Need to know if I can swap platters on a dead 2.5 disk.

[erikfig]

Hello Everyone!

I have a Fujitsu MHY2160BH 2 platters and four heads that is not being recognize on the bios or Device Manager at all. The drive spins and the heads moves but no luck. I have a donor with the exact same pcb and date but I believe I did a rookie mistake and need to know if I screwed the drive or not. I opened the disk to see if the motor was jammed or the heads was stuck to the platters but the heads are fine. I rotated the top platter to to confirm was not jammed. Did I screwed the disk due to the platter movement?

The platters are in great shape so the questions is this: Can I swap the platters from the patient and put them into the new disk to extract the data?

Made in Thailand
Model: MHY2160BH
Part# CA06889-B377000T
SER: K428T7B281VA
160GB
Board # on PCB CA26344-B32104BA
Board Laber# VCP7YQ8L26
Date: 11/30/2007

Your advice will be appreciated!

[drc]

Did you unscrew the center spindle screw?

[dobrevjetser]

Never transplant the platters when they spin fine! Probably you killed the heads.

Dobre

[jono-ats]

No, you can't. Where did you get the idea to swap the platters?

[erikfig]

Did you unscrew the center spindle screw?

No I didn't. I just rotated the platter to confirm movement maybe I'm not saying the right term sorry.

I rotated it not flipped upside down.

[erikfig]

Never transplant the platters when they spin fine! Probably you killed the heads.

Dobre

The heads were on the idle position in the heads cover and not over the platters.

[erikfig]

No, you can't. Where did you get the idea to swap the platters?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xdboKrOllE&NR=1

watch at 5:49 mins

Sorry for the double posting, need to figure out how to quote all in one single post...

[dobrevjetser]

You only do a platterswap as a last resort when they cannot spin.
If the heads click, then heads are bad or the pcb. Nothing to do with the platters.
DO NOT transplant platters if you want to have a chance to have your data back.


Dobre

[erikfig]

You only do a platterswap as a last resort when they cannot spin.
If the heads click, then heads are bad or the pcb. Nothing to do with the platters.
DO NOT transplant platters if you want to have a chance to have your data back.


Dobre

Thank you! do you think I damaged the platters alignment by rotating the top platter? Because if not I can just use the PCB or the heads of a new HDD I already ordered online.

thank you for your patience

[dobrevjetser]

If you did not touch the platters and there is no dirt on them they should be fine.
Changing pcb on this model will not help either.

Dobre

[jono-ats]

Thanks for the link.

That's what I suspected . . .

Personally, I wish that Scott would put a BIG disclaimer on every video segment like this that he posts on You Tube. Folks ought to be informed of the risks and requirements from the very beginning.

The cause could be bad firmware, or a PCB problem (among others). Unfortunately, the odds of a PCB swap working aren't good. This sort of problem is not a D.I.Y. fix. Unless there is media damage, the odds of getting your data back are pretty good (if done by a pro).

Good luck!