robink
join:2004-04-16
Canada
| Attempt to repair burnt drive myself?
Three drives (new, refurbrished, burnt) | 
Close up of burnt board |  hddstrangenoise.zip 40,165 bytes
Sample of strange sound when using a working board on burnt HDD
(hddstrangenoise.wav) | | |
I have a Maxtor SATA 300GB HDD that burnt. A chip on the board itself on the HDD fried in the computer. I do not know why it happened. The hard drive was only in use for a few weeks. It happened the night I installed a new Seagate hard drive. The seagate is perfectly fine. They were both connected on the same cable. So I am assuming it happened due to an power issue. My PSU is an Ultra 500W.
Now warrenty has sent, as they claim, a refurbished replacement and awaiting my burnt drive. However, along with the refurbrished drive, they also had a second new drive in the box (it does not say anything about this second drive on the papers that they sent me. it only mentions the refurbished one).
I took the burnt board and replaced it with the identical one on the refurbished drive. And when the computer boots, I hear a strange beeping sound when the HDD tries to start. It eventually fails and the HDD is not detected. This also happens using the different board on the new HDD.
I found that if I swap the board on the new drive and the reburished drive, that strange sound does not occur. So it must be coming from inside the burnt HDD.
This is where my question is. I am willing to void my warrenty and pay for the refurbished drive to attempt to replace a possible broken part inside my burnt HDD using parts from the two drives sent to me from Maxtor.
I was wondering if anyone might be able to explain what the sounds might indicate. And if it is possible to fix this issue without the need for millions of dollars of manufacturing equipment.
I have attached pictures of the HDDs. The order goes (left to right), the new HDD, the refurbished HDD and the burnt HDD. I also have a sample of the sound that the burnt HDD makes when it boots using either board from the working ones (ignore the noise when booting and turning off).
--
Argue opinions using facts. Not facts using opinions. |
|
Locutus65
A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
Premium
join:2001-05-24
Houston, TX
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| Well, first off, unless you have a clean room (think Independence Day movie all the guys in the white outfits) you will most likely contaminate the platters in the drive(s) when you open them up and the will be useless anyway. I would not attempt it. There are data recovery companies and yes the are expensive (most charge a minimum of $400) that can do what you are thinking of.
--
M-O-O-N, that spells assimilation...Tom Cullen of Borg. |
|
Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs:
1 edit | reply to robink
You say you have a tone, LOL happened to me check out my thread »Maxtor HD tones, drive not working..........
pay attention to Tursiops_G reply |
|
beefcake122
join:2001-03-24
Tucson, AZ
1 edit | reply to robink
That type of failure (in the pic) took a lot of amperage to occur. This means it is likely terminal. if you keep messing with this drive in your computer, you could loose something else if you're not careful.
You can open a hard drive in a non-clean room, and run it, and it will work for a short time. I've done this to recover data on hard drives that don't want to turn over.
My recommendation is cut your losses, let it go and move on before it gets worse. |
|
robink
join:2004-04-16
Canada
| reply to robink
Warzau, Can you tell me how hard you hit it or twisted it?
So far light twists and taps have not helped. I do not want to break the drive, so what did you use and how hard? And did you attempt this while it was powered (I am guessing nor).
--
Argue opinions using facts. Not facts using opinions. |
|
Barbara Ann
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-17
| I fried my controller card (circuit board) as well on my Seagate.
I called Seagate and they told me to try to find the exact same P/N and the exact same FIRMWARE revision.
I was directed to a company in the UK »www.ultratec.co.uk , ordered the part and when it arrived, I hooked up the drive to an external HD enclosure and it worked.
I had previously ordered the same HD from a different company and exchanged the circuit board with the damaged one but because it was a different firmware revision the HD wouldn't work.
--
If only you knew she loved you, you could face the uncertainty of whether you love her. |
|
Tursiops_G
Technoid
Premium,MVM
join:2002-02-06
Norwalk, CT
clubs:
·Optimum Online
3 edits | reply to robink
said by robink  :Warzau, Can you tell me how hard you hit it or twisted it? So far light twists and taps have not helped. I do not want to break the drive, so what did you use and how hard? And did you attempt this while it was powered (I am guessing nor). therobin;
Try Disconnecting and Removing the failed HD entirely, and (with the Refurbished drive's PCB installed on it), hold it Flatly and Securely in your hand, and give it a couple of SUDDEN, SHARP, Twists with your Wrist...
The point is to make either the HD's Platters move Rotationally (or cause the R/W Head Actuator to move Radially), enough to break the R/W Head's "Stiction" hold on the Platters... Then re-install it, and see if it now spins-up, and is recognized...
If so, then IMMEDIATELY BACKUP your Data to CDR/DVDR, or to the other New HD...
Good Luck!
-Tursiops_G.
--
If You're Unsure, "RTFM"... If You're SURE, "RTFM" Anyway.  |
|
Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs:
1 edit | reply to robink
It was disconnected and out of computer but had the computer open and connectors set up to quickly recover. Do what Tursiops_G said I held it in the palm in my hand gripping the sides and twisted it quickly and sharply. Easiest way is put your elbow on a table and hold the HD in the palm of your hand. Kinda like shaking a bottle, but in a flat axis, do it once or twice. Plug it in, if it starts up BACK IT UP!!. Don't even try to explore the drive. Thanks to Tursiops_G I recovered 99.99% of my files. |
|
robink
join:2004-04-16
Canada
| reply to robink
I do not think this is the issue anymore. I have banged it and twisted it pretty hard and no go. I think I might have to try freezing. Although that won't even give me enough time to back all the data. But it might give me enough time to back up the most important stuff.
--
Argue opinions using facts. Not facts using opinions. |
|
Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs: | reply to robink
Don't bang it! Twist was the one of the solutions. Though now that it was banged who knows now. |
|
Locutus65
A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
Premium
join:2001-05-24
Houston, TX
clubs: | reply to robink
Actually, if twisting didn't work the solution did say to 'tap' it with the knuckles. Definately not 'bang' though.
--
M-O-O-N, that spells assimilation...Tom Cullen of Borg. |
|
