Dropped a running hard drive: Wiping data on it?

Whilst using a USB2.0 - IDE/SATA bridge on a powered-up hard drive,
it fell off the table while files were being copied into it. Windows
then started complaining immediately about failed delayed writes.

Trying to power it on now just results in it powering up temporarily.
One can hear/feel the drive motor revving up and down, and then giving
up. After 3 seconds the drive is dead.

Is there any way to wipe out the data on the drive prior to returning
it under warranty?

Apart from the obvious, should internal drives never be moved or
nudged whilst being operated as pseudo-external drives through a USB/
SATA bridge? Do they have less in-built tolerance to knocks than
external ones?

Thanks.

On May 27, 12:03*pm, "C++ Newbie" wrote:
Whilst using a USB2.0 - IDE/SATA bridge on a powered-up hard drive,
it fell off the table while files were being copied into it. Windows
then started complaining immediately about failed delayed writes.

Trying to power it on now just results in it powering up temporarily.
One can hear/feel the drive motor revving up and down, and then giving
up. After 3 seconds the drive is dead.

Is there any way to wipe out the data on the drive prior to returning
it under warranty?

Apart from the obvious, should internal drives never be moved or
nudged whilst being operated as pseudo-external drives through a USB/
SATA bridge? Do they have less in-built tolerance to knocks than
external ones?

Thanks.

IF you are not able to mount the drive now then, short of having the
drive professionally opened and accessed to clear the data there is
nothing much you can do. What probably happened when the drive fell is
that the read head smacked onto one or more of the platters and gouged
out a nice little chunk. The tolerances as very small inside a drive,
I have heard it compared to a Boeing 747 flying at 1000kph 5cm off the
ground.

So, there is a chance someone might be able to access the data, but
only if they go to a specialist who will open the drives and
physically extract the information of the platters. Good luck with the
warranty claim!

HTH

"C++ Newbie" wrote:
Whilst using a USB2.0 - IDE/SATA bridge on a powered-up hard drive,
it fell off the table while files were being copied into it. Windows
then started complaining immediately about failed delayed writes.

Trying to power it on now just results in it powering up temporarily.
One can hear/feel the drive motor revving up and down, and then giving
up. After 3 seconds the drive is dead.

Is there any way to wipe out the data on the drive prior to returning
it under warranty?

I don't think that being dropped onto a floor is covered in the warranty.
If you are that paranoid about the data, take the drive apart and expose the
platters to a magnetic field or a hammer, then dispose of the pieces
accordingly.

Jon

On Tue, 27 May 2008 03:03:37 -0700 (PDT), "C++ Newbie"
wrote:

Whilst using a USB2.0 - IDE/SATA bridge on a powered-up hard drive,
it fell off the table while files were being copied into it. Windows
then started complaining immediately about failed delayed writes.

Trying to power it on now just results in it powering up temporarily.
One can hear/feel the drive motor revving up and down, and then giving
up. After 3 seconds the drive is dead.

Is there any way to wipe out the data on the drive prior to returning
it under warranty?

No. Any kind of potentially helpful thing like replacing
the circuit board would not only be unlikely to help from
this kind of damage, it would also void the warranty.

Hard drive manufacturers would be blacklisted if they took
data off customer RMA returned drives and did anything with
it, you don't have a reasonable concern about the data that
was on it unless they went to extraordinary measures (that
they wouldn't normally) trying to get the data, and if it
were something particularly illegal like plans to overthrow
your government, child porn, etc. IOW, unless you're up to
something you probably shouldn't be, there is no reasonable
need to worry about it.





Apart from the obvious, should internal drives never be moved or
nudged whilst being operated as pseudo-external drives through a USB/
SATA bridge? Do they have less in-built tolerance to knocks than
external ones?

You can move one, just be gentle. The manufacturer does
often rate products (the internal drive that is) for how
many Gs it can withstand although knowing what force you
would subject it to while moving it is a bit tricky to
determine, I suppose a lab somewhere could figure it out but
then there's no guarantee every time you move it that you
have reproduced the exact same force.

Internal drives have no more or less tolerance that the
typical external drives in enclosures as the external
enclosure (almost?) always use a standard internal drive.

The exception is laptop drives, they are engineered to
withstand more shock, and are also found in the small form
factor external enclosures.

Ultimately, the obvious answer is don't move a drive while
it's running, even if a drive has a spec for shock tolerance
we know drives have specs for other things like MTBF as
well, but that some die early for various reasons, one of
which could be that the specimen doesn't meet or exceed it's
shock rating.

C++ Newbie wrote:

Whilst using a USB2.0 - IDE/SATA bridge on a powered-up hard drive,
it fell off the table while files were being copied into it. Windows
then started complaining immediately about failed delayed writes.

Trying to power it on now just results in it powering up temporarily.
One can hear/feel the drive motor revving up and down, and then giving
up. After 3 seconds the drive is dead.

Is there any way to wipe out the data on the drive prior to returning
it under warranty?

Apart from the obvious, should internal drives never be moved or
nudged whilst being operated as pseudo-external drives through a USB/
SATA bridge? Do they have less in-built tolerance to knocks than
external ones?

Thanks.

question is, is the information on the drive that important or secret that
you don't want any one to know what is?

if the info on the hard drive is that sensitive destroy the dame thing and
swallow the cost!

second question can you put the hard drive into you pc and see if it works
like that?

On Tue, 27 May 2008 03:03:37 -0700, C++ Newbie thoughfully wrote:

Whilst using a USB2.0 - IDE/SATA bridge on a powered-up hard drive, it
fell off the table while files were being copied into it. Windows then
started complaining immediately about failed delayed writes.

Trying to power it on now just results in it powering up temporarily.
One can hear/feel the drive motor revving up and down, and then giving
up. After 3 seconds the drive is dead.

Is there any way to wipe out the data on the drive prior to returning it
under warranty?

Apart from the obvious, should internal drives never be moved or nudged
whilst being operated as pseudo-external drives through a USB/ SATA
bridge? Do they have less in-built tolerance to knocks than external
ones?

Thanks.

I'm doubtful there's anything about the booting up the drive. If it's
under a recent warranty return it to the manufacturer. Just tell them
you were transferring files and it stopped working, but if they press you
for a fuller explanation tell the truth.

It is a problem, moving unanchored HD while connected but sometimes a
manufacturer will be gracious and honor the warranty.