hard drive not booting

fettsvett201

So i think i have a dying hard drive.



This is what my computer looks like booting. The problematic hard drive is the WD hard drive. The screen freezes there for a minute or two. I can get into setup using DEL, but nothing i do fixes the problem. I cant go into the boot menu no mater how many times i hit ESC. After the screen sits there for a bit, it goes into another screen saying "Detecting Array..." and freezes.

If the hard drive is not plugged in, it boots up just fine. After the computer is running, i plug the drive back in and try to have the computer reconize it by using device manager and by going into disc management but to no avail.

Ive also tried KNOPPIX but it also freezes (it detects the bad hard drive and it locates other things but freezes afterward)

I have files on here that i REALLY don't want to lose. I haven't tried the freezer method cause the computer sees it in the boot menu so it has to be useable somehow. Any help is appreciated

Interpreter

One method that I remember from my time as a computer tech, if it's a desktop you can try removing the drive from the case, but leave it plugged in with the cable and the power still plugged in. Start up the computer, and while the system is booting up give the drive a sharp jolt(bang it on the table or something on it's side) to sort of jump start it. If it starts turning again, get all the data you want off it and then disconnect it.

wavecutter

I'd recommend not smacking your hard drive, but instead try this program. It runs at boot from a disk. If you can post here, you can run this program.

http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm