Ext USB?, Internal HDD? Is it making any noise at all? Clicking, Whirring, etc?
If it is USB, then it is most likely hosed (or the USB enclosure is) and what I would do is go out, spend $20 at Microcenter and buy a new one - that can handle 500Gb HDD ;-)
If internal... well that is a whole nother mess. Your HDD motor or PCB (on the HDD) blew
IF it is the PCB, you can jot down the numbers on the connector and googlee for it.
If you are lucky, someone selling an identical model will look at their PCB and see if the revisions match. BUY the HDD!!
You now have a 50/50 chance to get the HDD working again..... IF the motor blew, you WILL hose the new board, and end up with 2 bad drives
IF the PCB blew, it might just surprise you and work. I have used this trick to recover data for $$$ on all types and sizes of drives that were out of warranty. Good Luck
The other option is IF the motor went bad, and you will certainly know if you see burned chips on the back of the PCB or hear a loud POP when you try the new one... You only have 3 choices.
1. Send the HDD off to a Data Recovery $ervice (No guarantee here) 2. Send it to MFG for a warantee replacement (and forever lose your data) 3. Take off the HDD cover, bridge the Positioner, DO NOT TOUCH anything in there and Manually spin the HDD Platter spindle to EXACTLY 3500 or 7200rpm (depending on drive) with a tiny speed-controlled motor and a tachometer, then plug it into ext USB bridge and your PC.
IF the motor drive is the ONLY thing bad, the speed sense will engage, and the heads will load and you will have ~20min-2hr before the HDD dies due to contamination of the heads and platters(dust, smoke, pet hair,, human skin flakes, moisture and oxygen) so grab the essential files quick!
I recommend Total Commander (Hilight all you NEED (not want - there isnt time) and drag to copy. PRACTICE TC on a good HDD. If you miss a file or folder, you will have to cancel and redo, or wait until all others highlighted are done first. Make a list - stick to it.
I have done this 5-6x so far. Several old Seagate and Maxtor 80Gb and for the larger ones, I Built a mini clean room, complete with forced filtered heat (hairdryer pulling its air thru a HEPA filter. For motor, I Used an expensive German variable speed dremel-like tool and cheap tach from Harbor Freight.
Answers & Comments
Ext USB?, Internal HDD?
Is it making any noise at all? Clicking, Whirring, etc?
If it is USB, then it is most likely hosed (or the USB enclosure is) and what I would do is go out, spend $20 at Microcenter and buy a new one - that can handle 500Gb HDD ;-)
If internal... well that is a whole nother mess.
Your HDD motor or PCB (on the HDD) blew
IF it is the PCB, you can jot down the numbers on the connector and googlee for it.
If you are lucky, someone selling an identical model will look at their PCB and see if the revisions match. BUY the HDD!!
You now have a 50/50 chance to get the HDD working again.....
IF the motor blew, you WILL hose the new board, and end up with 2 bad drives
IF the PCB blew, it might just surprise you and work. I have used this trick to recover data for $$$ on all types and sizes of drives that were out of warranty. Good Luck
The other option is IF the motor went bad, and you will certainly know if you see burned chips on the back of the PCB or hear a loud POP when you try the new one... You only have 3 choices.
1. Send the HDD off to a Data Recovery $ervice (No guarantee here)
2. Send it to MFG for a warantee replacement (and forever lose your data)
3. Take off the HDD cover, bridge the Positioner, DO NOT TOUCH anything in there and Manually spin the HDD Platter spindle to EXACTLY 3500 or 7200rpm (depending on drive) with a tiny speed-controlled motor and a tachometer, then plug it into ext USB bridge and your PC.
IF the motor drive is the ONLY thing bad, the speed sense will engage, and the heads will load and you will have ~20min-2hr before the HDD dies due to contamination of the heads and platters(dust, smoke, pet hair,, human skin flakes, moisture and oxygen) so grab the essential files quick!
I recommend Total Commander (Hilight all you NEED (not want - there isnt time) and drag to copy. PRACTICE TC on a good HDD. If you miss a file or folder, you will have to cancel and redo, or wait until all others highlighted are done first. Make a list - stick to it.
I have done this 5-6x so far. Several old Seagate and Maxtor 80Gb and for the larger ones, I Built a mini clean room, complete with forced filtered heat (hairdryer pulling its air thru a HEPA filter. For motor, I Used an expensive German variable speed dremel-like tool and cheap tach from Harbor Freight.
Good Luck!