# Maxtor HD Failed, Return code 7



## bkaz (Jun 12, 2005)

Help! Would appreciate any advice! My six month old Dell Dimension 4700 started running VERY slowly last night. Called tech support today and the guy suggested we run hard drive diagnostics before looking into spyware. After running chkdsk and the hard drive diagnostics, the drive suddenly failed and responded with Return Code 7. Dell is sending a new hard drive and a "sorry it didn't work out". Is there any way to retrieve data from this drive without that doesn't cost $1000?!!

Of course, being a former computer consultant, I did not follow my own advice and have no recent backup for this drive. UGH! Needless to say Dell will not be on my list when I buy my next computer!

Any help would be awesome!


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## jcline (Oct 22, 2004)

Have you tried slaving this hard drive and accessing data that way?


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## bkaz (Jun 12, 2005)

*Slaving the drive*

I have not tried to do this as I do not know how. I have nothing to lose though so I'm willing to give it a try. Is there someplace on this list that would tell me how to slave the drive and if I need any special software to try to recover the files? I did open up the case, reseat the cables and removed the drive to see if it seemed to be spinning at all and it did not seem to be doing anything.

Thanks for any help.


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## Terrister (Apr 18, 2005)

Take a look at this page. http://freepctech.com/pc/001/installing_ide_devices.shtml

It should answer all your questions about hooking this drive up as a slave in another computer.


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## jcline (Oct 22, 2004)

Yeah, what he said =) That is a very good reference...let us know how this goes...


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

bkaz said:


> Needless to say Dell will not be on my list when I buy my next computer!


Yay! It's as simple as slapping it into another PC as the others have mentioned. Just copy and paste what you want from it.


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## bkaz (Jun 12, 2005)

*Amazing!*

Well, sometimes the computer gods are smiling! I had read somewhere else to try freezing the hard drive in the freezer and thought "crazy, but what do I have to lose". So, I put the hard drive in the freezer for a few hours, and when I fired it up it was spinning but still giving a stop message. I booted up to the Windows XP CD, chose the option to recover an install and it went into recovery console mode. Did a chkdsk /r, waited and wondered and in the end it started up Windows and there was my stuff back...completely intact!!!! I have no idea how that happened, but I don't care really...I'm just thrilled to have a dvd with all of my crucial stuff backed up! The drive can die now and that's okay with me!!!

Last question for all of you...will the drive most likely be dead in a day or two, or should I go back to using it?

Thank you for all of your help and ideas! I was getting ready to hook the drive up as a slave and had all of the directions in front of me when this last ditch effort worked!


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## Terrister (Apr 18, 2005)

As far as I know I am the only one that has talked about the "freezer trick" here. Make sure you put it in a zip lock to protect against moisture. 

You are right. This is a short term fix. Should give you enough time to get all the data off, but I have never seen them work for more than a couple of hours after doing this. 
The last guy I told about this said it did not work. He was going to send this idea into Myth Busters. :laugh: 

NOTE: This seems to only work on Maxtors. :4-thatsba


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