well is on its way to DonorDrives we will see what they come up with.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Cheers

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

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

Do these drives still spin up if either of the USB Data+ or Data- pins are broken?

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.

Yes, it would.

But this is very rare and why I said "unlikely" rather than "definitely not"

Assuming the OP accepts the risks of DIY, then its easily checked by checking the continuity of those two middle pins from mini USB connection to the track on the PCB. If a dry joint/suspect connection is found then it is easily fixable with a good iron.

What is much more likely that bad sectors are preventing the Smartware initialising, or a firmware issue.

In literally 100's of these cases I can only recall one that the problem what you mentioned.

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

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

mm.. he said that the drive does not spin.. so it could be the pcb..
Despite that, with my experience for this kind of hard disk the diagnosis is Head Gone

There are two posters with problems ...

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.

Yes, you are right.

One says his drive does not spin (could be PCB) and one says it does spin (unlikely PCB)

Hence the confusion and conflicts of diagnosis.

This is what happen who people hijack other people's threads

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

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