cloning on another computer, or by booting off a different drive on the same machine, or by booting off of a bootable CD. Every minute that you continue to use your drive increases the likelihood that your missing data will be overwritten and lost forever.
Once an image has been created, the next step is to recover your data. This can be done by using specialized software that scans your drive for lost files. This software should not be installed or downloaded onto the drive containing the missing data.
2. Your computer “sees” your hard drive, but the computer won’t start
This can be due to any number of reasons including a damaged operating system, viruses, bad sectors on your drive, or a malfunctioning drive. Once again, the first in performing a hard drive repair, is to attempt to image the drive as discussed above. If the drive can be imaged without any problems, then you can assume the hard drive is functioning properly, in which case data recovery software will one again be your best option.
If the imaging of your drive starts, but doesn’t complete, suspect bad sectors as your culprit. Recovering your data in this case requires that 1. your image the good parts of your drive first and 2. attempt to revitalize the bad sectors on your drive and image the sectors that were not copied the first go around.
3. Your computer doesn’t find your hard drive
This can be due to a variety of reasons including stuck heads, a burned circuit board, a bad motor, dead heads, and damage to the platters that contain your data. If you can hold the drive to your ear while turning on the computer, this can provide valuable information about what is going on. If you hear nothing and don’t feel the motor turning on when the power is turned on, then the most likely source of the problem is a dead circuit board. If you hear some sound but it doesn’t feel like the motor is running then either the heads are stuck or the motor is dead. If you hear clicking, then the problem may be due to bad heads or bad firmware.
This represents the first part covering the issue of hard drive repair. Next, we will look at the techniques for dealing with these issues in greater detail.