Hard Drive Grinding?
Turn It Off. Right Now.
A grinding noise means the read/write heads are physically scraping your platters. This is not clicking. This is not normal operation. This is your data being destroyed in real-time. Every second it runs, you lose more data.
Why Grinding Is the Most Severe Hard Drive Symptom
In a healthy hard drive, the read/write heads float micrometers above the spinning platters on a cushion of air. When you hear grinding:
- !Heads have crashed into the platters — The protective air gap has failed
- !Magnetic coating is being scraped off — Your data literally being removed from the platters
- !Debris is contaminating the drive — Scraped material causes additional head crashes
- !Damage spreads with every rotation — Platters spin at 5,400-7,200 RPM
Professional Oversight and Verified Standards
Our Austin lab operates on a transparency-first model. We use industry-standard recovery tools, including PC-3000 and DeepSpar, combined with strict environmental controls to make sure your hard drive is handled safely and properly. This approach allows us to serve clients nationwide with consistent technical standards.
Open-drive work is performed in a laminar-flow bench filtered to 0.02 µm, verified using TSI P-Trak instrumentation.
Transparent History
Serving clients nationwide via mail-in service since 2008.
Media Coverage
Our repair work has been covered by The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider, with CBC News reporting on our pricing transparency. Louis Rossmann has testified in Right to Repair hearings in multiple states and founded the Repair Preservation Group.
Aligned Incentives
Our "No Data, No Charge" policy means we assume the risk of the recovery attempt, not the client.
Technical Oversight
Louis Rossmann
Louis Rossmann's well trained staff review our lab protocols to ensure technical accuracy and honest service. Since 2008, his focus has been on clear technical communication and accurate diagnostics rather than sales-driven explanations.
We believe in proving standards rather than just stating them. We use TSI P-Trak instrumentation to verify that clean-air benchmarks are met before any drive is opened.
See our clean bench validation data and particle test videoGrinding vs. Clicking vs. Beeping
Grinding
Continuous scraping/scratching sound. Heads are in contact with platters.
Severity: Critical - Most severe
Data status: Being actively destroyed
Action: Power off IMMEDIATELY
Recovery: Depends on damage extent
Clicking
Rhythmic click-click sound. Heads seeking but can't find data.
Severity: Serious - High risk
Data status: At risk but likely intact
Action: Power off soon
Recovery: Usually good (94%+ success)
Beeping
Motor straining/beeping sound. Platters can't spin (stiction).
Severity: Serious - But recoverable
Data status: Usually intact
Action: Stop trying to power on
Recovery: Good (heads need unsticking)
What Causes a Hard Drive to Grind?
Physical Impact / Drop
Dropping a running hard drive or laptop can slam the heads into the platters. Even a small bump can cause head crash while spinning. The heads then continue scraping with each rotation.
Head Assembly Failure
The head assembly can fail mechanically, losing its ability to maintain proper flying height. Manufacturing defects, wear, or component failure can cause heads to drop onto platters.
Continued Use After Clicking
A clicking drive that's kept running can eventually progress to grinding. The damaged heads degrade further until they contact the platters. This is why we urge immediate power-off for clicking drives.
Severe Stiction Damage
When heads are stuck to platters (stiction) and the motor forces them loose, it can gouge the platter surface. Repeated power-on attempts with stuck heads causes cumulative grinding damage.
Recovery Outlook for Grinding Drives
We will be honest: grinding drives have the lowest recovery rates of any failure type. But recovery IS possible depending on several factors:
Factors That Help Recovery
- ✓Drive was powered off immediately when grinding started
- ✓Grinding only affected outer platter tracks (OS area)
- ✓Multiple platters where only one surface is damaged
- ✓User data is on undamaged areas
Factors That Hurt Recovery
- ✕Drive ran for extended time while grinding
- ✕Multiple power-on attempts after grinding started
- ✕Visible ring/scoring across entire platter surface
- ✕Debris contamination spread throughout drive
Honest Assessment: We will inspect your platters on a clean bench and give you a realistic recovery percentage before quoting. If the damage is too severe, we'll tell you — we won't take your money for an impossible job.
Grinding Drive Recovery Pricing
Light Damage
Brief grinding, localized damage, good platter condition
$1,000-$1,500
Moderate Damage
Multiple damaged areas, partial recovery expected
$1,500-$2,000
Severe Damage
Extensive scoring, specialized platter transplant may be needed
$1,800-$2,500
No Data, No Charge: If we cannot recover meaningful data, you pay nothing. We'll give you an honest assessment after platter inspection.
Related Symptoms
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my hard drive making a grinding noise?▾
A grinding noise indicates the read/write heads have crashed into the spinning platters. They are physically scraping the magnetic coating off, destroying your data in real-time. This is the most severe type of hard drive failure.
Can data be recovered from a grinding hard drive?▾
Sometimes. It depends on how long the drive ran while grinding and how much of the platter surface was damaged. Brief grinding may allow partial or full recovery. Extended grinding often causes unrecoverable damage. We provide honest assessment after inspection.
What's the difference between clicking and grinding?▾
Clicking means heads are seeking but can't find data tracks — heads are above the platters but malfunctioning. Grinding means heads are touching the platters — this is physically destructive. Grinding is far more severe than clicking.
Can I keep using a grinding drive to back up important files first?▾
Absolutely not. Every second a grinding drive runs, more data is being destroyed. Turn it off immediately. Do not power it on again. Any attempt to “quickly copy” files will destroy more than you save.
Grinding Drive? Get Emergency Assessment.
Time is critical. We'll inspect your platters and give you honest recovery odds. No data = no charge.