Hello everyone.

I may have shorted out my samsung 1TB HD103SJ, because I accidentaly plugged a laptop adapter into the external enclosure. There was no smoke but drive seems to be completly dead. It does not spin up or make any noises. Inside the enclosure the light just flickers rapidly.

I came accross the DIY TVS diode fix as posted by fzabkar.

However I have a few problems.

Lets assume its indeed the 12v diode that is shorted, I read that you have to cut it with a flush cutter.
But how do I cut it exactly? Do I have to cut away the 2 grey clips, or just snap the black box? I am quite the novice at this.

Second problem I am running into is using the multimeter. I have an digital one, however, I dont how to measure the voltages on the diode.
Where do I place the black and where do I place the red pin? (I have never used a multimeter in my life, all I know is how to set it to measuring Ohms and how to turn it on).

There is some personal data on the hard drive (photo's, school work etc) that I can't afford to loose, but proffesional data receovery is too expensive and not an option.

Thanks,

Joeri

Give this job to a familiar with electronics equipment friend. Never cut unknown element. It could be a Schottky diode for DC-DC converter. If you cut it, the chips can be damaged by overvoltage.
Post picture, you get help identifying element.

Hello SAjunky, thank you for your reply.

This is another problem, I do not know anyone that is even remotly familiar with electronics equipment.

I identified the 12v diode by this picture from fzabkar's DIY:

http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/HDD/HD103SJ_TVS.jpg

Below are the pictures from my drive (the HD103SJ):

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/3/dsc03001rv.jpg/ (the 12v and the 5v diode)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/441/dsc03002b.jpg/ (the whole PCB)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/68 ... 003zx.jpg/ (drive info)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/81 ... 004eg.jpg/ (PCB upside down)

I hope this helps,

Joeri

Hello Sajunky, thank you for your reply.
I had typed up a message together with some pictures, but it seems that the message needs to be verified first.
So I'm waiting for that to happen now.

Well,
Do Not Follow everything He Says .Cos If you Do Not Do This everyday Chances Are You Will Screw It More then you will Repair .Might Be The Circuit Board That Attached It To The Drive Is Damaged And Not the Drive Itself ?

_________________
Regards
Amarbir S Dhillon , Chandigarh Data Recovery Labs [India]
Logical,Semi Physical And Physical Data Recovery
Website-> http://www.chandigarhdatarecovery.com

Another barrage of TVS problems, hmmm.

Seem to come in waves!

_________________
PC Image Data Recovery
http://www.pcimage.co.uk

New!! HDD-PCB.COM for all your PCB and donor HDD requirements!

Yah noticed this one and it is so simple using search to find them all. Look in search and type in TVS and you will have all the answers you need on this one.

_________________
Iorana Haraharaini

Sir ,
Understand Might Be The PCB That the HDD Connects To Is Gone Bad And The HDD And The PCb On The HDD is OK .Please Verify The Diodes With Multimeter Please .

_________________
Regards
Amarbir S Dhillon , Chandigarh Data Recovery Labs [India]
Logical,Semi Physical And Physical Data Recovery
Website-> http://www.chandigarhdatarecovery.com

How do I do this?
Please see post #3 for pictures of the HDD.
I have never operated a multimeter before in my life, all I know is how to turn it on and how to set it to measuring Ohms.




Hello poehere,

I have already found the FAQ and the DIY for the TVS-method and I have identified which element is which, however, I am running into problems using them.
The problems being not knowing how to use the multimeter and how to cut the faulthy diode (if it turns out to be a faulthy diode that is).

Once again, don't cut blind. meassure it. Black large element on the top left (1st picture) protects 12V power line - your prime suspect.

Put meter on Ohm, the smalest range (usually 0-200 Ohm).Place leads on the diode. If shows close to 0, then cut it. Meassure again. What is indication? Swap leads, what is indication?

