[techtalk] Help with hardware woes?

[ktb]

On Thu, Mar 08, 2001 at 12:58:39PM -0800, Eric R. Turner wrote:
> I had a similar problem. One of my IDE hard drives started making some
> clicking noises. The OS (Linux) was still working OK, but I shut down just
> in case. I decided to pull the offending drive out of the computer, but
> first I needed to get some important files off of it. Tried to boot the
> computer (to get the files off of the drive) but it wouldn't POST, and I
> wouldn't even get a video signal from the video card. Here's the similar
> part: it wouldn't power off when I pressed the power button!
> 

Any time you hear a drive kicking or klunking it is dead or will be
shortly.  At that point you could try getting info off it but it
probably won't work.  It may not even be advisable to do this at that
point.  At any rate pull the dive or let it set there turned off.  The
point is to cool the drive.  Some people even stick them in the
freezer:)  Let it set for a day or so at least.  Then see if the drive
will boot.  If you get in be prepared to peel what info you want as
quick as you can.  

> After several phone calls to the manufacturer, I sent the motherboard in
> for warranty repair. It's a long story, but after $30 in phone calls,
> shipping the motherboard to them TWICE, and being without my computer for
> three months, they finally sent me my repaired motherboard. It turns out
> that a few resistors were fried. I really think the bad hard drive damaged
> the motherboard. I haven't connected it to any other motherboards yet, and
> am reluctant to do so unless it's an old 386 that I don't mind losing.
> 

I'm not going to say that the HD can't fry the motherboard.  But for
that to happen I would think the HD would have to store enough energy
to fry the motherboard and send this energy at the motherboard.  

I've dealt with several dying HD's.  I usually play with them for a
while and have never had one fry a board.  On the other hand I have had
a power serge that took the board, memory, power supply and HD.
Everything else was fine.  BTW even if a computer is on a surge
protector it can still fry.

Some thoughts.  Good luck with the drive:)
kent

-- 
 From seeing and seeing the seeing has become so exhausted
     First line of "The Panther" - R. M. Rilke