Seagate 7200.11 logic board replacement possible?

[tsantsa]

I have a seagate 750g sata hdd that has been my main hdd for about 3 years or so now. After doing some research, I believe the logic board has failed. I have further been reading that doing a simple pcb swap with these drives doesn't always work even with all numbers matching. I have found a pcb online that is close to the one I need (the only thing different is the pcb itself is rev c where mine is rev b, ALL other info is the same), if I buy this thing what are the chances I can get my data?

ST3750330AS 750gb 7200.11 Sata hdd.

The drive spins up, there is no grinding but in either computer I put it in, windows, or the bios will read it.

Thanks for any help and I can provide any other essential info to aid in the...aid.

[tsantsa]

I've come to find out via the seagate forums that what I am experiencing is the busy drive error. I have now read a few different guides on the matter and I'm going to attempt the repair myself. I have a couple of questions though. None of my pc's have a serial port, so I assume I can use a simple serial to usb cable adapter right? I have seen some usb to ttl adapters that power +5v where 3.3v is recommended. Is it possible to add a resistor to bring down the power so as not to add too much power?

Also, I have a usb jtag adapter, would this be usable or is that a no-go?

This is a little more complex than I am used to doing so I want to get my ducks in a row. Thanks.

[BlackST]

You SUPPOSE it's the "BUSY" error. Until it is correctly diagnosed you won't know what's going on exactly on your drive. Maybe yes, maybe no. Just remember that applying "random" = "one fits all" solution when the problem is elsewhere there's the risk to brick your drive / make things worse.
Good luck.

[tsantsa]

Well, it's not reading in post but I can feel that it's definitely getting power. So its either busy or the lba=0 but since post doesn't report the drive in either computer I try it on... I HAVE to try something.

[BlackST]

Multiple cause , same symptom , different solutions.

[tsantsa]

Multiple cause , same symptom , different solutions.

Suggestion? I am at a loss. I haven't backed up my data properly and there are some pics of my kids and vids that HAVE to get off of there. Data recovery just isn't possible what with the costs...

[cpuhost]

I think you may need a proper diagnostics Tsatsa. Where are you located??? We can get you someone local and a quote for the diagnostics and recovery if your interested in that.

I know you may want to fix it yourself and or work on it but be warned you can do more damage if you issue the wrong commands to the drive and or plug something in wrong. 12v to 5v etc.

Its frustrating but some data recovery is a black art and many trade secrets are learned through trial and error. (tools help but experience is king).

Post where you are located and im sure someone can get you a reasonable price quote/cost and you can determine if its worth it for you to send it out.

If the quote for service/repair is too expensive for you there is many other things you can try - but again... be warned damage CAN occur without proper
diagnosis and testing. There is a reason data recovery companies charge a fee for services.

[networks]

If you get a new board you still have to get the rom data/chip off the old board onto the new board. A direct swap won't work without the transfer of the adaptive information stored in the rom chip. To move the chip you have to have surface mount soldering skills to not burn up the rom chip. I can keep going on and on about what is needed to repair a hard drive at this level.

With all due respect you obviously haven't sent the drive to a DR company for a quote how do you really know the what the cost will actually be ? I have no issue with people attempting to DIY however you state how important your data is so the "experts" here "caution" strongly for you to stop attempting DYI. Not to profit from a recovery job from you as the customer. Yes its true some people have resolved their drives DIY and many more end up turning their drives into a BRICK and no data is ever recovered. Some of these DIY attempts end up at the DR companies and the cost goes up due to the damage by the customer. The odds are not in your favor hence the "caution" when you get to the terminal level and type commands one wrong move and you can BRICK the drive.

If you don't have the money put it aside save and send it off when you have the funds. Get a new drive and another drive to make regular backups and reload the system.

If you just want to ignore the experts here I suggest you go check this link out and get ready to spend a few hours reading the posts to get an idea what you are in for.
http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/128807- ... 0011-hdds/

Best of luck with your recovery

[tsantsa]

Thanks everyone.

I have decided to just buy a new drive and start from scratch. I am going to research the problem drive more thoroughly to get a feel for what is wrong. If I can determine that the problem is the BSY error I MAY actually try it myself at some point in the future. The costs for DR are just too much. I DO have backups of some of the data, just not the newer stuff.

I am in the NW Indiana (Chicago land) by the way. If anyone is in the area that can give me some quotes for a proper diagnostics test I would be receptive.

[fzabkar]

If you would like to try a board swap, then the following vendors include a chip transfer (US$10-$20) in the price:

http://www.onepcbsolution.com/seagate-b ... 20011.html
http://www.hdd-parts.com/seagate-720011.html

However, if the drive spins up but is not detected, then it most likely won't be a board fault. A terminal report will at least tell you what is happening.

[tsantsa]

Well, I ended up downloading MHDD and seeing what it can do. (I'm not very familiar with hdd diagnostics tools.)

I couldn't get the program to read the drive at first, but after messing with the SATA and power connections multiple times the program was able to see the hdd. That's all though. The Busy tag at the top was lit and if I tried to scan, it would just hang there.

[fzabkar]

If your drive is affected by the 7200.11 BSY bug, then Seagate offers free data recovery.