I replaced the HD in my mom's PC a while back because her pc wouldn't boot and it wouldn't ALLOW me to do a clean install or repair install. After I replaced it, she let my uncle take the old HD and he later told her there was nothing wrong with it and was able to pull all of her files off. Is there some trick to this? No matter what I did, I could not get her computer to start. Even after starting it with a boot diagnostic disc, I wasn't able to locate any of her files, so how was he able to? Any ideas? I'm just looking to learn in case I'm faced with this again in the FUTURE...It just happens.
Consider the following statement:
Failure of electronic devices follows statistically profitable trends.
That is true, but does not tell you way a drive was dead and then came back to life. The statistics APPLY to a large set of failures. Individual failures are hard to asses.

If you need as rational theory, here is one. The drive motor 'stalled' and could not turn o get to speed. When you moved it, some slight mechanical vibration freed the motor and it began to turn easily.

That may not be what really happened. Your desire to accept this story is called 'rationalization'.

Really, do you WANT more speculation? Does it really help?
Anyway, you can not make a good rule from just one incident.

And yes, this does happen sometimes. Be glad you got the date back.
Quote from: Geek-9pm on August 28, 2011, 09:11:55 PM

When you moved it, some slight mechanical vibration freed the motor and it began to turn easily.