Team, I need your expertise!
Here is the story: I have a 164.7GB IBM/Hitachi Deskstar HDS722516VLAT80 hard drive that has refused to spin-up and work. To my knowledge, the drive has never been dropped and the platter's I believe are in good shape. Ironically it has a few years worth of old backups and a clone of it accidently got repurposed. The drive is NOT detected by the BIOS and does not audibly spin-up when using the original PCB.

My first step was to read ... so I read everything I could find including these 2 posts:
repair-hitachi-pcb-t6975.html
hitachi-deskstar-hds722516vlat80-not-spinning-t10715.html

I also got my hands on another almost identical drive. Same model, same P/N, but different data code (DEC-2003) and a different MLC.

I was way to excited to swap PCBs when I got the almost identical drive that I failed to test if the almost identical drive would be recognized by the BIOS. Regardless, the almost identical drive spins-up and, swapping PCBs, spins-up the failed drive with my data on it. However the same issue: neither drive using the almost identical PCBs, allows the BIOS to detect the drives. To clarify: when put the almost identical PCB back in its original drive it also fails BIOS detection (tried multiple cables/machines). I suspect either this PCB has issues or ... maybe swapping the PCB caused it to fail/corrupt and now it will no longer work in its original drive; does this sound right?

I even went a step further and tried to spin the drive up with the almost identical PCB and use the original PCB to try and read the data/have the BIOS detect it; it did not work! Even when power both PCBs, the drive spun-up but the BIOS did not detect it.

When powering up both PCBs I used a multi-meter and compared all major circuitry I could locate and all voltages matched. Specifically to the first post linked above, all voltages on power circuitry seemed fine. The only temperature difference was on the larger IBM chip in the middle (97P8151) but that could have been because the almost identical PCB was spinning the motor and the failed drive was not spinning the motor.

So now I am back to 'square one'.
This appears to be the identical drive: http://buy.id.ebay.com/buying/en/displa ... -160GB-IDE

I am open to suggestions, sincerely appreciate this community, and look forward to getting data off this drive. Thanks, Dale
Manufacturer: Hitachi

Interface: IDE
Capacity: 164.7GB
Model: HDS722516VLAT80
P/N: 14R9248
Date: OCT-2004
MLC: BA1140
PCB STICKER:
0A30212 BA1036

I think you can try to check the diodes present on the original pcb, if the dive cannot power up usually could be a diode problem..

_________________
Italian Recovery - Italian Data Recovery Company
http://www.italianrecovery.it

Did you transfer the adaptive info in NVRAM from the original PCB ?

Thanks guys.
@italian-recovery: no sure which diodes you want me to check? Could you help me identify them and what I should expect when I measure them?

@hddguy: No; what is the process? I found this article; de-solder and re-solder?
nvram-chip-used-ibm-hitachi-hdd-and-the-countermeasure-t8262.html

Is there anymore logic on the motor 'spin-up'? Meaning: was my idea to hook both boards up at the same time (the original screwed onto the drive, the almost identical powering the motor).
Thanks again for your help.
Dale

Your donor PCB will be programmed to specifically work with the HDD it originates from. As a result it will not work with any other HDD as is.

there is much information in this forum relating to ROM / NVRAM transfer that will help you.

@hddguy: thank you.
I understand and will try this later today on swapping the NVRAM. Please confirm it is L76R is the NVRAM and this is what needs swapped.

Should I be concerned the almost identical PCB does not work with the almost identical hard drive? It is not detected by the BIOS; should I manually put settings in the BIOS?
Thanks, Dale

THANK YOU!
Wow, it was a 'long shot' but it worked! The system booted past the BIOS and into Windows before I knew if the hard drive was detected and it showed up in My Computer! Copied all my data over without issue. Thank you again!

How can I give back? I now have 2 HDS722516VLAT80 drivers and one working PCBs with NVRAM memory chips if anyone is interested.

Great job hddgurudale!
wellcome in the team of DR technics! ;D

_________________
Italian Recovery - Italian Data Recovery Company
http://www.italianrecovery.it

am in the EXACTLY same position, same disk, same serial, same problem.
Can you help me hddgurudale?

I'll be happy to buy the spare parts that you used to solve your problem!

If edson didnt buy the parts how much do you want for them?

Becky

hddgurudale,

How do you do exactly?

I have the same problem.
I took a PCB from another disk witch was working fine, and he didn't on my defect disk.
I put it back to the good disk and this one is now not detect too by the bios.

Is the PCB card broken?

Did I need a new one and change NVRAM before using it?

Thank for your help.

Jean-Michel

Hi
Having a similar problem with my HDD.HDS722516VLAT80 Hitachi IBM Deskstar
Its been sitting on my shelf for a long time.
Due to a personal loss (my wife passed away ) the data on it became important.
Can I purchase the similar disk from you?
Thanks
bchasid