My HDD looks dead - Western Digital WD5000AAKB - Need Help

[ddzc]

Hi all,

I have a 500gb drive full of data which can't be lost. I always contemplated spending the money to back everything up and now it has caught up and bite me in the behind.

I use this drive as data and I have it hooked up on my secondary slave and I use the primary master for my XP OS.

In XP, I started getting I/O errors for the 500gb drive. When I bought a new drive to back it up, it was too late. I now have no access to it at all.

In Windows, it's not being detected anymore.

When I reboot my computer, I now get the following error "Secondary IDE Channel No 80 Conductor Cable Installed "

In POST, it shows the hdd detected, give the above error message and boots up. In the Windows splash page, it just sits there and doesn't continue with the boot up process. The bar continues to go back and forth forever. I moved the drive to the primary slave. POST detected it and gave no channel errors but again, stuck at the splash screen.

I rebooted a few more times, sometimes POST doesn't detect the drive at all (freezes at "Detecting IDE drives"). After a bunch of more reboots, I got the computer to actually boot into windows after 10 mins at the windows splash page but I don't see the drive in My Computer. I rebooted the computer and again, no ide drive detected. After a few more reboots, it gave me that error "Secondary IDE Channel No 80 Conductor Cable Installed " even though both harddrives are on the Primary IDE channel. Still no luck.

I'm really paranoid at this point and I reall need access to this drive. The drive is not dead or making any weird noises internally.

Is there any software or anything at this point I can do to recover the data and gain access to it?

P.S, drive is a Western Digital WD5000AAKB

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1542#


Thanks

[poehere]

This could be problem in your pcb board. But on this drive you need to take it in to have it changed out for you. You can not do a swap on your own. If it is only pcb problems you should be able to find someone in your area or ask here on the forum for anyone close to you to help you out on this one. This is your best option and if only this should not be too expensive for you to get your data back off this drive.

[networkpc3000]

hi,
i think you don't try any more as well. as it will worse and pirce will more high for data recoveryr.

[ddzc]

Thanks for the reply...so you don't recommend me replacing the PCB? How much do they usually cost?

Thanks

[mr_spokk]

Hi, could be as simple as replaceing the Ata-cable...have you try'd that?

Bosse

[lcoughey]

I regret to say that a simple PCB swap isn't so simple. These drives require expensive tools in order to program the donor PCB to replicate the original PCB. Of course, we are making the assumption that the only problem is with the PCB. I recommend having the drive assessed by a data recovery professional first. The assessments are almost always free and the quotes are usually a lot less before you try things.

I'm in Guelph, if you are looking for someone in the region.

[johntheman]

I have a problem with the same disk... WD5000AAKB. My model is WD5000AAKB-00UA0 and I have found a hard drive in a local store WD5000AAKB-00KA0.... Is there a possibility that it won't work? The disk costs around $85.. (It has a 100% problem in pcb..)

[BlackST]

There is the certainty it won't work.

[pcimage]

The possibility of it NOT working is approx 99.99%

[johntheman]

why is that ? what is going to happen if i do so ?

thanks

[hddmania]

If you purchased that $85 drive, unscrew the PCB and try put it on and let us know the result!!!!

If you are lucky, it may work. Other wise, you may see your drive spin up but do nothing... and bye-bye $85

[unknown]

I think if he is lucky or not that will not change anything it's like 1+1=2, the new PCB on the new drive (which cost 85$) will not make your patient drive work without reprograming it.
Ofcourse if your Preamp wasn't fried too.

[johntheman]

My story... :

A friend gave me his external Mybook 500Gb drive to copy some files.. Unfortunately I connected the laptop's adapter to the
disk case and suddenly it stopped working. I removed it from inside and put it to a computer (it has IDE connection). I tried
to power on the computer and it didn't boot; there was somewhere a short.

So, I sent it to a data recovery company. They answered back in half a day and told me that there isn't a mechanical problem
and my data are 100% recoverable with the cost of 2000$ !!!! I got suspicious of how easy could it be for them (so it could
be for me also - a 15-year electronic and computer geek) and asked them to send it back to me. The hard disk came after
1 week... and I decided to remove it's pcb and look for damages. I saw the TVS (I learned about it along the way..) and it
was unsoldered and soldered to the opposite position. After all, the soldering job was as of a 10-year old boy...
I removed the TVS and soldered another one of an another drive, while connecting the drive to an external usb to ide cable. It worked and
Windows showed "MAss storage device found.. then the disk spinned with a smooth sound, no clicks, no noise, just as unpacking
a new drive from it's case. Then I get a message - Failed." I suppose something is stopping it from being recognised by Windows...

