Hello to everyone.

I have an external Toshiba Canvio 2TB HDD that failed some time ago : it suddenly became very slow and the next day, it was unreadable. When the Disk Manager in Windows is able to show it, it appears as RAW.

First things I tried of course : new cable (no use), other USB port (no use), other computer (no use).

I tried TestDisk : the NTFS partition is found, BS and backup BS are good but it cannot list the files and it stays stuck in the Rebuild BS process.
I tried CrystalDiskInfo. It stays stuck and cannot display any info.
DMDE is able to find files but it is so slllllloooooooowwww

I assumed it was a hardware failure, so I tried to swap the motherboard since I have another model of this HDD. The ref for the board is G0034A. Here are the tests I made:
- Patient HDD + Patient PCB + Patient BIOS -> failure (initial situation)
- Donor HDD + Donor PCB + Donor BIOS -> works normally (just to be sure )
- Patient HDD + Donor PCB + Donor BIOS -> spins correctly, is displayed as unallocated in Disk Manager (seems fair)
- Patient HDD + Donor PCB + Patient BIOS -> doesn't spin. Can't explain why. I work in an EE lab, I know my solders are correct.

After that, I reswaped everthing as it was, and the behavior of each disk (Patient and Donor) was back to initial situation. I wanted to be sure the BIOS chips had not been damaged in the desoldering/soldering process, and this shows they have not. It is not a motor driving issue either since the donor disk works normally.

I am short in solutions now. Do you have any idea of what I could try ?

Thank you in advance.

It sounds like your drive has bad heads.


One reason for this behaviour in recent models is a unique key in the MCU. I don't think this applies in your case, though. :-?

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Bad heads eventhough there is no suspicious mechanical noises ? No clicking for instance.

As for the PCB swap, I have seen Youtube videos and messages in forums explaining the swap has been successful. So it is possible. But I cannot interpret the faulty behavior in my case...

What donor PCB did you used?

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Same exact PCB from a identical working drive. I double checked the PCB nb.

Donor PCB is working correctly on donor drive.

You could try the compatible SATA version, but need to know what PCB do you have now.

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PCB ref is G0034A for USB.

Seems I need the G4311A for the SATA version.

What will be different with a SATA version ? Besides being able to put it inside a desk computer ?

SATA uses different protocols than USB.
You might get a different "reply" from the drive.

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patient does not spin, that's the initial setup.
patient spins with donor stuff but not with its own ROM transplanted.
to me this suggests it is a problem with the rom itself.
I would attach a terminal and see what i get there and read the patient rom in a programmer several times.

pepe

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Adatmentés - Data recovery

I will buy a sata controller PCB and give it a try then.

As for the ROM chip, you suggest I try to dump its content? Are there apps that do that or do I have to use specific hardware ? In any case, since the drive shows up in the windows explorer (after a looong time), with a dedicated letter, and is but RAW, isn’t a sign that the ROM is not in question ?

Thanks for your time !

you said it is not spinning with either pcb using patient rom, that's why i suspect an issue there.
The fact that it shows up in win is a result of the usb bridge, most probably.
as for reading the rom: it is normally possible to read it through the serial port though it requires some sw to issue the commands. If the drive is unable to load its fw, reading thru serport might not be possible, you need a programmer capable of 1.8V IO in that case.
But it might be better contacting a a dr company with the necessary hw and knowledge...

pepe

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Adatmentés - Data recovery

Sorry but there has been a misunderstanding: the drive is spinning okay with patient board and patient ROM. No clicking, normal R/W noises.

It is not spinning only with donor board + patient ROM.

Connect your drive and download SW like DMDE
And post results.

I have already done that, as I write in my very first message.

DMDE is able to detect it and even to find the damaged partition (eventhough some files cannot be read).
As well, testdisk detect it, detect an NTFS partition but get stuck in the Rebuild BS process.

The symptoms make me think that
1- the ROM is ok
2- the motor is ok
3- data are still available to some extent.

The issue would be due to a failure on the board somehow (power shortage I guess). That’s why I wanted to try with another board.

Is my reasoning wrong?

For now, I will order a sata controller board and see what I can get.

Thanks for your help!

yeah, it seems i misunderstood and overlooked sg, reading your 1st post again it is clear. sorry
most likely head/surface damage, possibly both. If the data is important, contact a pro, otherwise go with available tools, but use sata pcb and direct connection.
If you screw up the rom, you are screwed too, it contains info unique to the drive.

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Adatmentés - Data recovery

Yes. Since the drive spins up and IDs, the board is fine, don't waste your money on replacement boards. Only invest in SATA equivalents if you decide to go DIY. But, as pepe said, if you damage the ROM during board transfer, then it's pretty much game over.

As explained above by others, if data is important, better contact a pro. I can recover it, but you'd have to outsource and pay shipping etc.

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No.

You may disable (automount) partition in diskpart or any other method you want and try to clone your faulty drive (USB interface) to another healthy drive. (to not ruin the ROM while transferring to SATA PCB).

Or listen to Northwind advice and send the drive to a pro if data is important.

Good luck.