The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    HDD doesn't spin-up, hdparm fault?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by JPH127, May 8, 2010.

  1. JPH127

    JPH127 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I am trying to set my harddrive to automatically spindown after inactivity because I am going to use it as an second harddrive for data only. I used the hdparm commands:

    hdparm -S12 /dev/hda
    and
    hdparm -K1 /dev/hda

    To set the standby timeout and to keep the setting after reboot/reset. But now, when I am trying to start, the drive doesn't spin-up causing my laptop to say: "No operating system found". My BIOS recognized the drive as "0GB".
    I found out the drive does start when I launch Gateway GwScan using a boot CD. When I press ctrl-alt-delete to restart, the drive stays on and boots. Back in Windows I set the drive standby time to 0(off). But still the drive doesn't spin-up after a shutdown -> "fresh" start. What can I do to make my drive act as original? :mad:

    I have also used a second PC to try the commands, using Linux and Windows, but none of them worked.

    The drive is a Hitachi 5k500.B
     
    JPH127, May 8, 2010
    #1
  2. JPH127

    JPH127 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Anyone know how to fix this?
     
    JPH127, May 12, 2010
    #2
  3. newsposter

    newsposter Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    801
    Messages:
    3,881
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
    is this on a desktop or notebook machine?
     
    newsposter, May 12, 2010
    #3
  4. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    I'd have said dead drive... but as you can start it up it's not.

    What you SHOULD do is move any data that is on it to another drive e.g. WD Passport via USB.
     
    DetlevCM, May 13, 2010
    #4
  5. JPH127

    JPH127 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    @ newsposter It is my notebook drive. But it isn't working on a desktop either.

    @ DetlevCM that was the first thing I've done when the drive was spinning again.

    Isn't there a way to "reset" the harddrive to factory-defaults? Will formatting solve it? Or re-flash the firmware?
     
    JPH127, May 14, 2010
    #5
  6. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    I was thinking along reflashing the firmware - but can you do that?
    If you can reflash it, that should do the trick.
     
    DetlevCM, May 14, 2010
    #6
  7. JPH127

    JPH127 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Yes, but I couldn't find any firmware files...
     
    JPH127, May 16, 2010
    #7
  8. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    My guess is only the manufacturer can do that and not the end user...
     
    DetlevCM, May 16, 2010
    #8