You can always try on your own but you'll be risking your data. If your data is not that much valuable, I would say, try it on your own. If you value your data, put that hard drive away and start saving $$$!!! Your data should be still on the platters while you put some money in the saving account.

If you try it on your own, you may get your data back or may send the wrong commands and your data is gone forever.

But I don't buy the PCB problem as the result of your problem.

I do apologize for all the confusion and am embarrassed that I come off as such a moronic newb.

I was able to get a second opinion from someone local off this forum who was willing to check out the drive for me. They also were unconvinced it was the PCB board. However, looking at it in person they did confirm the drive doesnt even spin up and that it needed a new PCB. They did all this work right in front of me so I could see it with my own eyes.

Just to clarify, I believe I was wrong when I said I was receiving the BSY error.

The first time I used the program, I had someone helping me. Neither of us were familiar with it and after getting the first and second opinions, Ive retested the hd and realized I dont think we interpreted it correctly in the beginning. MHDD gives me the same error it gave me before; a 'Drive not ready' error on the broken drive. I swear the drive was spinning up before I had the DSR place check it out, but now it doesnt. So, Im not really sure if something happened to it and it doesnt now or if it ever did in the first place. The system Im testing the drive on has a lot of power behind it and creates quite a bit of vibration. I guess its possible the vibration I was feeling was actually coming from the system itself and not from the drive spinning up .

Anyways, if the problem with my drive is EITHER the firmware update OR the PCB board needing to be replaced and it comes down to whether or not Im getting the BSY error, then Im thinking I just ruled out the firmware update? Does anyone else concur or have an idea of something else it could be?

Again, I do apologize for the misinformation and if I wasted anybody's time.