I'm trying to diagnose what is most likely the problem with my drive and I also need some recommendations for Data Recovery shops. Here's the drive info:

Problem Drive: WD3200KS - 00PFB0 (320 GB)
MFG Date: 31 Dec, 2005
DCM: HSBACAJCA
PCB Label: 2061-701393-800 AA

The problem started with the entire computer freezing up for several minutes while working. The whole machine then rebooted and for a few minutes the BIOS continued to recognized the drive but said there was no OS. After a couple more reboots the BIOS was no longer able to see the drive at all (although it waited several minutes while trying to detect it).

The drive seems to spin up normally. There are no clicking sounds or other unusual noises. The BIOS just doesn't see it.
I've tried it in 2 other computer and the BIOS doesn't see it in those either.

It's possible there were some overheating issues that led to this problem since I noticed the fan on the computer case wasn't working.

So my questions are:

1. What is most likely the problem when the BIOS doesn't see the drive but it spins up ok and there is no clicking?

2. I have another identical drive which I bought at the same time as this one. The DCM, PCB Label and Manufacture Date are all identical. Even the Serial Number only differs by the last digit. Is is worth trying to swap the PCB board to see if that helps? Is there any chance that will make things worse or damage it further?

3. I live in the Los Angeles area. Does anyone have any recommendations for reasonably-priced Data Recovery shops (or individuals)? I really cannot afford to pay the $1500 or more that some of these places charge.

Thanks!

Head crash in data portion and then firmware damage?
I doubt it, but do you see any burn marks on the pcb?
Does the good drive detect in the bios on the same computer and sata cable?

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Buy your friends Toshiba\Hitachi and your enemies Seagate.

Swapping PCB typically would be insufficient due to differences in ROM / adaptive info. Being a consecutive serial number your drive may be similar enough to work with the other PCB.

It probably wouldn't hurt anything to try a swap. Before you start messing with your working drive though you should definitely backup your files.

If you want to post a big picture of the component side of the PCB that could help someone give you pointers.

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You don't have to backup all of your files, just the ones you want to keep.

Just because there is no clicking doesn't mean there is no head damage, but it does mean that a head problem is less likely. Sounds like a firmware issue, although PCB could be at fault.

Here's a photo of the PCB. I don't see any parts that are clearly burned out but there are several that have definitely seen some heat (as you can also see from the foam pad). The drive has been in use for 3 years now so I suppose those could just be heat stains from normal use.

Big heat mark on the main processor. I think there's a reasonable chance that it is dead. Fortunately for you adaptives are stored in in the EEPROM at location U12 which could be moved to your other PCB if necessary.

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You don't have to backup all of your files, just the ones you want to keep.

It’s nothing out of the ordinary that I see every day. It would melt the foam and stick to the Marvel chip if it truly got too hot. I can't see it clearly in the photo but the top right side of the Smooth chip looks like contamination or something.

_________________
Buy your friends Toshiba\Hitachi and your enemies Seagate.

For me it's not the pcb. How much - maximum - are you willing to spend?

Well, since I haven't had to do this before, I naively thought it would be around $300-$400. After I called two DR places and they told me it could be up to $1400, I decided to see what I could do myself. I'd still be willing to pay $500 or maybe $600 to recover the data but I really can't afford anything more than that, no matter how much I want the data.

If there are problems in the service tracks or on the firmware side, you can't nothing. At this point, if someone here accepts your budget, probably you can go for DR with him.

I just discovered that the power supply from the same machine is now dead. It seems like quite a coincidence that it would die at the same time as the hard drive, so it wouldn't surprised me if it took out the drive while it was dying. Perhaps it was delivering incorrect power during it's last hours. Is that even possible? Or common?

Thanks everyone for your help so far!

Yes it is possible... usually overvoltage on +12 will make some more destruction, but everything is possible.

Wow. The PCB swap worked! It's a miracle. Hopefully that info will be helpful to someone else.

Thanks again for your input everyone!

Nice. You got lucky this time... now go forth and maintain regular backups!

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You don't have to backup all of your files, just the ones you want to keep.