SUPER MEGA PANIC! help!

[mikeward]

I have seen drives opened up in normal working places (not mega clean) and rebuilt by swopping the platters, they all worked ok after. While it's not a great idea I'll admit, it is a last resort for someone who needs the data and can't maybe afford £350-ish. I'd be very supprised to find every data recovery company has a sterile room with filtered air, and a blower airlock, I suspect many just use a normal clean room. Wayne

having worked in the IT industry for quite a while i never seen a dat recovery company that does have one (apart from in pics)

 

[driftwoodywood]

with it clicking - which personaly i wouldnt think the motors gone, more like something has come moved inside - the heads are out of alignment, personaly, if the data is extreamly valuble - get it to a recovery center,

if not then - if it is what i think it is, whatever you do is likely to brake it more or fix it for a while (backing up the data time hopefully)
1) try spinrite - prob wont work, with clicking harddrives i can usualy only get folders without contents

2) stand it on its side or upside down - sometimes can aline the heads again

3) tap it softly with a knuckle hoping it knocks things back into place

4) freeze it

5) smash it hard and get annoyed and buy a new harddrive