[SOLVED] I ruined my external hard drive

squarpeg · 07-21-2008, 08:36 AM

Ok totally my fault. I unplugged my maxtor external hard drive last night due to a thunder storm and then this morning I plugged a 24 volt ( not the correct 12 volt) plug in to it by mistake. Now I get a blinking green light, The motor is not spinning. I have all my music on this thing. This is a maxtor 3200 200gig unit. I called seagate they start at $700 to get the data back....no way. Do I have options? I do not see a reset on the thing or any fuse, or anyway to even open it....Suggestions? Thanks

**Fox** · 07-21-2008, 10:02 AM

Hi squarpeg,

I have some good news and some bad news.

The bad news is that your hard drive is no longer external :D

The good news is that when you plugged that 24v plug in, it probably burned out only the usb controller for the hard drive (the guts that make it available to use via usb). The way externals are made, they are pretty much just an internal drive connected to this controller.

More likely than not, the drive inside that is a SATA drive, so you'll have to see if your computer supports it, but you should just be able to open up the drive and put it into your desktop (I'm assuming you have a desktop).

Is this a onetouch drive? They look like a Star Wars sandcrawler upturned. If so, check out this thread for some info on how to disassemble the drive.

**simpswr** · 07-21-2008, 10:04 AM

With luck, you just burned out the innards of the enclosure . . you may be able to take the drive out, attach it inplace of the CD/DVD drive and salvage files

squarpeg · 07-22-2008, 09:53 AM

Well, I really wish this had worked outlike you guys said. I took the drive out of it's case and you are correct it looks just like a regular hard drive except it has a small circuit board attached to it that handles the incoming power and the usb. So I disconnected that and plugged it directly into a CD bay. Then turned the power on ....which did not happen. The computer would not actually come on. I think it caused some kind of overload protection to kick in. At that point I was in a total panic as I thought I had just ruined my desk top. Fortunatly I disconnected it and a few minutes later the computer started with no apparent issues. Just to be absolutley sure I then went and installed it on this old junker computer I have. Same thing. when installed the computer will not start. Won't turn on at all. So I don't know. Makes me think there is a short in it or something. Damn it.

squarpeg · 07-22-2008, 09:57 AM

And by the way, why in the world do they have different voltage transformers attached to identical plugs? You should not be able to plug a 24volt cable into a 12volt device. frigging pisses me off.

~~wiseleo~~ · 07-23-2008, 09:58 AM

Well, the bad news is that the $700 they quoted you is a teaser rate in the event they fail to recover everything. In reality, they will charge you $1700 for "economy" service, and a few hundred more for priority service. I know my competitors' rate structure.

The failure your drive suffered is one of the following:

1. A logic board component that functions as a fuse is burned OR a microchip on the board is burned. If you are interested, you can attempt to repair that. The basic tools, multimeter, and supplies shouldn't cost more than $100.
2. You have a short on the logic board - seems consistent with your symptoms of killing the power supply. Probably the result of one.
3. Some electronics attached to the drive heads inside the sealed chamber got burnt (that's your worst case scenario)
4. Your motor got burned out (nightmare, especially if heads crashed)

If you wish to learn data recovery on your own data, this will be fun but it's an interesting field. Starting with Maxtor and their BGA chips is not where I would recommend. In case the major chips are OK, and you just need to replace the TVS, it's a pretty simple task and you should be able to complete it.

There are ways to recover your music directly from your iPod, which would be much easier than bringing this drive back to life.

I would be guessing that something called TVS did its job and got burned. TVS - transient voltage suppressor is a diode that functions much like a fuse. Here is a good starting point, if you are curious. http://powerelectronics.com/power_se..._maximize_tvs/

Here is a relevant thread on this for another Maxtor: http://forum.hddguru.com/hard-disk-d...10.html#p56275 (if that link fails, just search for TVS)

And... Good luck!

squarpeg · 07-23-2008, 10:38 AM

Thank you for that info and those links. I am not sure I am going to be able to find the issue but it is worth a try at this point. I might see if I can get some electronic guy to help me on it though. The other thing I was thinking about is trying to buy another of the same model drives. Might get one on e-bay cheap. The board on the bottom of the drive looks like it will just unscrew and pop out? Perhaps I could just swap a good board into it? What do you think? As far as the ipod goes. I don't have an I pod. I download on the computer and listen at my desk.

~~wiseleo~~ · 07-23-2008, 10:50 AM

A board swap is a good technique provided that several conditions are met.

I don't remember the specifics of your drive and you didn't even post its model number, serial number, firmware etc. If it doesn't store adaptive parameters and other fun stuff like that on the board AND you match the firmware, then it will probably work long enough to get imaged and get the data off itself.

That forum I linked you to has a ton of information on this.