Then, I sent it to another big DR company. They told me the hard drive's pcb was unscrewed so it would make the cost higher...
After a day, they replied and asked me for 1200$ and told me that there was a big damage because the previous company wrote
zero's in the hard disks boot sector (or something like that) to not be recovered by anyone else !! WTF!!

I understand that recovering is a hard job to do but.. If my hard disk's TVS was only burned from the begginning and they asked
me $2000 in order to change it and write my data on 5-6 dvd's then I say ... go to hell !

Hopefully many people there do a great job but many others are getting used to scam and steal everyone's money that need their
data.

I am kindly asking for anyone's experience and advice here and I apologise for the length of my story...
Thanks and Regards

[dobrevjetser]

Unfortunately, there are always some cowboys out there

Dobre

[lcoughey]

For stunts like those mentioned, I suggest that you post the company names.

[guru]

"So, I sent it to a data recovery company. They answered back in half a day and told me that there isn't a mechanical problem
and my data are 100% recoverable with the cost of 2000$ !!!! I got suspicious of how easy could it be for them (so it could
be for me also - a 15-year electronic and computer geek) and asked them to send it back to me"

The scammer being scammed in this case.

My story... :

A friend gave me his external Mybook 500Gb drive to copy some files.. Unfortunately I connected the laptop's adapter to the
disk case and suddenly it stopped working. I removed it from inside and put it to a computer (it has IDE connection). I tried
to power on the computer and it didn't boot; there was somewhere a short.

So, I sent it to a data recovery company. They answered back in half a day and told me that there isn't a mechanical problem
and my data are 100% recoverable with the cost of 2000$ !!!! I got suspicious of how easy could it be for them (so it could
be for me also - a 15-year electronic and computer geek) and asked them to send it back to me. The hard disk came after
1 week... and I decided to remove it's pcb and look for damages. I saw the TVS (I learned about it along the way..) and it
was unsoldered and soldered to the opposite position. After all, the soldering job was as of a 10-year old boy...
I removed the TVS and soldered another one of an another drive, while connecting the drive to an external usb to ide cable. It worked and
Windows showed "MAss storage device found.. then the disk spinned with a smooth sound, no clicks, no noise, just as unpacking
a new drive from it's case. Then I get a message - Failed." I suppose something is stopping it from being recognised by Windows...

Then, I sent it to another big DR company. They told me the hard drive's pcb was unscrewed so it would make the cost higher...
After a day, they replied and asked me for 1200$ and told me that there was a big damage because the previous company wrote
zero's in the hard disks boot sector (or something like that) to not be recovered by anyone else !! WTF!!

I understand that recovering is a hard job to do but.. If my hard disk's TVS was only burned from the begginning and they asked
me $2000 in order to change it and write my data on 5-6 dvd's then I say ... go to hell !

Hopefully many people there do a great job but many others are getting used to scam and steal everyone's money that need their
data.

I am kindly asking for anyone's experience and advice here and I apologise for the length of my story...
Thanks and Regards

[guru]

However, over inflated pricing does take the piss. Always ask for a firm price before they look at the drive...

This should be no more than 700/800 USD as a fixed price repair, being it heads or PCB that need repair.

Still cheaper than having your home heating repaired....!

[johntheman]

Is there any possibility to liaise with someone to fix it ? I am offering to pay some money, not a huge amount as the bastards have asked, but a few. Please give me your advice..

Thanks

[johntheman]

If anyone can guide me through to recover my data... I can pay a small amount of money, no too much.
Thanks in advance

[hddguy]

Assuming the problem was the TVS and you repaired this yourself, and the second DR company could access the data to tell you the boot sector was zeroes then there is hope. Maybe the reason you could not access then data is because the filesystem is lost or damaged. In this case software should help. If the HDD now is powering and accessible you can verify the disks accessibility with MHDD.

Unfortunately, your HDD has been to 2 different DR firms, including yourself this makes 3 parties examining and making repairs to your HDD. A Hard Disk is very sensetive and too much of this could really have a negative effect.

did the second company give you a diagnostic of the problems currently on the drive now?