Disabling Internal Failed Hard Drive

[Pierrot le Fou]

I have a dead hard disk. I backed up my data, and boot from an external. All is well in the world, or was until today.

My internal hard disk is going through death throes, and is making UNGODLY sounds which are driving me insane. It isn't mounted, can't be identified, but I can't make it shut up.

I don't want to remove it from the notebook, if possible. I have a powerbook G4, and know that it isn't THAT hard to remove the disk physically, but I would hope that there is another method available to shut down power to the hard drive somehow so that it stops making these awful sounds...

I checked the archives, and have found the hints to unmount the hard drive, but that has little relevance to my situation, as the computer doesn't seem to be trying to access it in the first place.

I am very worried that these horrible sounds are the result of the disk doing bad things to the other components inside my computer.

Help please?

 

[simbalala]

It's very unlikely that the noises are the sound of the disk causing damage to other components.

The disk is still spinning (and wobbling or something) whether or not it's mounting, that's most likely the sound you're hearing.

I don't know of a way to power it down without opening the machine. It's not that hard to replace it.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/PowerBook-G4-Al-15-Inch-1-5/1-67-BT-2-0-LR/Hard-Drive

(That's for a 15" Aluminum G4)

 

[Pierrot le Fou]

I wish I had the 15" now... The 12" is infinitely more complicated. Time to find out what the words for the various screwdrivers are in Japanese, and take a trip to the hardware store.