Old Seagate is Clicking


Recommended Posts

Just yesterday one of my classmates was telling me something about his comp going dead, so I told him that I could help him, he then said that he wanted to check something out first, I said okay.

Next day I found out that the "something" he wanted to check was the HD, what he did was open the HD (very brutally) and then clean it using a vacuumcleaner.

Now, he thinks that he has ruined it completely, so he gave it to me, so I could have some fun with it.

Now I've tried to attach it to my pc, but all it does is do a weird clicking sound, which is the reader thing going back and forth (the HD was open when he gave it to me, and I say it). Is there any way I could test this harddisk to see if it works?

Any help would great :).

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/258035-old-seagate-is-clicking/
Share on other sites

It's probably dead. If you can somehow still access it, you should take any data off of it before it goes completely dead. And check with Seagate to see if the drive is still under warranty. If it is, you can get it replaced for free.

edit: Never mind the warranty call... if he opened it... throw it out... :blink: :blush:

HDD's are vaccuum sealed. Unless he opened in a clean room under pressurizing and extreme care, you screwed it.

Clicking generally means a HDD is pooched. Not to mention he used a vaccuum cleaner to 'clean' it? If he wasn't extremely careful static would have killed it too.

Safe bet to say it's done.

What the hell was this kid thinking, opening up his HD? Cleaning it with a vacuum cleaner? For all the good that did he may as well have tossed it in the dishwasher. Such stupidty. It boggles the mind. :blink:

585111406[/snapback]

:laugh:

yeah kinda struck me by surprise too... :huh:

What the hell was this kid thinking, opening up his HD? Cleaning it with a vacuum cleaner? For all the good that did he may as well have tossed it in the dishwasher. Such stupidty. It boggles the mind. :blink:

585111406[/snapback]

lol i know!

just throw it out.

:laugh:

yeah kinda struck me by surprise too... :huh:

585111418[/snapback]

I even know a guy who had lost clusters on his harddisk. As he shook it, he heard a noise so he thought they were flying around in there somewhere...

Solution?

Open it up, shake it, if nothing falls out clean it with a dry cloth :)

He couldn't assemble it back, so he came to our local hardware store, where we were doing some advanced nerding (yeah yeah :punk: ) I don't have to metion we were literally rofloao. really. it took us ten minutes to get back on our feet...

NowI come to think of it... he once screwed two graphic cards (those from 3dfx, damn forgot the name, think it were voodoo, the ones you could interconnect one after another) by linking one outport to another outport (don't ask me how). Result? Burn baby burn....

:whistle:

Just yesterday one of my classmates was telling me something about his comp going dead, so I told him that I could help him, he then said that he wanted to check something out first, I said okay.

Next day I found out that the "something" he wanted to check was the HD, what he did was open the HD (very brutally) and then clean it using a vacuumcleaner.

Now, he thinks that he has ruined it completely, so he gave it to me, so I could have some fun with it.

Now I've tried to attach it to my pc, but all it does is do a weird clicking sound, which is the reader thing going back and forth (the HD was open when he gave it to me, and I say it). Is there any way I could test this harddisk to see if it works?

Any help would great :).

585111354[/snapback]

you should stay away from this person....he's dangerous

Haha, I know, I was like trying not to laugh, but couldn't of course, I was like, I was lost, I really didn't know what to say, I just stood there in front of him saying like, but, but but but but, what were you thinking?! :p

Some guys really don't know 0% about computers.

Just yesterday one of my classmates was telling me something about his comp going dead, so I told him that I could help him, he then said that he wanted to check something out first, I said okay.

Next day I found out that the "something" he wanted to check was the HD, what he did was open the HD (very brutally) and then clean it using a vacuumcleaner.

Now, he thinks that he has ruined it completely, so he gave it to me, so I could have some fun with it.

Now I've tried to attach it to my pc, but all it does is do a weird clicking sound, which is the reader thing going back and forth (the HD was open when he gave it to me, and I say it). Is there any way I could test this harddisk to see if it works?

Any help would great :).

585111354[/snapback]

ROFL

that's the most funny thread ever...

okay... first... if your friend really did that...he's good for the asylum

second... take the HD and put it in the trash okay... it's...hm.... kindda dead now :happy:

Sorry about your friend, that really sucks, Maybe next time his parents/whoever should buy him a computer case that is impossible to open (Do they sell those? If they don't, they should!) until he's read up on what to do and not to do with HDs.

