WD200BB Firmware issue or head?

[lostinspace]

Hi
Just received a WD200 from another DR company that’s doing some odd things. The client tells me that the previous company attempted to image the drive but that it froze at 75%. For reasons unknown to me they chose to leave the drive running for 5 days in this state before giving up.
Now the drive comes ready after clicking repeatedly in patterns of 3 and I get DRD DSC. Any attempt to image results in the drive either holding busy or clicking. After a few seconds there is a drop in RPM, then returns to normal, then shuts down completely.
However everything I have just explained is intermittent. On another occasion the drive will become ready in good time and will begin to image and with a good transfer rate too. It always stops in the same fashion though. Drive ID’s correctly in both system BIOS and MHDD but with the aforementioned delay.
So the obvious question is head stack or PCB? I’m not beyond changing both but like most of us I’d sooner avoid changing the head stack unnecessarily.

I will put an ad in the buy/sell topic with all the details too.

[HDD Spaz]

has the lid been removed? I thinking an alignment issue.

[lostinspace]

Looks OK to me. There is a white sticker over the main screw for the head stack. Also the label looks fine and there is no evidence that other screws have been removed. That said I don't have another WD200BB to compare against. I can post a photo if you'd like a closer look.

[jono-ats]

If it comes ready sometimes but not others, you've got a lid alignment issue.

[lostinspace]

It’s not been tampered with, I took a closer look and none of the screws have any marks from attempted removal. Also the main label is complete, no puncture marks to gain access to the motor screw.

It won’t come ready now at all, just a series of clicks and then shut down. Occasionally it seems to try again with a brief reduction in RPM, back to full speed, some more clicks and then shutdown.

Have you ever seen these lose alignment for no good reason?

[BlackST]

Yes. Shock, for example. Nothing but misalignment - i.e. Pc case dropped.

[lostinspace]

Thanks for the helpful replies everybody, it's appreciated. I’ll check to see if the client is aware of any incident before the drive stopped working.

[macman]

Sounds like the head alignment is out to me. Many western digital drives loose the alignment after the drive is dropped or received some other form of shock.

[jono-ats]

I've received in WD drives that have lost their alignment for no APPARENT reason, i.e. they have not been abused.

I suspect that it is a result of thermal cycling. In any event, with some careful alignment work they are usually restored to full operation . . . at least long enough to copy off the data!

Jono

[N.C.]

It’s not been tampered with, I took a closer look and none of the screws have any marks from attempted removal. Also the main label is complete, no puncture marks to gain access to the motor screw.

It won’t come ready now at all, just a series of clicks and then shut down. Occasionally it seems to try again with a brief reduction in RPM, back to full speed, some more clicks and then shutdown.

Have you ever seen these lose alignment for no good reason?

I have seen a lot of times, the pcb on old WD and maxtor DM9 tired, and becomes unstable.
I suggest to find another pcb wich is known good replace the rom, and try to repair the SA if it is needed.
If the problem still exists the next step is the MHA.

Regards,
Janos

[lostinspace]

I agree with you janos,

I've located a known good PCB which should arrive next week. For the price they want it would be stupid of me not to try. After that I will try realignment (as suggested by Jono) and if that fails I will be after a replacement drive.

If anyone has a WD200BB-00CB00 at a fair price I’m still interested.

[jono-ats]

I've got a WD200BB-00CAA0 . . .