Hitachi Deskstar HDP725050GLA360

[aRim]

Hi HDD Guru community,

I hope you folks can help me out figuring out a solution for data recovery of Hitachi HDD model: HDP725050GLA360. Drive is not recognized by system BIOS so I assumed the PCB is the problem, so I managed to find the same model of the HDD, swapped the PCBs in hope to access lost data, but old HDD was still not recognized by BIOS. I was looking for a solution / advise on internet and find HDD Guru website & forums. I started reading some solutions posted on forums, ended up reading forums topics for hours, amazing stuff & forum member skills. I figured out I have to calibrate new PCB with old HDD or swap firmware chips, but I’m not sure what the true solution is, after reading many forum topics I understood the situation can be very complex, and can get more complicated if recovery procedure not performed correctly.

I have uploaded images of both drives labels & PCB seems that there is only couple weeks in production difference (defect one 06/2009, “new” one 05/2009). I hope someone can help me or advice how to proceed with data recovery.

OLD drive Label

OLD drive PCB

NEW drive Label

NEW drive PCB

[pcimage]

Why do you assume PCB?

Does the drive spin up at all?

[hhddrec]

HDD spin up?
if spin up after a while go spin down?

[aRim]

I assume it is PCB because the HDD don't initialize in BIOS or you cant see it as a device in computers BIOS. HDD spins up, and I can feel vibrations produced by rotation, so I assumed it spins up properly. There are no clicking noises or any kind of unusually noises which would make me think there would be something with motor or other sophisticated mechanical parts inside.

[hhddrec]

If drive spin up most probable not PCB problem
if after a while not spin down, problably you have FW or heads problem


i think better if your data valuable contact with a local pro. if only FW problems will be cheap.

[aRim]

HDD spin up?
if spin up after a while go spin down?

It spins all the time, it never stops...

[aRim]

If drive spin up most probable not PCB problem
if after a while not spin down, problably you have FW or heads problem


i think better if your data valuable contact with a local pro. if only FW problems will be cheap.

I try to do a recovery for a friend which is a "poor musician artist" and all his work for couple years back seems to be gone, no backup at all...