Hi everyone,

New to the forums and really hoping someone can offer some advice. I have a 320g 2.5inch WD drive that one day just stopped. I didn't drop it or ding it, it just no longer spins up or makes any kind of noise. Theres one folder on there that isn't backed up that I'd really like to get. I can live without it, but it would be nice to try.

Is this a logic board problem or something else? What do you recommend I do? I didn't want to fiddle before hearing some expert advice.

Thanks in advance.

do a search for tvs diodes on this board.

do a search for tvs diodes on this board.

If the HDD does not even spin up, there is a good chance the PCB/component on the PCB is faulty. As said above, have a look around for posts regarding TVS diodes. If your PCB has them and they are faulty, it's a matter of removing them and then your drive should work again. However there's a lot more to it. The TVS fails for a reason. The power being supplied to the drive was bad and the TVS killed itself to save the rest of your drive. If you remove it and use that same power source again then there is no safety net and you will REALLY wreck the drive. Research it first on this forum before you think about doing anything.

Otherwise the PCB itself could be faulty, in which case a replacement PCB will be needed, as well as certain information will need to be swapped over to the replacement PCB. The difficulty of this depends on where your drive stores this info, externally or internal to the main processing chip.

Best first step would be to upload a high res photo or scan of the PCB, component side up. Forum members will then assist you with some basic troubleshooting. Remember to use anti-static precautions. And remember, as soon as you try anything DIY, you start to risk worsening the problem.

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Data Recovery Cape Town

Thanks for this. I have no idea what any of this means, but hopefully I can figure it out. Here are two photos of the drive.

You need to supply photos of the other side of the PCB, that is where the components are. No offence, but I think you would be better off finding a data recovery company as this shouldn't be an expensive fix if the fault is localised to the PCB. I get the feeling you have not had any or much experience with electronics, so probably best to take this drive in.

If, on the other hand you feel otherwise, you'll need supply a quality photo of the other side of the PCB.

_________________
Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.
Data Recovery Cape Town

Thanks for the response, Nick. You're right, I know nothing about electronics. I took it to two data recovery places who were quoting at least $500-$2000. Unfortunately, I just can't afford it and have to do the best I can on my own. I'll get right on that photo!!!

Thanks again for all the patience.

Any idea what kind of screws are holding down my PCB? I have a mini screwdriver kit, and nothing was able to do the trick.

You'll need a Torx bit to remove the PCB, probably a T6. Here's an example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx

_________________
Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.
Data Recovery Cape Town