HDD issue on PC (cannot boot, stuck in loop)
HDD issue on PC (cannot boot, stuck in loop)
In short, I bought a used HDD from eBay and everything seemed fine after transferring files. Suddenly the program crashed, and the drive appeared grayed out in File Explorer. After restarting, it got stuck in an unusual loop with stretched logos. It wouldn’t power on, but booted up when I unplugged it. I removed the CMOS battery and rebooted; then it showed a prompt to press Del to open BIOS, but it froze and wouldn’t let me access it. I packed everything I used into archives and can’t just install a new drive. I’m unsure what’s wrong and how to fix it. It worked fine on my brother’s machine, yet not at all. I think the issue might be with the boot settings—maybe GPT or MBR is affected. I recall setting it to GPT, but I’m not sure anymore. The file I mentioned (IMG_8322.mov) isn’t loading either.
And I've already handled those steps—switched to a different SATA cable, used another power cable.
Do you notice the drive starting up? Is its sound different from when it was not working? Would you like me to capture the drive as it begins? A frozen PC after posting is typical if a drive is connected but not functioning. The BIOS will pause until all drives are fully spinning and ready, then starts the boot process, continuing until it reaches a stop. You might attempt to boot into Windows first before connecting the drive.
Isn't this a device designed for NAS systems? Given its usage, it might have been part of a NAS unit and faced significant wear. It could have experienced mechanical issues such as a failing spin motor or malfunctioning read/write heads. Does it make any unusual noises when starting up?
The Seagate constellation is primarily a cost-effective enterprise storage device. It typically consumes about 40 to 50 kilowatt-hours of power over its operational time.
This Seagate Constellation is an SAS-based drive. It features serial ATA support, commonly found in hardware RAID configurations and server environments. https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/tech-takes/sas-vs-sata This model cannot be used with typical SATA-powered computers.
He used it effectively, moving files before it stopped working. A SAS drive wouldn’t work at all, would it? The Constellation line offers both SAS and SATA options.