External HDD Dropped. Can advise me?

Question

It dropped from about 2 feet high. My laptop doesn't detect it anymore and there is a continuous clicking sound after I plugged into the usb port. A little while, the sound will stop but the light on the hdd keeps blinking green & red. Will my laptop be able to detect the hdd if I leave it plugged as it continues to blink or will it make the problem worse? Do you think the damage is serious? I can't go to the repair centre yet.

Answer 1

Clicking sounds from a HD almost always mean imminent death, if it's not dead already.  One recommended method is to actually freeze the drive (yes, in the freezer) and then hook it up and try to retrieve your data.

Answer 2

A clicking hard drive is probably the worst thing to hear... it basically means that the drive is dead now.  You may be able to put the drive in a sealed bag and leave it in a freezer for a couple hours, then try again.  You should then immediately back up as much data as you can before the drive fails again.

However, do not just let the drive stay plugged in and clicking away, it will make things worse.

Also, since it's a laptop, ensure that you have the AC adapter plugged in and try using the other USB ports... some don't supply the power needed to spin a drive up to full speed.

Answer 3

The clicking sound comes from the reading head who's trying to find some data. Sorry, it's the death tone.  The damage is terminal, nothing from it can be recoverable; if you leave it plugged in you will end up with , at least , a fried USB connector. Junk it and, if you have the money, buy a new one.

Answer 4

The drive is most likely no good anymore.  There is a chance that it is just the USB to SATA or USB to IDE converter in the casing... and that can be determined if they take the drive out of the case and test it.  However, the clicking sound is a good indication that the drive is toast, and the data unrecoverable.

Sorry.  hard drives are very susceptible to shock.