Hello SAjunky,

I started by putting the black pin on the top metal part of the 12v diode and the red pin on the bottom metal part of the 12v diode.
Measuring it gives me a reading that keeps fluctuating between -1 and -170 when the drive is connected trough the external enclosure and turned on. When its turned off the diode reads between 0.0 and 0.10

Swapping them around i get a reading between 1 and 184 when the drive is connected trough the external enclosure and turned on, and a reading of 0.06 when its off.

Im not sure if I measured it correctly, but what I did was put the pin of the multimeter on the metal parts.

The 5v diode measures as follows:

Black pin top/red pin bottem, drive ON: 145 and sometimes 185 for a second and then 1 until i remove the pins and place them again.
Black pin top/red pin bottom, drive OFF: jumping between 1 and 200 and sometimes -1

Red pin top/black pin bottom, drive ON: between -200 and +200
Red pin top/black pin bottom, drive OFF: 117

I hope this helps

Thanks,

Joeri

Geez... I didn't expected you would test Ohms while powering drive. It is why Pros are laghing on the other thread.
OK, coling down... Now HDD power is off.
If you remove driive from enclosure and test again, you get the same reading? If so, then cut this diode. Now test diode itself: the same? Is so, then reconnect, it should be working.

Hello SAjunky,

Thank you for your reply.

With the drive having been powered off and not connected trough the enclosure for a while
I get a reading between 00.8 to 01.2 for the 12v diode. Same reading when swapping the leads.
So yes, I seem to be getting about the same readings.

How would I go about cutting the 12v diode, without damaging the pcb itsself?
Do I just take a flush cutter and snap the 2 grey clips (in essence crushing the black box) or do I have to cut the black
part of the diode itsself from left to right?

Thanks for all your help so far, I appriciate it.

Joeri

Ps,

I dont really mind that there are pro's laughing behind my back.
All I care about is getting this drive restored. If its lost, its lost. But I am trying to do
what I can to save it and like I said, I really appriciate your help so far.

When cutting this stuff, and a noob is involved, I suggest you proceed carefully. Nibble the silver metal contacts leading into the black-rectangle-box-like-thing. And soon enough the black thing will get loose enough that it might possibly fall off itself!

Either that or desolder the mofo.

I always recommend practicing on some junk circuit before operating on the real thing.

_________________
On a clear disk you can seek forever.

You say you have a digital multimeter. Does it have a built-in Diode-Tester? Most of these have one. With that you could try to measure DC voltage drop across diode without desoldering (when dirve is off). Should be around 0.2V if it is a Shottky diode. You should buy a multimeter with a diode tester (it is not very expensive).

Alternatively you might consider to measure voltage across the diode when drive is energized. But be careful not to slip off with the probes.

I do not advice meassuring voltage drop with power on. This is because it can be done in more safe environment,

@Joeri:
How you can tell that you get 1.2V when power is off. Secondly I asked to meassure resistance (Ohms) on the lowest range, not voltage, not diode testing either.
This diode we are looking for is blown, it gives very small resistance, close to 0 Ohms.

Is it possible that more then one diode may be shorted?
I am quite sure that the 12v diode is shorted.
But the 5v diode gives wacky readings to?




I had it set to measuring ohms in the 200 range, seems to be the lowest on my multimeter (the others are 2k, 20k, 200k and 2m).
The above readings are what I got when measuring with ohms.



I dont think my multimeter has built in diode tester. What am I looking for?





I will, im a bit afraid to try, to be honest.

I just tried measuring it again (with the drive not getting power or anything).
In the pictures you can only see one reading,I tried both and got the same results for the 12v when measuring
with 200 ohms.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/69 ... 05m35.png/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/80 ... 06m30.png/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/69 ... 07m08.png/

Right, it is verified that 12V TVS gone. Cut it (not plastic, but very close, it is very soft lead). Then reconnect hard drive (but to the original power supply of course) and if works, then ask somebody to help with replacing it with a good one. Remember, if you don't do it, you won't get second chance!

If I get the data off it then the drive will be disposed off.
So no worries there.

I have made some pictures of the measuring as a final make sure that it is indeed gone, waiting for them to be approved now.
Thanks for all your help so far !