Please help me identify if this is a damaged PCB.

My WD5000AAKS passes SMART, boots up, there are some clicking sounds, but Windows 7 does not recognize it, offers to format it, slows down and then freezes completely. I'm not a hard drive expert, and I was wondering if the black smear on the PCB is normal or a sign of a damaged PCB.

I know that the drive is cheap to replace, but I don't have a 100 percent of the data backed up and I'd like to at least be able to get inside it and transfer the files over before tossing it.

thanks for any help you can give

At first, try cleaning all contact pads with pencil rubber (only those in use not the whole PCB), mostly those at the bottom side of the PCB.
If things did not get better, then your problem is much more serious, and take in MIND that all your actions from this point on (or lack of such) could lead to complete impossibility of further recovery, even in data recovery lab.

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DataRecovery.bg

The "black smear" is normal epoxy covering the motor connection

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

Ups my fault

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DataRecovery.bg

Thanks. So much for that I guess

Clone your drive and use data recovery software on the clone. You need to use a cloning tool that knows how to deal with bad sectors.

See http://forums.seagate.com/t5/Barracuda- ... 822#M22449

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Without knowing all the details, I'd say that your PCB is the likely culprit, though you could have a weak head. Some of these drives will detect and even let you read sector 0 before going offline and give UNC errors for every sector thereafter. If the data is not important, RMA the drive. If the data is important, seek the assistance of a data recovery professional.

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Luke
Recovery Force Data Recovery

Yesterday I got in for an hour or two, long enough to get out much of the data I needed. The drive kept going out, but then back on again, until windows froze.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try HD Clone next.