Section

HOW TO CHECK HARD DISK FAILURE

STEP1
Once you get a hard disk for data recovery work, first of all, we have to
check the physical condition of the hard disk Like the hard disk sticker,
drive corners, top cover, or connection interface (SATA / IDE). Maybe there
is a physical issue like a physical broken connector or port broken.

STEP 2
After that connect the drive to the power source and check the rotation of
the hard disk. Also, try to hear the mechanical sound. If there is no
rotation in the hard disk, there are two possibilities. First, there is PCB
electrical failure in the hard disk or second, there is mechanical (head
stuck or motor jam) failure in the hard disk.
You can identify the mechanical failure problem using the sound detection
method. In case of no power, follow step 3 and step 4 to know the
solution.
If there is proper power or rotation in the hard disk, then move to step 5.

STEP 3
If there is no rotation and you feel there is no mechanical failure in the
hard disk, then it’s electrical (PCB) failure. We have to repair or replace
the PCB of the hard disk. Please refer electronic failure data recovery
module to learn PCB repairing and replacement.
NOTE: Before repairing/replacement of the PCB, make sure PCB is original.

STEP 4
If there is no rotation and If you feel there is a mechanical failure (Head
stuck or motor jam), we have to repair the mechanical failure of the hard
disk. Please refer to mechanical failure data recovery training to learn how
to solve mechanical problems.
NOTE: To open the top cover of the hard disk we always required a class
100 clean room or environment.do not open the top cover of the hard disk
in a general room environment. This mistake can damage your media
(HEAD and Platter).

STEP 5
After connecting the drive to the power source, we will check the rotation
of the hard disk. If there is proper rotation in the hard disk and there is no
mechanical sound coming from the hard disk, now connect the drive to
the system using the SATA port and check the status of the hard disk in
the system.
NOTE: we prefer to connect a hard disk using a SATA port instead of the
USB port. SATA connection is more stable and suitable for data recovery
work.

STEP 6
After connecting the drive to the power source, we have to check the
rotation of the hard disk. If there is proper rotation in the hard disk and
there is mechanical sound coming from the hard disk, then maybe there is
the possibility of mechanical failures like head damage or other problems.
But sometimes this problem also occurs due to PCB failure. So we have to
assure the problem before applying the solution.

STEP 7
To assure the problem, just open the PCB of that hard disk and check the
rust or corrosion on the head contact and motor contact. If the PCB is
original, and there is corrosion and rust on the head and motor contact,
first clear that corrosion, and again connect the PCB to the hard disk and
check the drive status. also check the controller status on the PCB.
Still, if there is a clicking sound coming from the hard disk, this means
there is mechanical failure.

STEP 8
If the PCB is original and there is no corrosion, then we have to check the
ICs and electronic components. If all the controllers are working fine and
there is no heating in the controller, then only we can assure that there is
a mechanical failure in the hard disk.
If ICs and controllers are heating, we have to replace those components or
we have to replace the PCB first, after that we again check the status of
the hard disk. If the status remains the same like power coming and also
there is mechanical sound in the hard disk. We can finalize its mechanical
failure.

STEP 9
If there is no electrical failure, also there is no mechanical failure. Now
connect the drive to the system and check the status of the hard disk. If
the hard disk is not detected in bios, or in the device manager, this is a
firmware issue. and we have to repair firmware to recover the data.
If the hard disk is in detection condition but there are errors like bad
sectors, partition layout damage, system hang issue, issue of MBR-GPT,
not initialization, Data cyclic error, etc. these are logical failures. And we
can recover the data by applying data recovery software.
PROBLEM 1 : hard disk has No power , there is no
Rotation in hard disk
Often computer repairing and maintenance engineers may face the
problem that, when they connect a hard disk to the power supply there is
no power in the hard disk. Also, they did not feel the motor rotation
vibration. Also, when they connect the damaged hard disk to the
computer, the computer does not start. If the damaged hard disk is
connected to an already working computer, the working computer also
stops and shuts off instantly. The reason behind this issue is the shorting
of PCB inside the Hard Disk.
So, in the case of no power condition, we suggest you check the electronic
failure data recovery module in training.
In this session of Electronic Data Recovery Training, we discussed various
reasons behind PCB damage, and the symptoms of damaged PCB, and will
learn to repair the damaged PCB step-by-step. We will also study PCB
models of different hard disks, and will also discuss their general faults.
Note: Many times, the head of the hard disk will get stuck onto the platter
while spinning down. It won’t shift into the head parking area. This
problem is called the head stuck problem. Whenever there’s an issue of
the head getting stuck inside the hard disk, no rotation can be found in
that hard disk. So before repairing and replacing of PCB, we also have to
confirm the mechanical failure. Please refer to video number 2
“mechanical failure symptoms and sound detection method “in the
mechanical failure data recovery module.

PROBLEM 2 : Power is ok, Hard drive in No detection,

clicking sound coming from the hard disk, After 15 to
20 seconds hard disk gets powered down.
Often computer repairing and maintenance engineers may face the
problem that, when they connect a hard disk to the power supply there is
proper power in the hard disk and also there is a clicking sound coming
from the hard disk. but after 15 to 20 seconds the rotation has been
stopped. And there is no sound coming from a hard drive.
Usually, this problem occurs due to a damaged head or bad PCB (PCB or
ROM of that hard drive has been changed). If you are confirmed that the
PCB is original, then it’s the mechanical Head (Reader) damage problem.
And We have to replace the head in class 100 clean room.
You can also confirm the mechanical fault by using a sound detection
method. Please refer mechanical failure data recovery module for further
details.

PROBLEM 3 : Hard drive Power is ok, the Hard disk is in

No detection condition, there is a continued clicking
sound coming from the hard disk, and no power down
after some seconds.
Often computer repairing and maintenance engineers may face the
problem that, when they connect a hard disk to the power supply there is
proper power in the hard disk and also there is a continuous slight (very
low decimal level) clicking sound coming from the hard disk. The clicking
sound remains the same until we do not disconnect the dive to the power
source.
Usually, people think it’s a head damage issue but they didn’t check the
PCB failure. This problem occurs due to the bad head (Head read/ write
capacity has been down) or bad PCB (ROM of that hard drive has been
changed, or there is any controller failure, or there is corrosion/ rust on
the head contact). To solve this problem first we have to clean the
corrosion or rust from the head and motor contacts. Also, we have to
check the controller or IC heating level. If you are confirmed that the PCB
is original, and there is no PCB damage then it’s the mechanical Head
(Reader) damage problem. And We have to replace the head in class 100
clean room.
You can also confirm the mechanical fault by using a sound detection
method. Please refer mechanical failure data recovery module for further
details.