Hi All,

I am new to this forrum, but have been following different usefule articles on how to recover data from a corrupted HDD. I have a WD 500 GB My Passport Harddrive here are the details

Serial ATA HDD
R/N :771675
Date: 10 Apr 2010
DCM:HANTJAB
DCX:VG00NR2RW2
WD500BMVV-11GNWS0

I had it connected to my Laptop and there was a power surge i assume, the next day both my Laptop HDD and the external HDD connected to it does not get detect in the PC anymore. I have important data on the external HDD and i read through many post. The Symptoms are

I get a Flashing LED or a steady LED when i connect to one of my LaptopS. I dont see the HDD spinning but the logic board gets hot around the PIN E69.

Please help and give me few suggestions on how to recover the data from the HDD.

Would greatly appreciate your help

Thanks

Problem could be with PCB, Service Area issues, media / heads problems, USB Bridge...

Realistically you need this properly diagnosed.

If professional recovery is not an option then at the very least you need at least some of the following:

Replacement HDD for donor parts if required
Soldering equipment + skills for transfer of ROM in case of PCB failure
Knowledge of basic HDD operations
Understanding of the built in encryption that is encrypting all your files
Specialist equipment to allow access to SA...

Hi hddguy,

Thanks a lot for your quick response.

I have experience in soldering circuit boards before so i wont mind trying that option. Can changing the Logic board with a similar model will do the trick. I know i read few post stating even if i change the logic board it will not work cause i would have to replace the EEPROM from the patient to donar.

Is there any thing i can do with the existing Logic board to test which connection has failed. I was going through this post

wd5000bmvv-connector-t16203-20.html
not sure if this suits my case.

another post claimed that removing the TVS diode can also fix the issue, i tried looking for diodes on the logic board and i can see only one D2 (D1 seems to be open).

Thanks in advance

You need proper diagnosis before making any steps. Assuming the PCB is defective then a replacement with adaptive info transferred may help. But probably PCB is good.

TVS will not help here as your HDD powers OK.

It is important to know that the difference between data recovery and data loss is all in the diagnostics.

I believe the problem you have is related to the SA, but without seeing it it is near impossible to tell.

Hi,

Sorry for the ignorance, what does SA refers to.

Can you suggest any articles or Post that i can try for diagnosing and understanding what issue i am facing and takes necassary steps as you suggest based on the results.

Thanks

read here newbie-info-from-and-for-newbies-about-firmware-etc-t6562.html

Unfortunately I cannot offer much advice here as without specialist equipment there is nothing further to do.

As I said previously the problem could still be related to a number of reasons but my opinion is that SA is affected.

But OP says drive does not spin when connected.
Does it spin up or not? If you put your hand on drive when connected, do you feel it spinning up?

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Hi,

There is no activity on the HDD . It does not spin (As i dont get the vibration sense).

I tried connecting the HDD to Lenovo x201i i dont see any activity even in the device manager. Also tried checking in BIOS. it is not getting detected.

When i try connecting to another laptop (Dell Latitude) i get a little brighter light and i get an exclamation on the Enhanced Host controller 2A and 2B and other USB stops working. (This happens only on this laptop) tried installing the drivers but it does not work. (Note: the HDD still is not spinning)

Tried on a PC , gives the similar symptons like my Lenovo Laptop.

Please let me know any other isolation methods that you want me to try to get the root cause.

Thanks.

Looks like I misread the entire first post...

The PCB will consist of 2 x EEPROM chips. The first one at U8 (or U14, can vary) is relative to the USB Bridge. The second, usually U12, is the HDD ROM.

You will need a replacement PCB which uses the same USB Bridge (Initio/symwave etc). This is because the data is encrypted and decryption is dependent on this. Transfer the HDD ROM to the replacement PCB and this may get you going.

But as with all DIY attempts, always there are risks.

Apologies for the initial confusion!

Hi,

Really appreciate your suggestion.

Can you let me know the logic board specifications that i will have to check on my existing HDD before i get a replacement of the similar logic board.

(Example DCM,etc) available on the HDD.

Thanks

You should match the pcb number, ie. 2060-xxxxxx-xxx.

I have to say once again though, that if you're not very capable at soldering, you should NOT try doing this on your own. If you mess things up, then... you don't want to know..
Better have someone experienced do this for you. Your local TV repair shop can do this for you, for some $$. But better ask them if they've done this job in the past.
As always, your data=your choice. DIY can save you some bucks, but if you screw things up, then you've only got yourself to blame. We're only trying to help.

Good luck.

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Ransomware Reverse Engineering - NoMoreRansom! partners

Hi,

Thanks for the heads up, I will look to get this done from a professional.

Regards

I have a similar issue with a hard Drive with same model. mine lights up but is not recognized tried a few computers with no luck, do you think i need to replace just the board with one of the same model?

You can't just replace the board. You must transfer the chip at U12, or its contents, to your replacement PCB. There are some PCB suppliers who include a "firmware transfer" service for free.

Does your drive spin up? Does it attempt to spin up? Sometimes you may need a USB Y-cable to pick up power from two USB ports.

FYI, many WD users are reporting physical connection problems with the USB connector.

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.

it does Spin and i cant hear any clicking or weird sounds, the drive doesn't even register on the usb port, I'm thinking i will send it to one of those repair places but i hate to pay for something i may be able to fix.

this drive has a micro usb so i don't know if they make a Y connector but i will look for one.

If it spins, then it's not a power issue, in which case you don't need a Y-cable.

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.

I'm hopping is just the board, will post an update when i get it back from the vendor.

Unlikely to be PCB.

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Why do you think that?

Because it is spinning.

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