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 Post subject: WD40EZRZ - PCB swap failed
PostPosted: October 15th, 2021, 15:39 
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I've burned my HDD WD40EZRZ-00GXCB0 by connecting it to the PSU with the wrong cable. Now I'm trying to fix it because there is data I've collected for 20 years. Though there is really nothing I couldn't afford to lose completely but still, it would be nice to recover it. Also, it's an interesting side quest, since I'm not really rushing with the main story. Maybe they'll give me some good loot if I could solve it.

So, once it was burned by a power surge, it bricked, no sounds on startup, no spinning. I thought PCB replacement could do the trick. I've ordered one (the correct model, of course, 2060-800055-002), I've done the BIOS swap part by a guy repairing mobile phones, so at least he was confident with his hot-air gun.

The good part: the disk is now spinning on startup again and is hardwarely visible to the PC, it even reports its model correctly. The bad part: in the OS (Win10) it's shown as an uninitialized disk with zero volume, zero sectors, and so on. It cannot be reinitialized, the system reports an "I/O error". I've googled it's a possible outcome after PCB swap with the exactly that zeroed data in the disk properties. The picture is from the internet, but mine looks exactly the same:

Image

My theory is maybe it was too hot for the BIOS chip and it lost the data on it. Frankly, I have not considered the soldering temperature before, I just thought it's as easy as move the chip from one PCB to another. But I've googled it now, at least, and see no special precautions about the temperature for that PCB and its BIOS anyways. Er, unless the BIOS is ok and the actual problem somewhere else, I guess? But hey, the ones and zeros on the pancakes are still there and the whole thing is now spinning with no unusual sounds, at the very least, right?

I've tried several data recovery utilities, but none could reach the actual data on the disk. They can see the device, but the "deep scans" return nothing. But since the HDD is at least spinning and visible as a device in the system, could something else be done with it? If the problem, possibly, is the BIOS lost its recorded data, and as far as I know, it also contains the firmware, then logically it seems plausible that it would actually cause an I/O error, innit? Is it possible to reflash the bios and the firmware then, are there any utilities? If not, what are the other options? Should I consider looking for an exactly matching (and fully functional) HDD to swap the PCB again without ever messing with the chips?


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 Post subject: Re: WD40EZRZ - PCB swap failed
PostPosted: October 16th, 2021, 6:18 
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< Insert usual recommendation about taking important data to a DR pro. >

Chances are you just needed to clip a diode and/or replace a fuse on the original PCB - now, who know.

Connect it directly via sata the the motherboard. Does the BIOS see the drive correctly both in terms of model and capacity. If so try to clone/image the drive and work on the clone, you can take the risk not to it's your data once it's gone it's gone.

Point something like rstudio/dmde/ufs explorer at the drive if it see can read any structure from it.

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 Post subject: Re: WD40EZRZ - PCB swap failed
PostPosted: October 16th, 2021, 13:02 
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Joined: September 8th, 2009, 18:21
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https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-14437584971410/91710813-6.gif

This PCB has proper protection, so it is likely that the damage was confined to the TVS diode(s) and zero-ohm resistor(s), as @Lardman has already mentioned. If you still have your original PCB, measure D3, D4, R60 and the other resistor. That will tell us where to look.

The ROM transfer appears to be OK as the drive wouldn't spin up if there was something wrong.

BTW, your strange use of "pancakes" when referring to platters suggest that you may be Russian, innit? ;-)

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 Post subject: Re: WD40EZRZ - PCB swap failed
PostPosted: October 19th, 2021, 18:16 
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Joined: October 15th, 2021, 14:25
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Location: Best country in the world
Hi, thank you for the answers.

Lardman wrote:
< Insert usual recommendation about taking important data to a DR pro. >


I've searched wrong initially and barely found someone able to do the soldering itself. Other electronics repairs are either too busy or maybe swimming in money so they didn't even want to bother with the relatively trivial chip swapping. Though I've looked again now and there are actually some people providing "data recovery" services in the area, I don't really know how "pro" they are (my guess most of them are not too pro). I guess I'll go through them now, at least no harm in asking, but first I would want to somewhat understand the current problem myself, to not to trust them blindly.

Lardman wrote:
Connect it directly via sata the the motherboard. Does the BIOS see the drive correctly both in terms of model and capacity. If so try to clone/image the drive and work on the clone, you can take the risk not to it's your data once it's gone it's gone.

