T400 Hard Drive not detectable

[amit_0401]

Hi, I have Lenovo T400 which is not able to detect HDD.....One day I was working and it suddenly got blue and everything vanished. Now when I restart my laptop its hard disk is not detectable. I have checked the BIOS setting and also used bay to detect hard drive but no luck. I would appreciate if any one can help.

[Volker1 · Accepted solution]

You need a new hdd, not a big deal. Replace and re-image from the latest backup.

[amit_0401]

The problem is I don't have a backup and need to restore data.

[Volker1]

Well consider yourself lucky that the drive died now instead of later when it would have destroyed even more of your data...

You can send it to a lab that will probably be able to extract your data for a not so modest fee. If its just aunt Mary's birthday photos you can try the freezer method after you re-installed everything on a new hdd. In any case, good luck! 

[amit_0401]

It did had quite a bit of data.....Also, I had send the hdd to lab however, when I came to know the total cost it will incure (US$500+), I came back...

[Volker1]

$500 is probably the low end if they can trick the drive into actually working again. But the only 100% method is to disassemble the drive in a clean room and put the platters into a new housing, which will set you back quite a bit more.

Did you try the freezer trick?

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

so you have tried another hdd in your laptop and ascertained that it is not the laptop's hdd connection problem?

[amit_0401]

No I did not....

[amit_0401]

I tried new hdd and it is working fine....