I'm sure he feels really bad.

LOL :laugh: this guy don't know read?? in all hdd's appear clearly warnings to NOT open it then the guy go and open...and still "clean" :laugh: after want that hdd works!! I don't believe poor hdd is dead :(

It's definitely in hard drive heaven now. If there was any data that MUST be recovered, there is a very good chance that it could be by bringing it in to a hard drive data recovery centre, keeping in mind that they will charge you a SIGNIFICANT amount of money to do it ($2000+ easily) and that all you will get is the data, not a functional drive. I'm presuming that you don't need this option, I thought I'd just mention it for the hell of it.

Hehe, well, thanks for the feedback (:p).

I think I'm just gonna keep it as a reminder, and anyway, its actually quite fun to see that metal disc spin, its amazing, you only need to push it just a little bit and its just spins like hell. I really had a fun time with it ;).

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Since they open sourced the calculator in Win 10/11 it is much better and can do a lot, I love it.
    • That's just silly imo. The lengths that man goes to just to avoid W11 is just nuts. Very, very few home users would do that. I will say this though, he is committed. Btw, I note on askwoody that Woody Leonhard passed away March, 2025 aged 73. His site was one of my favorites back in the day. Belated yes but RIP Woody.
    • Because of the EU (a good thing) newer android devices been getting 5 years worth of security patches. Except some Motorola which found the loop hole, and offer ZERO updates. In addition, Google for years have been making where it can patch some stuff by updating the core Google Play Store itself.  As echoed earlier,  you take the security risk in to your own hand beyond supported.
    • Win11Debloat 06.11.2026 by Razvan Serea Win11Debloat is a lightweight, easy to use PowerShell script that allows you to quickly declutter and customize your Windows experience. It can remove pre-installed bloatware apps, disable telemetry, remove intrusive interface elements and much more. The script also includes many features that system administrators and power users will enjoy. Such as a powerful command-line interface, support for Windows Audit mode and the option to make changes to other Windows users. All changes made by Win11Debloat can be easily reversed, and most removed apps can be restored via the Microsoft Store. A full guide on how to undo the changes is available here. Win11Debloat features: Below is an overview of the key features and functionality offered by Win11Debloat. Please refer to the wiki for more information about the default settings preset. Remove a wide variety of preinstalled apps. Click here for more info. Disable telemetry, diagnostic data, activity history, app-launch tracking & targeted ads. Disable tips, tricks, suggestions & ads across Windows. Disable Windows location services & app location access. Disable Find My Device location tracking. Disable 'Windows Spotlight' and tips & tricks on the lock screen. Disable 'Windows Spotlight' desktop background option. Disable ads, suggestions and the MSN news feed in Microsoft Edge. Hide Microsoft 365 ads on the Settings 'Home' page, or hide the 'Home' page entirely. Disable & remove Microsoft Copilot. Disable Windows Recall. Disable Click to Do, AI text & image analysis tool. Prevent AI service (WSAIFabricSvc) from starting automatically. Disable AI Features in Edge. Disable AI Features in Paint. Disable AI Features in Notepad. Disable the Drag Tray for sharing & moving files. Restore the old Windows 10 style context menu. Turn off Enhance Pointer Precision, also known as mouse acceleration. Disable the Sticky Keys keyboard shortcut. Disable Storage Sense automatic disk cleanup. Disable fast start-up to ensure a full shutdown. ...and more. Once you’ve downloaded the Win11Debloat file (Get.ps1), just follow these quick steps: Locate the Get.ps1 script file. Right-click the file and select Run with PowerShell from the context menu. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), select Yes to grant the script the necessary administrative permissions. Win11Debloat 06.11.2026 fixes: Fix lock screen spotlight option being disabled when disabling the start recommended section by @Raphire in #619 Fix log message formatting by @Raphire Note The -RemoveCommApps and -RemoveW11Outlook command-line parameters for uninstalling a few specific apps have been removed with this release. If you previously relied on these parameters, please see this wiki page for alternative methods of removing these apps. Download: Win11Debloat 06.11.2026 | Open Source View: Win11Debloat Home Page | Screenshots 1| 2 Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
  • Recent Achievements

    • Rookie
      restore went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Very Popular
      AndrewSteel earned a badge
      Very Popular
    • Veteran
      Taliseian went up a rank
      Veteran
    • One Month Later
      Clizby earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      Timaximus earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      499
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      162
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      153
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      83
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      79
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!