Uncreative Labs

Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 127 Location: LI, NY

Just an update. About the "ctrl" key, I'm an idiot. It was right there the whole time. And about the warming up, I tried it and still no luck. I got a 1/2 hieght working in the computer now (MFM) and after listening to that, my drives definitely are *NOT* spinning up.

Is it possible it's just "frozen' or more likely a burnt out motor? And is putting oil anywhere on the drive safe at all?

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:16 pm

Nuke, check your mail. I'm in the process of sending you 200 ways to revive a hard drive (I got it from someone on the OCH...Don't remember who.)

Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 127 Location: LI, NY

I did! thanks!

I tried one of the techniques of removing the circuit board so I could just spin the platters myself. (Not opening up the hard drive, the external "weighted disk"). I tried that on one of my drives and it booted without much problems. I put it on it's side and it was fine.

The one I wanted to work (The full height IBM w/ my files) still didn't spin at all after I did this. I also tried the "drop" method of letting it fall a bit while turning the computer on to "free the disk". It seems when I turn the computer on the hard drive "switches on" (you can hear it if you put your ear to it) it just never engages the motor to start it spinning...

That's not a replacable part is it?

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:50 am

Most likely it isn't replacable. Not without data loss. You could try opening the disk and moving the platters by hand (avoid the data area!!!!)

Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 488 Location: pennsylvanai

sometimes, just to recover data, a drive would work on it's back or side. even sometimes a " wrist twist" while the drive was connected and on . bit not screwed in.
if you can do the "wrist twist" with the entire pc, let me know and I will avoid that part of the country.
extremely, a whack with a screwdriver handle, would free up a stuck drive, the motor is desigened to be accurate but not to start with a lot of torque,
Once one of these techiques are used, the drive is not to be trusted .

Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 127 Location: LI, NY

Puckdropper wrote:

You could try opening the disk and moving the platters by hand

Doesn't that ruin the drive if I'm not in a "clean room"? (The dust gets on the platters and the heads scratch them up. And about the replacing of the motor. I'm not really concerned about data loss now, it would just be nice to get it working. Razz

wdegroot wrote:

if you can do the "wrist twist" with the entire pc, let me know and I will avoid that part of the country.

LMAO, That made me laugh out loud.

Anyway. I've tried the "drop" method, where you drop it when it first gets power. That didn't work. I'll try "twisting" it (even though the hard drive seems to be about 10 pounds, lol). And then I'll try banging it. I'm thinking that there's just not enough lubrication for the drive to spin freely. (If I turn the external weighted disk to spin the platters it goes for about 1/60 of a rotation before stopping).

I'll keep trying. Smile

Thanks for the help everyone! (Btw, my other drive is still spinning just fine!)

Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 488 Location: pennsylvanai

yes opening it up is dangerous
someone gave me a box of stuff once.
he opened his trunk and took out the st-251 hd ( thery cost over $400.00 then)
and said " you might make this one work" and pulled off the top ( no screws) ands spun it.
he was sort of right. I got it working and tested it PHEEW and decided ot was safe enough to put files on.. that evening it was warm and the next morning it locked up when i turned on the system again. I sweated bullets until i got it spinning.
and copied all the data.
later it got stuck anain and I DID get it spinning. but there was a strange noise and a rattle and a ting-ting ting and the broken off head was thrown about.

it was scrap then. I may still have the pcb.

Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 127 Location: LI, NY

Man these drives must be harder to kill than I thought if the guy was spinning an open hard drive with his finger. Razz