HD died no warning

[Zeke]

This computer has a SSD and a 1TB storage drive. Most ot the time I remember to pick the D drive for downloads of .pdf's, pics and videos. I work from it when making a YT video. It's not even recognized now. I've been shutting down the computer every night. Boot up a couple days ago and the shortcut was there but it had the question mark. Sure enough, AWOL.

So I removed the cover of my desktop tower and unplugged and replugged the cable while shut down. Did nothing. Next I guess I pull it and try my stand alone external docking device. If it can't be read from there, IDT it's worth sending out for recovery.

Unless someone knows something.

I backed up, just not that recently. Most of what is on there is either on FB or YT anyway. It was maybe 30% full with all the video files. All my old history and pics are a; backed up. I lost a year or so. No biggy.

What you say?

[Scott Douglas]

Sorry to hear this.
So the 1TB isn't responding or seen by the computer?
What happens in the stand alone device?
Brand of HD?

[gregpark]

I was thinking you were talking about a Harley Davidson and that shouldn't be a surprise, they die without warning regularly. 😀

[Zeke]

Still in the tower. The printing on the label is upside down to read but I can see BarraCuda so a Seagate?

Originally Posted by gregpark

I was thinking you were talking about a Harley Davidson and that shouldn't be a surprise, they die without warning regularly. ��

Didn't think about that!

[Scott Douglas]

Would like to know if you can hear it spin up when in the stand alone.

[Scott Douglas]

Looks like you can get a 2TB seagate barracuda for @$65 at best buy so I wouldn't sweat fixing yours if you can afford to replace it and don't need the data on it.

[Scott Douglas]

I repurposed two of these drives the other day from our old set top boxes (DVR's). I don't know how long they'll last but I'm going to use them anyways. No one really gives a rat's a$$ about my pictures so if I loose some when they die, oh well.

I can use the space now so that's what's important to me now.

[GH85Carrera]

If your 1 TB storage drive is not recognized, try a long shot external USB drive connector for it. Sometimes that will see some of the data.

New drives are just silly cheap. Multiple terabytes for less than a $100. If you have space in the computer, put in two identical drives and set them up as a mirrored RAID. If one fails the data remains on the other.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

If your 1 TB storage drive is not recognized, try a long shot external USB drive connector for it. Sometimes that will see some of the data.

New drives are just silly cheap. Multiple terabytes for less than a $100. If you have space in the computer, put in two identical drives and set them up as a mirrored RAID. If one fails the data remains on the other.

I could stack five in there but this machine is nearing 5 years old and while the HD gave not warning. I've seen some unusual things going on with Win11. And the SSD has hardly any space left which I don't understand. I took a chance and deleted a bunch of stuff on the SSD and got back to about 75% full, but it's all back. I did no harm. I haven't added any apps. Not many personal files on the SSD either. Maybe a dozen .pdf's of radio schematics that while copied to the D drive remained. There are 4 pics.

I'm about ready to start over with a Mac. Pretty much done with videos anyway although I know a Mac is a great platform for that.

[stealthn]

Sticktion, give it a slap before booting

[Scott Douglas]

Funny, I was going to suggest that too, Bob, but I don't like slapping electronics around.

[stealthn]

It's dead anyway

Think of it as slapping your newborns' feet to get it to cry Lol

[Scott Douglas]

My kids didn't need any help with crying when they were born. They knew how to do it right out of the box.

[stealthn]

HAHAHAHA. I see what you did there; classic!

[Zeke]

Nope, nope and nope. Just as a test I put a 2.5 drive in the dock and it spun. No recognition though.
The 3.5 is dead silent. I tapped it, a little more, then a lot more.

I don't need any more than what I had so I think I'll spend as little as possible in case there was a problem with the motherboard. My guess is no, but me working on a computer is limited to installing cards in slots. Or in this case, installing an HD.

I still have a seriously full C drive, so unless I can understand why, I should be thinking about starting over. Funny, I got used to 2 screens but only use them when editing video. I've completely forgotten how to split the screen, but a really big screen would be better for me. I watch a lot of video.

Anything to stay away from in buying a drive?

[Scott Douglas]

Have you ever used something like CCleaner to get rid of all the 'crap' files that seem to accumulate on an HD just from going on the net?

[Scott Douglas]

Seagate Barracuda drive's get good reviews from what I've seen on a simple googling of the subject.

[Halm]

Maybe I missed this, but what version of Windows are we talking about?

Have you looked at the builtin DISK MANAGEMENT utility?

[Zeke]

I have tried the cleaner many times. When I first got the computer I could not get a mic to work. I had the warrantee and was on the phone with a guy in India for 2 hours while he shadowed. he installed driver after driver and I noticed that my SSD was more than half full the next day and the puter was less than a week old. I have never found those files. I did find some update files that did not appear to be genuine like my machine was being used as a slave. I deleted about a thousand of them and got back 10 %. I has since filled back up but not with those type of files.

I took a chance deleting all that, I know. But they were very suspicious. I'll never know. I should do a reset to factory. IDC anymore now that I know all my Porsche stuff is gone. All I need is an email machine. I hate phone keypads. If I could attach an ergonomic keyboard to a phone (that's all I will ever use) then all I need is a phone. I will not use an onscreen KB unless I text. I won't do it on my pad, I talk to it just as I do my phone most of the time.

I will not use a laptop. Worst invention of the information age. Small screen and a horrible keypad. If I use one, I dock it with screen, keyboard and mouse and then lay it off to the side. I hate them. My wife used them and we have about 6. Most are antiques.

[rfuerst911sc]

Milt it sounds like an Android based tablet might be the way to go . For web surfing and email and streaming they are hard to beat . My wife surprised me at Christmas with one and I use it all the time . At least it is an option to consider .