Hello everyone. I hate to post a new thread immediately on registering, but I was hoping the experts here could give me a better opinion on what to do with this hard drive. I've asked elsewhere, but I also want to hear what the community here has to say.

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but I managed to chip off a component of my HDD circuit board. Heres a pic of it:



And here's the spot it is missing from on the circuit board:



This is just a data storage drive with nothing on it, so no immediate danger. I plugged the drive back in and I'm able to read/write from the drive. It also passes Windows scan disk, which is not surprising because I think that only checks platter integrity? What is this part anyway, and how dangerous would it be to continue using it?

I can't see what it is, but if you have a multimeter, then measure the resistance between each of the component's PCB pads and the +5V, +12V, and Ground pins of the SATA power connector.

http://pinouts.ru/Power/sata-power_pinout.shtml

If the component is connected to one of the supplies, then it will be a capacitor, in which case you may be able to do without it. I'd replace it, though.

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.