Hard Drive Won’t Spin: Causes and Safe Troubleshooting

A hard drive may stop spinning because of power issues, a faulty connection, PCB damage, stuck read/write heads, or spindle motor failure. For external drives, the cable, power adapter, or enclosure may also be the cause.

This guide covers the common causes and safe troubleshooting methods for a hard drive that won’t spin.

Why Is My Hard Drive Not Spinning

A hard drive may stop spinning for several reasons, ranging from simple power or connection problems to internal hardware failure.

The table below lists the most common causes and their typical signs.

After identifying the likely cause, you can try the appropriate troubleshooting steps below.

What Can You Do If Hard Drive Won’t Spin

If your hard drive won’t spin, the problem may be caused by a simple connection issue or a more serious hardware failure. Before seeking professional help, you can try the following safe troubleshooting tips.

#1. Check the Power Surge

When a hard drive gets failed, there are some signs indicating hard drive failures like a burning smell. If there is a burning smell on the hard drive, then it indicates that your hard drive may suffer from a power surge, which could damage the PCB. That’s why the hard drive won’t spin.

To check the power supply, you can connect the external hard drive to the computer via a different cable or connect the drive to another computer. If the HDD not spinning still persists, you can continue with the following checks.

#2. Check the PCB

The PCB is important for a hard drive to function normally. It allows electricity to pass between different components of your hard drive. Once any parts of the PCB get damaged or failed, it may cause some problems like the hard drive wont spin.

To check the PCB, you need to use a screwdriver. Take out the PCB from hard drive carefully using the screwdriver. Then use the multimeter to touch the ends of the diode. If there is a beeping sound, then it indicates there is a short on the diode. In this situation, you need to replace the diode with a new one that is as same as the original one.

#3. Check the Stuck Disk Head

If the disk read/write heads stuck on the platter, then the hard drive won’t spin. Usually, the problematic disk heads will cause hard disk clicking or some other issues like hard drive not spinning. Here you can try the following steps to fix the stuck disk heads.

Step 1. Take out the lid of the hard drive using a screwdriver.

Step 2. Check if the disk heads stuck on the platter. If it is, move the disk heads back to its parked position via a hook.

Step 3. Once done, put everything back to the hard drive and reconnect the hard drive to your computer. If the external hard drive not spinning issue still exists, move on to the following check.

#4. Check the Spindle Motor

If the HDD not spinning issue still persists after you have tried the above checks, then it can be caused by a failed spindle motor. Sometimes, the spindle motor of the hard drive can get seized due to physical damage. To fix the issue, you need to swap a platter using professional tools in a clean environment. So, we highly recommend you ask for professionals’ manual repair.

#5. Try Recovering Data from the Hard Drive

Some users reported that hard drive not spinning can cause data loss. Don’t worry. You can utilize a professional data recovery tool to find your data back if the not spinning problem is resolved. Here MiniTool Partition Wizard is what you need. It is a powerful partition manager that can help you recover lost data, copy disk, rebuild MBR, etc.

Bottom Line

If your hard drive still won’t spin after basic checks, the problem may require professional attention. If the drive contains important data, prioritize data recovery over further DIY repairs.