Swapping a board that is a perfect match and doesn't require moving (soldering/desoldering) flash chips takes a couple of minutes. Other than mismatched P and G lists (might result in losing a couple of songs), it should be OK. If you need to start moving flash chips or worse, then you need electronics equipment.

**Fox** · 07-23-2008, 11:27 AM

Keep in mind, wiseleo, that this is an external drive we're talking about - it has two points of failure, the usb controller and the drive logic board. It would make sense to try the drive inside a computer before getting out the toolkit and prodding, since it's likely that only the enclosure's circuitry got burnt.

~~wiseleo~~ · 07-23-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fox

Keep in mind, wiseleo, that this is an external drive we're talking about - it has two points of failure, the usb controller and the drive logic board. It would make sense to try the drive inside a computer before getting out the toolkit and prodding, since it's likely that only the enclosure's circuitry got burnt.

Agreed, but please review post #4. This is a bit more involved.

The bare drive is shorting out the power supply. My diagnosis should be pretty accurate.

**Fox** · 07-24-2008, 07:04 AM

Oh jeez, I completely missed that post. I should really consider some reading glasses.

Yep, you're right- this is definitely a job for a replacement logic board, unfortunately.

**linderman** · 07-25-2008, 05:23 AM

you can get boards on ebay / look for a seller named "Darisus" something

squarpeg · 07-31-2008, 06:58 AM

Gentleman, thanks so much for the help here. I must say I am in a great mood today, as I have the hard drive up and running. It appears all the music is there along with all my other files. I see there have been a few other posts about this same issue. The solution was to replace the board. The one that is actually screwed onto the harddrive ( not the usb board) As you sugested I found it on e-bay but the actual sellers web site is

http://www.besthddparts.com/us/service.html

Board cost $40 snapped in in a second. So that is it. Thanks so much. Consider this thread closed.

**Fox** · 07-31-2008, 07:49 AM

Glad to hear you were successful!

$40 dollars for a logic board vs. $1,000 for data recovery service isn't a bad deal at all :D

~~wiseleo~~ · 07-31-2008, 05:16 PM

Very happy for you.

Please do not attempt to continue using this drive for anything you can't afford to lose.

07-21-2008, 08:36 AM	#1 (permalink)
squarpeg Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: xp	[SOLVED] I ruined my external hard drive Ok totally my fault. I unplugged my maxtor external hard drive last night due to a thunder storm and then this morning I plugged a 24 volt ( not the correct 12 volt) plug in to it by mistake. Now I get a blinking green light, The motor is not spinning. I have all my music on this thing. This is a maxtor 3200 200gig unit. I called seagate they start at $700 to get the data back....no way. Do I have options? I do not see a reset on the thing or any fuse, or anyway to even open it....Suggestions? Thanks

07-21-2008, 10:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
Fox Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,735 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	Re: I ruined my external hard drive Hi squarpeg, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that your hard drive is no longer external :D The good news is that when you plugged that 24v plug in, it probably burned out only the usb controller for the hard drive (the guts that make it available to use via usb). The way externals are made, they are pretty much just an internal drive connected to this controller. More likely than not, the drive inside that is a SATA drive, so you'll have to see if your computer supports it, but you should just be able to open up the drive and put it into your desktop (I'm assuming you have a desktop). Is this a onetouch drive? They look like a Star Wars sandcrawler upturned. If so, check out this thread for some info on how to disassemble the drive. __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

07-21-2008, 10:04 AM	#3 (permalink)
simpswr Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 4,122 OS: XP, Vista	Re: I killed my hard drive With luck, you just burned out the innards of the enclosure . . you may be able to take the drive out, attach it inplace of the CD/DVD drive and salvage files __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BIOS \| BenchTest \| Spyware Cleaning \| How to Post a Screen shot \| PC running slow

07-22-2008, 09:53 AM	#4 (permalink)
squarpeg Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: I ruined my external hard drive Well, I really wish this had worked outlike you guys said. I took the drive out of it's case and you are correct it looks just like a regular hard drive except it has a small circuit board attached to it that handles the incoming power and the usb. So I disconnected that and plugged it directly into a CD bay. Then turned the power on ....which did not happen. The computer would not actually come on. I think it caused some kind of overload protection to kick in. At that point I was in a total panic as I thought I had just ruined my desk top. Fortunatly I disconnected it and a few minutes later the computer started with no apparent issues. Just to be absolutley sure I then went and installed it on this old junker computer I have. Same thing. when installed the computer will not start. Won't turn on at all. So I don't know. Makes me think there is a short in it or something. Damn it.

07-22-2008, 09:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
squarpeg Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: I ruined my external hard drive And by the way, why in the world do they have different voltage transformers attached to identical plugs? You should not be able to plug a 24volt cable into a 12volt device. frigging pisses me off.

