How to test a hard drive motor? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Jane
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 08:29:21 pm
content: What is the easiest way how to check that a hard drive motor is working?

author: eleguy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 08:54:57 pm
content: Place ear close and listen if it rotates??

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 08:59:38 pm
content: Plug it into a computer power supply and turn the supply on. You should hear it not only spin up but stabilize in speed. You may also hear the heads make a click as they un-park. What size drive? 5" 3", Laptop style or tower case style?

author: Jane
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 08:01:21 am
content: The hard drive does not work. Note:the disk is not detected by BIOS.I tried few options such as hard drive PCB replacing, checking EEPROM... but nothing helped.One possibility is faulty motor.So again, what is a best/easiest way how to test hard drive motor in such case ?

author: eleguy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 09:55:34 am
content: As you have it already open and you have tested it with the working driver PCB then I would measure if all coils are fine with a continuity tester.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 09:58:10 am
content: One of the most common issues is heads sticking to the platters.

author: eleguy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 10:44:56 am
content: Quote from: wraper on November 23, 2023, 09:58:10 amThat is true! In the "ancient" times the heads got stuck to the plastic at the "park" position. That happened specially if the drive had been utilized heavily just before parking. Head(s) were warm and melted itself into the plastic.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 11:18:10 am
content: Quote from: eleguy on November 23, 2023, 10:44:56 amWell, this has nothing to do with melting. It's about platters stopping spinning before heads return to park position or heads moving over platters that do not spin fast enough. As both surfaces are very smooth, they stick together when there is no air cushion created by platter rotation.

author: Jane
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 11:40:41 am
content: Guys, please remember, I asked about motor testing if hard drive is not detected in BIOS.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 11:51:19 am
content: Quote from: Jane on November 23, 2023, 11:40:41 amAnd your question is barely relevant to the actual problem you have:QuoteYou can check motor winding resistance just in case. But if you have a another PCB and it still does not spin, most likely it's heads stuck to the platters or stuck motor bearing which is much less likely. You won't be able to do anything to any of these problems without taking off the top cover anyway. The last dich effort you could do to not take it apart is placing HDD in the freezer, it may temporarily unstick a bad bearing so data can be recovered while HDD is still cold. Also don't try to run it with another PCB as it does not help to spin the motor anyway. Firmware and calibration differences usually do not allow for it to function properly with another PCB and may actually cause data corruption even if old PCB is returned back.EDIT: If you do that ESC thing and spin the motor in opposite direction while heads are stuck to the platters there is a chance destroying heads and platters.

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 11:53:35 am
content: I've driven a HDD motor directly using a hobby ESC. Using as 30VDC supply I could get the disk rotating at 18,000 rpm. The gyroscopic force is really cool. You could try one of them and see if the motor is the problem. Make sure you get a sensorless version.https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/192178131644

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 01:35:20 pm
content: To O.P., you have already been given the answer!!! Listen for the motor to spin up and stabilize in speed. Do you need it step by step....1 attach hard drive to power cable and nothing else. 2 turn on power. 3 Listen for motor to spin up. 4 Listen for motor to stabilize at one speed and not 'hunt'. IT DOESN'T GET ANY EASIER!!! Flow chart style...... Did Motor Spin Up? Yes=motor can run No=throw drive away. Did motor achieve stable speed? Yes=motor and motor drive electronics are o.k. No=throw drive away. At this point if the motor is bad the drive is junk. As far as electrically 'testing the motor' you have already switched the P.C.B. so it comes down to Motor Spins = Motor Good, Motor doesn't spin = Your screwed = Always have a Norton Ghost back up of your hard drive. Then, one day when the hard drive isn't recognized you can donate it to the local skeet shooting club.

author: Jane
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 02:16:39 pm
content: @CaptDon: The drive contains valuable data, I want to repair it

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 02:37:20 pm
content: My honest opinion as an IT guy:If the data is valuable, use the service of a reputable recovery service.Anything you try yourself has the danger of causing additional damage, making recovery more difficult, or if you are very unlucky, even impossible.

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 08:12:02 pm
content: I have opened a 'stuck' hard drive and on power up helped the motor get started with my finger BUT beware, you better back it up right there and then!! I didn't even bring it to a stop to put the cover back on, I backed it up while it was still running. Some multi-platter drives have indexing on one platter only and if you shift the relative positions of the two platters you may also be out of luck. Not a lot of folks with no expertise have any luck with data recovery. Most just wreck everything beyond hope.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2023, 08:17:46 pm
content: Quote from: CaptDon on November 23, 2023, 08:12:02 pmYou don't want to put any fingers in there (accidental fingerprint on the platter = it's screwed). Only torx screwdriver cautiously inserted right in the middle.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2023, 09:17:45 am
content: Quote from: Jane on November 23, 2023, 02:16:39 pmAs already said, but this is important enough to bear repeating: do not do anything yourself!!If the data matters, then ship the drive off to DriveSavers and set aside $4000 in your bank account.