A clicking or beeping sound from your hard drive is usually an indication that something is wrong with your device. In some instances, the problem could be minor and easy to fix, but in other situations, it could be a more severe issue that requires expert attention. In this article, we will show you how to repair a broken hard drive that is making beeping or clicking sounds.
Before we dive into the details, it’s important to note that this process is a last resort. Ensure you’ve tried other possible fixes like checking that your connectors are properly hooked up, checking power supply, and other software fixes you might find. If you decide to try the fix in this article, then it’s up to you to ensure you don’t cause any damage to your disk or data.
To start, you will need a SATA data cable to connect your hard drive to your USB port. Once connected, observe the sound it makes. If the disc head has gotten stuck on the plotter, you need to manually relieve it to get it working again.
The next step is to open up the disk. For this, you’ll need a T6 Torx screwdriver. While unscrewing, you must be careful not to cause any damage to the cover or the plotter. The platter is located just beneath the cover, and you might need a bit of research to locate all the screws on your cover. Some of the screws are usually hidden underneath the label. An easier way would be to remove the label and reveal all the screws, but this would leave you with a sticky-looking disk at the end of the day.
The most common reason why the disk head gets stuck to the platter is static friction, known as stiction. This phenomenon happens when the disk head gets stuck to the platter as it tries to return to the landing zone. The chances of this incidence are usually higher for systems that run non-stop like Savas. If they eventually get shut down, the driver head could be hot, and rapid cooling could cause it to stick to the plotter, making it difficult for the spindle motor to spin it off when next it’s turned on.
Once you’ve located the screws, remove the cover and check the disk head’s position. You need to manually get it off the platter to fix it. To do that, use the same T6 Torx screwdriver and locate the screw right in the middle of the platter. By turning the screw clockwise, it should spin the platter and gently push the disk head to the landing zone. After that, cover the disk carefully and return all the screws.
Connect your hard drive to your PC and see if it works again. Luckily, we have it running again, and we can access all files on the disk. If your hard disk was removed from a laptop, you should try to look at your user account. Sometimes it requires admin privileges and might also take some time before it opens. When it eventually opens, you can access all your files and data.
If you intend to continue using a disk like this, it’s essential to backup all your files and folders. This could be a sign that your disk is already degenerated and could fail at any time.
In conclusion, fixing a clicking hard drive can be quite challenging, but with this step-by-step guide, you can recover the stored data and possibly continue to use it again. If you have any questions regarding the procedures in this article, please post in the comment section below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.