The laptop of a friend of mine ceased to function after being clumsily dropped to the floor. It had boot problems for a while (never getting to the O.S.) and then it stopped working altogether. Returning it is not an option, since it was bought overseas and no local support is provided. Data recovery firms are practically non-existent here, also.
My friend bought a SATA-to-USB adapter in order to recover the HD data, but it wasn't recognized either by the BIOS or by the O.S. Although it powers up, several mechanical noises can be heard and after a while they stop. Fearing the worst, we will now open it up and try to diagnose it. I'm prepared to make a mirror copy of the entire HD if and when we get it running.
Given the fact that we have zero experience in HD repairing, my inquiry to you is the following:
What are the the most common mechanical faults we should be looking for in this scenario?
In case it helps:
UPDATE:
I could salvage no S.M.A.R.T. data prior to the crash.