Point something like rstudio/dmde/ufs explorer at the drive if it see can read any structure from it.


Motherboard BIOS also reports the correct model, but zero capacity. I haven't had the chance to connect it back to the PC again and test the utilities you've mentioned on it, but I suppose if there are "zero" sectors reported then the device just will not return any data for the software to scan anyways?

By the way, is it safe to connect just the PCB dismounted from the hard drive itself to the motherboard? I suppose it should be, but don't want to test by trial and error. :D

fzabkar wrote:
This PCB has proper protection, so it is likely that the damage was confined to the TVS diode(s) and zero-ohm resistor(s), as @Lardman has already mentioned. If you still have your original PCB, measure D3, D4, R60 and the other resistor. That will tell us where to look.

Lardman wrote:
Chances are you just needed to clip a diode and/or replace a fuse on the original PCB - now, who know.


It appears both my boards have a somewhat different layout from the one you've provided above and it doesn't have the markings, but based on the looks and placement, I guessed those would be the right components: https://i.imgur.com/ygPfexg.jpg

Another angle so that the markings are readable: https://i.imgur.com/NJ1W1gP.jpg

So, I guess you are probably right then? Should I measure something else, or is it certain that just the resistors should have been swapped from the donor board?

fzabkar wrote:
The ROM transfer appears to be OK as the drive wouldn't spin up if there was something wrong.


I also hope so. As I've mentioned, the instructions to the swap PCBs weren't mentioning any particular precautions for the BIOS chips soldering. Also, the repairman performing the swap is specializing in mobile devices, and I guess there can be some delicate ROM chips too, so he probably used some safe default temperature setting for the hot-air gun.

fzabkar wrote:
BTW, your strange use of "pancakes" when referring to platters suggest that you may be Russian, innit? ;-)


Well, either it's strange or it suggests. ;-) Always were calling them like that, or rather crepes, here in Russia. After all, isn't the similarity almost uncanny? https://www.nigella.com/assets/uploads/ ... 207603.jpg


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 Post subject: Re: WD40EZRZ - PCB swap failed
PostPosted: October 20th, 2021, 3:17 
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No capacity in the computer bios means your going to get nowhere with software recovery.

Just exactly what chip did this place swap as there doesn't look to be an external ROM on your PCB. Is that picture your donor or the original as it doesn't look to have any evidence of soldering work (or it's too good for me to see). If the ROM information hasn't been transferred to the new PCB it's not going to work.

The images are too small for me to see green lines on a green pcb :roll: properly but if your 0ohm resistors are blown on the original PCB, that's where to start. Blob of solder over them or a small wire to bridge should resolve for DR purposes.

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 Post subject: Re: WD40EZRZ - PCB swap failed
PostPosted: October 20th, 2021, 5:26 
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Joined: October 15th, 2021, 14:25
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Err, appears I was having my hands growing from my ass lately. :roll:

So, as I've been writing another reply I've noticed something which I hadn't noticed yesterday even while measuring the boards: https://i.imgur.com/jxIFMhN.jpg See? SEEEEEE? :lol: So the "replace BIOS" sticker the repair guy had just put away from the working area obstructed some contact pads on the board, and I haven't paid enough attention to it. I removed it and connected HDD to the PC.

Now I'm copying my precious data on my brand new SSD drive. :lol:

By the way, this is the BIOS chip on the replacement PCB:
https://i.imgur.com/evySJpb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FhKo6js.jpg

What do you think, does the repairman deserve a testimonial for the soldering work? :roll:


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 Post subject: Re: WD40EZRZ - PCB swap failed
PostPosted: October 20th, 2021, 5:39 
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Joined: November 7th, 2020, 5:31
Posts: 1072
Location: The_UK
20yearsofdata wrote:
I removed it and connected HDD to the PC. Now I'm copying my precious data on my brand new SSD drive. :lol:
:lol: LOL I'm saying nothing.... glad it's sorted for you.

20yearsofdata wrote:
What do you think, does the repairman deserve a testimonial for the soldering work? :roll:
It's not bad :) and a lot better than some.

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 Post subject: Re: WD40EZRZ - PCB swap failed
PostPosted: October 20th, 2021, 6:35 
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Joined: October 15th, 2021, 14:25
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Location: Best country in the world
Yeah, but thanks for the answers anyway, I probably wouldn't keep looking if I thought both boards and the original BIOS are done.


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