Hi, I am stuck and hope to find some more options here.

I fried my pcb a while ago by accidentally plugging in my laptop cable, got a donor pcb with the corresponding numbers, swapped the bios over and now it seems the head needs replacing (yes it's clicking!).

The strange thing is, I tried the donor pcb before the bios swap and it was spinning up normal but it wasn't recognized nor driver software got installed!
I tried the old pcb and it did install driver software, it did appear in Computer Management only as 'Not Initialized' - I couldn't proceed with initializing as 'drive was not ready', but that was probably because it was NOT spinning up.

Now, after placing the donor pcb with original bios, it isn't recognized by my system at all but the disk does spin up, clicks a few times before shutting down again - the head is moving perfectly back into place, off the platter but it moves forward and backward a few times before it stops and shuts down.

I am running out of ideas...anyone has any suggestions?
I live on a small island and the post service is rubbish so sending off my drive is too much of a risk and is not an option...

There is loads of important information on there, years of graphic projects - I was blonde enough to create my back-up partition on the same drive so I have to keep on trying to find a solution to get the data back!

Hope anyone can give me any clever ideas I have not tried yet...
Thanks in advanced guys

if the the problem is mechanically, nothing you can do as a DIY
and if the data is important stop powering on the drive and find a way to send it to a pro

Did you open the drive outside a cleanroom environment and run it with the lid off? If so, that has probably doomed your data.

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Sabo Computer Repairs & Data Recovery

I opened it when it stopped moving, in an environment as clean as it can get - the moving back and forth you can establish from the vibration and sound it makes. I obviously have done my research before getting deeper into the drive, the data is too valuable to put at risk! Thank you for your concern.

Would you have any suggestions of how to continue by any chance?

I am technical and have a very stable hand and besides that, I trust myself more than any of the so called 'professionals' here on the island - most of them are home studied and say they can do stuff before screwing up so I prefer to get some suggestions, do my research and fix it myself...and if so, screw it up myself, at least there will be no one else to blame but me and I know I have sincerely tried my utmost to make it work - I could live with that!

As the head has been moving proper previously, I was hoping I might have the possibility to change over a chip (or what ever regulates the head) from the original pcb to the donor...is it likely that might be it? If so, can anyone indicate which chip I might be looking for? After doing some research, I thought it could be the vcm (which will require the proper tools and skills to do, so I will have to find some 'electrical surgeon' to help me with that) but I cannot find info indicating that might work nor does it tell me it is even possible for a pcb to function after vcm swap - does anyone here know about that?

I agree here. Especially a ST3000DM001 these are one of the most difficult drive to recover even for us pro's.



Here is an example of HDD head flying height:

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Web: https://www.day1data.de

Here is an example of HDD head flying height:
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OMG that does look very freaky when you show it like this!
So there aren't any suggestions regarding the pcb at all?
I feel so helpless...all I seem to be able to do is stare at it?

What is the success rate on recovery with this model when clicking?

I am willing to wait till April when my parents come and visit, if there are no options for me at all anymore...
My folks could bring it back home with them and try the recovery in Holland / Belgium / Germany - anywhere really! Though, I feel a little scared to give it out of hands...

In case of sending it to day1data - I am looking at the 'hardware failure' aren't I?
Well, I better start saving up money than... a month's worth rent is a lot for a single mum
And will there only be charge when actual data is recovered???

Sorry about all these question but I really need to know where I stand.
Cheers!

Hi Enjoycie,

I strongly suggest you to stop mangling the hard drive any more. The most valuable technician in other matters would still mess it up without the required experience in such specific subject.
That being said, you can send it over to us in Madrid. We have never had problems with the post service when collecting disks from the islands - whether Canary Islands or Balear Islands. We usually don't freely diagnose open hard drives, but we can make an exception - you must tell us exactly what you have done and identify each and every original part you tore apart (read extracted) from the patient HDD.

Cheers

Can you show us a hires photo of the component side of the original damaged PCB? The typical result of an overvoltage from a laptop adapter is a shorted 12V TVS diode, but it seems that the damage may have been more extensive.

Could we also see a photo of the donor?

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Please find attached the pcb's:



1) I tried to get the old one to work with donor diodes, no luck.
2) transferred over the bios to donor board, still no joy.
3) found information regarding pcb's having 2 bios, so I gave it a try and finally I had joy to get the disk to spin up!
However, the head doesn't stay in place...so really, still no joy

Thanks guys for taking the time to try and help!!!



No worries, I only stare at it nowadays...




Thank you defrue, I will take it in consideration - however, I have lost many things in the post (up to huge, heavy passels from Holland, with tracking code and insurance!) so I might have to fly it over myself...

The second "BIOS" (3) is a "FETKEY". It is part of the -5V supply for the preamp. It is not a "BIOS", and it does not need to be swapped. Where did you see this disinformation?

Also, you don't need to transfer TVS diodes. The drive will run without them, albeit without overvoltage protection.

The typical result of an overvoltage from a 19V laptop adapter is a shorted 12V TVS diode and open circuited zero-ohm resistors.

Here is a similar PCB:
http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/HDD/ST ... 01_TVS.jpg

Here is your PCB:
Do you have a multimeter? If so, we could take some measurements of your original PCB. You don't need to return the "BIOS" to this PCB for these tests.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Thanks for coming back to me fzadkar!



Well, as the drive didn't spin up I just thought I might as well try...and it seemed to have done the trick as it spinned up after transferring it (or it was just coincidence?) - I found some information regarding some pcb's having 2 bios but not regarding my specific model. Anyhow, it doesn't seem to do harm and maybe no good either but I rather not remove it again and start to fuff around with it again...


Yes I did find the same information, but better safe than sorry (more sorry than I already am hehe) - I have a good soldering machine so did the job.



Yes I did do the test on the diodes - do you refer to doing the test to the ohm resisters too?!

Now I'm confused. Are you saying that your drive did not spin up with donor PCB + patient BIOS? And do you mean that the drive then spun up after you transferred the patient's FETKY to the donor PCB?

You need to test the resistors on the 200 ohm scale of your meter, in the absence of power.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Yes, that indeed was the case...but I have to add, nothing in my life ever goes normal
Ok I will look into the ohm tomorrow...Thanks for that!

The soldering of the FETKY looks wonky. The IC doesn't appear to be sitting properly.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Hiya! Do you refer to the little legs on the FETKY? Yes I am aware it looks a little wonky but the tiny legs are properly connected to their position, slightly slipped off the original soldering but not connecting the soldering of the 'neighbor'...should it be a problem if it is not entirely straight???

As long as it is not shorting to adjacent pins, then it should be OK.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

The Original problem Should be easy to fix (not too burned preamp in Seagate) , but too many experiments in a st3000dm.... your data may be gone , or at Least a good percentage

Ok, I will leave it as it is than, thank you for confirming this.

+1

colanco, would you have a website or so for me so I can get in touch with you?