Hard drive help...

H

Handsome Dan

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Joined
Mar 7, 2009
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Hey everyone, I've tried searching everywhere for the answer to this, and have yet to find it. First off, you can find my computer here...

http://www.emachines.com/products/products...?prod=ET1161-01

...and my specific motherboard here...

http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Shar...06254Rsp2.shtml

Here's the issue. I have a 2.5" IDE drive from my girlfriend's old laptop that's no longer working. I'm trying to get the files off of it, and an external usb enclosure doesn't do the trick. From what I've read, usb 2.0 ports put out 0.5A, while this drive requires 0.7A. Even using both usb plugs on the cable, the drive spins up a bit, but is never recognized. So my next attempt involved using the IDE connector on the motherboard. I have 40 pin-44 pin adapter which uses a 4 pin molex to power the drive, that connects to the drive and then to an IDE cable, which in turn plugs into the IDE connector. At this point, when I have this all said and done, the computer won't boot. It gets the the screen with F10 for boot menu and F2 for BIOS settings and then fails to continue. If I turn of the computer and then disconnect the 2.5" drive, the computer boots like usual. At this point, I'm stumped. Both my DVD-R and hard drive are connected via SATA, and I don't have any other drives connected. Also, I am running Vista.

Any ideas?
 
When it comes to having the drive in that case, I've had the same situation in the past, where the drive was older and required more than the .5A spec on the USB ports. So... when you plug it in with the double plugs, it spins up but nothing happens.

Usually, this is what I'd do:

The biggest draw is spinning up the drive, so I'd plug both ends on the double end into the ports on the PC, then plug the single one into the casing or whatever is attached to the drive. As soon as it gets up to speed, say 3-5 seconds, I'd unplug the drive cable from the drive - not from the USB ports on the PC - and wait a half second or so then plug it back in. I might have to do this twice, or three, four, sometimes as many as 10x but at some point the fact that the drive is already spinning is enough to get it operational and then I'll hear the "dunk dunk" sound in Windows letting me know the device is operational and ready to go.

And sometimes those 40 pin to 44 pin converters don't work for shit. It's a bitch, yes, but there's not too much else you can do, unless...

You can find one of these instead:

http://www.1topstore.com/product_info.php?products_id=1

Those tend to work a lot better for such purposes (unless of course that's what you already have, DOH!!!). If the machine gets stuck as you stated, see - and I'm just thinking outside the box - if that drive has a jumper on it someplace. I know in most situations if not all of 'em 2.5" IDE drives rarely if ever have a jumper for Master/Slave operation, but it's that one instance where they do that'll drive you insane.

Aside from that, I'd keep trying the first thing I mentioned above. I've had some pretty stubborn drives but after that plug/unplug/plug/unplug trick I've never failed to get the drive recognized and working, it's just a matter of timing. :D

Good luck...
 
You know, I gotta say, that's the best idea I've heard yet. So I went to try it...and now the drive won't even spin up...I'm afraid I may have cause some sort of damage with all my attempts at this. Any idea how to get it spinning again?
 
Distinct possibility you might have burned out those USB ports... DOH!!! Check them with some other device if possible, like a plain old USB stick to make sure they're still functional. Attach the hard drive to the adapter you have and then add power (attaching a Molex 4 pin while the machine is powered up can sometimes cause a BSOD, I've seen it and had it happen hundreds of times over the years, so I'm just mentioning it) and see if the drive powers up anymore.

Other than that, those are the only suggestions that come to mind.
 
USB ports are ok, what does BSOD mean?

Edit:
NVM, little google always helps...No BSOD over here, but the drive just isn't spinning up with the usb or the molex on the 40-44 pin adapter...I think I may have killed it.
 
If you're applying power to it and getting absolutely no response from it, either electronic by Windows detecting it's active (the "dunk dunk" sound when it's attached) or by physical (no vibrations, etc) then yep... "It's dead, Jim..." :(

Throw it in your refrigerator for 20 mins - seriously, I'm not kidding (not the freezer, at least not yet) - and then try again. 20 mins... no less, no more.

(there's a history of cooling a drive this way, sometimes using the "freezer trick" but we'll try the fridge first, not quite as cold but it'll do)
 
Ya, I gave the fridge/freezer trick a shot, got nothing. Looks like it's the end of the road for this data...
 
yeah it dead. see if there are any scratches on the hdd mobo. if there is then bummer. i had the same thing happen to me but a sata. spun but never recognized
 
In your defense, isn't it more than likely the laptop was no longer working in the first place because the drive had died?
 
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