07-23-2008, 09:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
~~wiseleo~~ Troubled Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 461 OS: Win 2003 SP2 My System	Re: I ruined my external hard drive Well, the bad news is that the $700 they quoted you is a teaser rate in the event they fail to recover everything. In reality, they will charge you $1700 for "economy" service, and a few hundred more for priority service. I know my competitors' rate structure. The failure your drive suffered is one of the following: 1. A logic board component that functions as a fuse is burned OR a microchip on the board is burned. If you are interested, you can attempt to repair that. The basic tools, multimeter, and supplies shouldn't cost more than $100. 2. You have a short on the logic board - seems consistent with your symptoms of killing the power supply. Probably the result of one. 3. Some electronics attached to the drive heads inside the sealed chamber got burnt (that's your worst case scenario) 4. Your motor got burned out (nightmare, especially if heads crashed) If you wish to learn data recovery on your own data, this will be fun but it's an interesting field. Starting with Maxtor and their BGA chips is not where I would recommend. In case the major chips are OK, and you just need to replace the TVS, it's a pretty simple task and you should be able to complete it. There are ways to recover your music directly from your iPod, which would be much easier than bringing this drive back to life. I would be guessing that something called TVS did its job and got burned. TVS - transient voltage suppressor is a diode that functions much like a fuse. Here is a good starting point, if you are curious. http://powerelectronics.com/power_se..._maximize_tvs/ Here is a relevant thread on this for another Maxtor: http://forum.hddguru.com/hard-disk-d...10.html#p56275 (if that link fails, just search for TVS) And... Good luck!

07-23-2008, 10:38 AM	#7 (permalink)
squarpeg Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: I ruined my external hard drive Thank you for that info and those links. I am not sure I am going to be able to find the issue but it is worth a try at this point. I might see if I can get some electronic guy to help me on it though. The other thing I was thinking about is trying to buy another of the same model drives. Might get one on e-bay cheap. The board on the bottom of the drive looks like it will just unscrew and pop out? Perhaps I could just swap a good board into it? What do you think? As far as the ipod goes. I don't have an I pod. I download on the computer and listen at my desk.

07-23-2008, 10:50 AM	#8 (permalink)
~~wiseleo~~ Troubled Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 461 OS: Win 2003 SP2 My System	Re: I ruined my external hard drive A board swap is a good technique provided that several conditions are met. I don't remember the specifics of your drive and you didn't even post its model number, serial number, firmware etc. If it doesn't store adaptive parameters and other fun stuff like that on the board AND you match the firmware, then it will probably work long enough to get imaged and get the data off itself. That forum I linked you to has a ton of information on this. Swapping a board that is a perfect match and doesn't require moving (soldering/desoldering) flash chips takes a couple of minutes. Other than mismatched P and G lists (might result in losing a couple of songs), it should be OK. If you need to start moving flash chips or worse, then you need electronics equipment.

07-23-2008, 11:27 AM	#9 (permalink)
Fox Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,735 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	Re: I ruined my external hard drive Keep in mind, wiseleo, that this is an external drive we're talking about - it has two points of failure, the usb controller and the drive logic board. It would make sense to try the drive inside a computer before getting out the toolkit and prodding, since it's likely that only the enclosure's circuitry got burnt. __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

07-24-2008, 07:04 AM	#11 (permalink)
Fox Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,735 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	Re: I ruined my external hard drive Oh jeez, I completely missed that post. I should really consider some reading glasses. Yep, you're right- this is definitely a job for a replacement logic board, unfortunately. __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

07-25-2008, 05:23 AM	#12 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 13,753 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: I ruined my external hard drive you can get boards on ebay / look for a seller named "Darisus" something __________________ If you cant be polite and friendly; then please be silent.

07-31-2008, 06:58 AM	#13 (permalink)
squarpeg Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: I ruined my external hard drive Gentleman, thanks so much for the help here. I must say I am in a great mood today, as I have the hard drive up and running. It appears all the music is there along with all my other files. I see there have been a few other posts about this same issue. The solution was to replace the board. The one that is actually screwed onto the harddrive ( not the usb board) As you sugested I found it on e-bay but the actual sellers web site is http://www.besthddparts.com/us/service.html Board cost $40 snapped in in a second. So that is it. Thanks so much. Consider this thread closed.

07-31-2008, 07:49 AM	#14 (permalink)
Fox Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,735 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	Re: [SOLVED] I ruined my external hard drive Glad to hear you were successful! $40 dollars for a logic board vs. $1,000 for data recovery service isn't a bad deal at all :D __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

07-31-2008, 05:16 PM	#15 (permalink)
~~wiseleo~~ Troubled Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 461 OS: Win 2003 SP2 My System	Re: [SOLVED] I ruined my external hard drive Very happy for you. Please do not attempt to continue using this drive for anything you can't afford to lose.