Western Digital Green SATA HDD – Clicking Noise & Not Detected in BIOS

A home user in Nottingham experienced a catastrophic failure with their Western Digital Green SATA HDD after noticing a clicking noise during boot.

  • Initially, the hard drive was still recognized but was slowing down, and online research indicated that the clicking sound was a warning of imminent failure.
  • Soon after, the HDD stopped being detected in the BIOS, and attempts to connect it to another computer resulted in the same issue.
  • The drive would spin up, click multiple times, then stop spinning, before attempting to restart.
  • Despite replacing SATA cables and the power supply, the HDD remained undetected.

Realizing that DIY recovery attempts were unlikely to succeed, the user contacted Nottingham Data Recovery, Nottingham’s best data recovery company, with 25 years of experience in handling mechanically failed HDDs.

The Problem

The clicking noise and lack of BIOS detection suggested:

  1. Read/Write Head Failure (Click of Death)
    • The clicking sound indicated that the read/write heads were unable to read data from the platters.
    • If the heads were stuck, they could repeatedly attempt to return to their parking zone, causing the clicking noise.
  2. Firmware Corruption or PCB Failure
    • If the firmware was corrupted, the drive’s controller might not initialise properly, leading to repeated failures.
  3. No Backup Available
    • The user had no external backup of the important files stored on the drive.

The Data Recovery Process by Nottingham Data Recovery

Step 1: Initial Assessment

The recovery team performed a thorough evaluation:

  • Physical Inspection:
    • The drive was tested on specialized BIOS-level diagnostic tools and was confirmed to be undetectable.
    • Clicking noises were verified, confirming read/write head failure.
  • Logical Analysis:
    • Since the HDD was no longer detected, the issue was physical rather than logical, meaning data extraction would require hardware intervention.

Step 2: Repair & Data Extraction

1️⃣Repair

  • The HDD was carefully disassembled.
  • The read/write head assembly was examined and found to be stuck in the landing zone.

2️⃣ Read/Write Head Replacement

  • A donor Western Digital Green HDD with a matching firmware version was sourced.
  • The damaged read/write heads were replaced with a working set from the donor drive.

3️⃣ Disk Imaging & Data Recovery

  • Once the drive was operational again, a sector-by-sector disk image was created.
  • Special tools were used to bypass bad sectors and extract data from the platters.

Step 3: Data Validation & Secure Delivery

✅ File Integrity Check

  • The extracted data was scanned for corruption, ensuring no loss of files.

✅ Secure Data Transfer

  • The recovered files were transferred to a new external hard drive.

Challenges Faced

  1. Mechanical Failure Complications
    • The read/write head replacement required precise calibration to avoid damaging the platters.
  2. Firmware Compatibility
    • The donor HDD had to match the original drive’s firmware version, ensuring a successful repair.
  3. Urgency of Recovery
    • The user needed their files urgently, requiring a fast-track recovery process.

Outcome

✅ 98% of the user’s data was successfully recovered, including all important personal files.
✅ The recovered files were delivered within 72 hours, ensuring a quick turnaround.
✅ Provided guidance on proper backup strategies, including cloud storage and external backups.

Lessons Learned

  1. Clicking Noises Indicate Imminent HDD Failure
    • If a drive starts clicking, immediately stop using it and seek professional recovery services.
  2. Never Attempt DIY Physical Repairs
    • Opening a hard drive can lead to permanent data loss.
  3. Backup Important Files Regularly
    • Always store critical files in multiple locations, such as cloud services or an external SSD.

Why Choose Nottingham Data Recovery?

✅ 25 Years of Experience in HDD, SSD, and RAID data recovery.
✅ Advanced Recovery Tools for bypassing bad sectors and firmware corruption.
✅ Fast Turnaround with emergency data recovery services available.

This case highlights Nottingham Data Recovery’s expertise in recovering data from physically damaged Western Digital HDDs, ensuring that the user was able to regain access to their important files despite a catastrophic hard drive failure.

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