Calling all computer geeks.

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OK. In the course of troubleshooting and re-building a new computer for a friend, I had to disassemble my own PC for parts. 'No problem' I thought, having done this or something similar a million times before.

Wrong. Problem.

One of my two hard drives is no longer responding. No matter what I do, I can't get my PC to recognize it. I've tried setting it at different places in the IDE chains (w/ jumper adjustments made accordingly), I've tried different power supplies, I've tried removing the functioning hard drive, all with the same result: it simply WON'T register in the BIOS, and certainly not in XP.

I'm facing up to the reality that it's shot, but -- how? By removing it from the PC and using it on another machine? What common mistakes do people make that result in an obliterated hard drive? Alternately, if all is NOT lost, can you suggest possible techniques/tips for data recovery?

E-mail, address book, pictures, stories lost. ARG.

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 01:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Are you sure it is spinning up?

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 01:41 (twenty-three years ago)

It's not even doing that.

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 01:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Well I would say *bingo*. The drive's motor must be shot for some reason. That is good news because I'm pretty sure there are places that could swap it out and recover yr data.

It's been a few years since i did IT crap professionally so I'm not totally up to date... I can't recommend a specific place or give you a price range, but if you're desperate to get the data I'm sure it can be done.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 01:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Hm. Any idea what would do that to a motor?

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 01:50 (twenty-three years ago)

give it to the fbi, i bet they could get yr info out. or those dudes on the xfiles

if it's not even turning on, maybe one of the power leads got dislodged while plugging/unplugging

― ron (ron), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 01:50 (twenty-three years ago)

OK I don't *think* it's spinning up, but it IS really hot...?

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 01:52 (twenty-three years ago)

No I don't know why it would just crap out over a routine thing like removing it and putting it back in. There's nothing wrong with doing that in and of itself. Drives are pretty finicky. The manufacturers have ass for quality control. I worked in a uni and we'd have new computers with drives that crapped out in less than a year. I mean, since you said you tried a different power supply, that's the only thing I can think it would be...

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 01:54 (twenty-three years ago)

The computer's on right now, you're touching the drive and it's hot?

hmmm. I mean, when you turn the computer on and off, you don't hear that characteristic whirring noise?

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 02:00 (twenty-three years ago)

No whirring, but it is hot. Yeah.

Heh.

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 02:16 (twenty-three years ago)

What make/model is it?
If you run the the drive alone with no other devices attached and put your ear directly to the drive can you hear it spin and feel it vibrate when you switch the power on?
How old is the drive?

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 08:47 (twenty-three years ago)

1) Maxtor. 13 gigs. UDMA. 7200rpm.
2) No, but as I said, it does heat up.
3) Er. About four years?

I'm fucked aren't I.

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 14:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Mark, can you use MSN right now?

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 15:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Nope. At work, but I do have it at home.

You can e-mail me at work though, Sean...

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 15:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Just emailed your regular ****'d out address. If that's not the right one, maybe email me at my address listed here.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 15:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Reply sent.

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 15:10 (twenty-three years ago)

In my professional opinion, you are fucked.

http://www.ontrack.com

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Wednesday, 19 February 2003 11:35 (twenty-three years ago)

poor mark =(

― Kim (Kim), Wednesday, 19 February 2003 11:47 (twenty-three years ago)

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 19 February 2003 12:56 (twenty-three years ago)

ten years pass...

my networking knowledge is pitiful, i have a problem:

got an arduino connected via ethernet cable to a mac. the arduino is going to be controlled via an ipad that connects to a network on the mac over wifi. it's not really working very well, i can rarely get both working at the same time, is this something to do with DHCP? do i have to manually assign each device a static IP address?

secondary dumbass question.. if i do have to do the static IP address thing, then is there a way of saving my new network settings on a mac? so i don't have to go 'create network' and manually enter these network settings every time i turn everything on.

tried googling n that. any pointers or advice would be massively appreciated!

― Crackle Box, Wednesday, 20 November 2013 20:32 (twelve years ago)

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