Broken IDE Hard disk needed a deep freeze

After a few months of trying to get a broken hard disk to work, I was pretty much set on taking the drive apart to investigate the problem. The drive failed to spin up yet I could hear all the right noises from the motor. I tried gently tapping the unit and applying burst of power but to no avail.

I had heard that putting things in freezers solves all sorts of problems, like smelly trainers, and restoring computer laptop batteries, and maybe, hard disks, but I couldn't remember.

Anyway, I popped the bare drive into the freezer and gave it an hour or two to chill. It was pretty cold when it came out... and worried a little bit about the moisture on the circuit board and the potential for short circuits. Thinking I had little to lose, and in my usual hurried style, I just plugged it in to a spare IDE --> USB interface and bingo! - the drive sprung to life.

Now that the drive is spinning, I have been able to read all the data from it. However, I am sure it's not repaired and so it is time to retire the drive. R.I.P and thank you.