Western Digital Head issue

[gus]

What is the deal with these Western Digitals with 1 head failing? I have seen a lot of this issue too often. Can anybody shed the light on the cause of this failure? A lot of them seems not to respond to head exchange. I would like to know what you guys think about this.

[Russwinters]

alignment.

[hddguy]

I would like to know what you guys think about this.

More customers

[gus]

yeah, that is right. But some of us are scratching our heads on this problem.

[gus]

alignment.

interesting answer. A lot of them, head 0 is the issue. Could there be a platter shift on these drives? I know the alignment issue is a guarded top secret.

[drc]

these Western Digitals

Which Western Digitals?

[gus]

these Western Digitals

Which Western Digitals?

a lot of them--WD2500AAJS-40VWA1, WD3200AAJS-55RYA0--
It seems like a lot of Tornado (2d) families have this issue. Most of the families suffer this type of issue from time to time.

[gus]

One funny thing about these drives, they do not respond to no other heads but their own. I find this very baffling.

[hddguy]

A lot of them seems not to respond to head exchange

One funny thing about these drives, they do not respond to no other heads but their own. I find this very baffling.

I think you are doing something incorrectly. Head exchange is not easy on WD, especially 3,5" models, but is not impossible and do generally respond with donor HSA.

They do suffer with several issues such as the alignment issue, but there are methods to work with this issue.

[gus]

Yeah, I think the general consensus here is that the alignment has to be taken into consideration. One thing that I can't understand is that head exchange with its own head work as previously. Nothing different was done, except a different head.
Even with a matching firmware drive, it does not response.

[MadMex]

Gus,

How are you attempting to combat the alignment issues inherent in WD drives since they have screws which control alignment going through the external shell itself? How sure are you that alignment isn't your main problem the whole time and that the HSA is not the issue?

[gus]

MadMex,

That is the million dollar question. In this one area, many of us are left behind How do you test for that issue?

[drc]

tbh I doubt any of the people who are "in the know" are going to leak much on this

[gus]

tbh I doubt any of the people who are "in the know" are going to leak much on this

I know this much. I have been in this forum for a long time; and I know what can be shared and not.

a little clue can be helpful. If somebody is willing to sell the info, I am all ears.

[pcimage]

I can handle these and other big WD drives in UK

It took quite a lot work to get it right that's all I'll say!

[pepe]

yeah, these are tough questions...

pepe

[pcimage]

Well, the questions are easy.

The answers are the tough bit!!

[gus]

I can handle these and other big WD drives in UK

It took quite a lot work to get it right that's all I'll say!

If you were in the US, I would have outsource them to you.

[gus]

I will smile along.

[jono-ats]

It's been a bit of a learning curve, but to me, the Royal series of drives (including Tornado) are probably the easiest to do head swaps on. Our batting average is high. It didn't start out that way. It is not so much a matter of esoteric knowledge and high tech procedures as much as good methods and habits.

We struggle with Zeus (KS, etc.) series because of alignment, as well as the pre-Royal versions. I am finishing up a WD1600BB that another, bigger data recovery company declared was unrecoverable. We should get about 99%. But it has taken weeks of imaging, swapping heads, etc. to finally get the balance. The media seems to be degrading and fouling the heads.

Patience and persistence are key.

Jono