Seagate HD Smoking

SniperJJS13 · 02-14-2009, 10:08 AM

Well I must have the worst luck in the world because today my SATA HD started to literally smoke today and yesterday it was working just fine. The smoke smelt like burnt rubber. At first I though it was a fluke but when I tried to plug it in again it did the same thing. The HD is a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500 GB and I am using an all-in-one driver like this one that converts the SATA to USB format.
http://upload.ecvv.com/upload/Info/2...USA003_002.jpg
The all-in-one converter still works fine on an IDE HD that I have. Is all my data lost or is it just the all-in-one converter?

[Edit]

Upon further inspection I found that a small chip on the logic board is cracked and fried. Not sure of the specifications of the chip as the writing that was on it was melted off by the looks of it. It's one of the smaller ones though. Is it possible to replace it the chip and regain my HD or am I gonna have to get a new HD and attempt to get all my gigs of data back? I have no insurance on the product so I can't send it back to Seagate. Any places that you would reccomend for HD repair/Data recovery?

**linderman** · 02-14-2009, 04:30 PM

wait for RaptorPa to chime in ........... he is involved in the drive recovery world

**raptor_pa** · 02-14-2009, 08:55 PM

Taking my cue from Linderman :)
And excuse the spelling, too many Valentine's day Margaritas I think - but I still have a handle on what I want to say anyway..
My guess would be what you are seeing is a TVS (transient voltage supressor) diode that has fried. You have a couple of choises at this point. First thing to do is try to determine if this is the TVS. The TVS will be near the power input, it will also have only two solder points connecting it to the PC board of the drive. With the numbers on the component unreadable it may be a bit tough to be 100% certain, but if these tow descriptions fit the bill, then it is probably the TVS.
First of all it sounds like the diode has done it's job, it has shorted to ground. The problem is it is tough to tell WHY the TVS tripped. With IDE drives, it is often forcing the power connector on upside down and applying 12 VDC to the 5VDC line. I suppose it would be possible to force the power connector on reversed, although I have never tried, and it would be tough to do... so the question with your drive is WHY did the TVS blow. a problem with your power supply is a potential. a problem with the PCB is aother, or a problem with the power cable to the drive could also be an issue.
Now the good and bad news - fixing the issue. The purpose of the TVS is to protect more sensitive components, like the preamp on the heads, or the other chips on the PCboard. The simple solution to recover the files is to simply remove the TVS from the board, assuming it IS the TVS - simply unsolder the disode and remove it - the drive will now function - maybe. This is where trouble shooting the root of the problem is important. Normally when we see a drive in for recovery with a blown TVS, we only get the drive, not the whole system, and we know our power supply is clean. a few quick checks and we can remove the TVS, recover the data to another drive, and life goes on. basically this is what you will need to do. Simply unsolder the TVS and the drive should spin. This method is ONLY good to recover the data, the drive is now spinning and running with no overvoltage protection on that circuit. Kind of like if you blow a fuse and replace it with a penny, things will work, but if there is another problem that caused the fuse to blow, then you could cause more damage. Best thing to do is check votages with a VOM from the power supply - corrrect votages are here http://www.interfacebus.com/SATA_Pinout.html If the voltages check out correctly or very close, then it would probably be safe to connect the drive with the TVS removed. This is NOT a fix to bring the drive back to life for regular use. It is only to recover the data and will probable void your warrantee ( manufacturers take a dim view of end users removing components from the board ).
So the choice is based on the value of your data if the drive is under warrantee. if your data is worth more than the price of a drive, then go for it and try, if not, then RMA the drive and move on. Let us know how things go, and we are always here for the next step!

nzproduKt · 02-14-2009, 09:57 PM

Damn, i was gonna say in regards to the Thread Title

"Get it a nicotine patch?"

:D

**linderman** · 02-15-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nzproduKt

Damn, i was gonna say in regards to the Thread Title

"Get it a nicotine patch?"

:D

Although I did get hellva chuckle .............

I doubt the OP with the data concern will be nearly as amused .......

SniperJJS13 · 03-22-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raptor_pa

Taking my cue from Linderman :)
And excuse the spelling, too many Valentine's day Margaritas I think - but I still have a handle on what I want to say anyway..
My guess would be what you are seeing is a TVS (transient voltage supressor) diode that has fried. You have a couple of choises at this point. First thing to do is try to determine if this is the TVS. The TVS will be near the power input, it will also have only two solder points connecting it to the PC board of the drive. With the numbers on the component unreadable it may be a bit tough to be 100% certain, but if these tow descriptions fit the bill, then it is probably the TVS.
First of all it sounds like the diode has done it's job, it has shorted to ground. The problem is it is tough to tell WHY the TVS tripped. With IDE drives, it is often forcing the power connector on upside down and applying 12 VDC to the 5VDC line. I suppose it would be possible to force the power connector on reversed, although I have never tried, and it would be tough to do... so the question with your drive is WHY did the TVS blow. a problem with your power supply is a potential. a problem with the PCB is aother, or a problem with the power cable to the drive could also be an issue.
Now the good and bad news - fixing the issue. The purpose of the TVS is to protect more sensitive components, like the preamp on the heads, or the other chips on the PCboard. The simple solution to recover the files is to simply remove the TVS from the board, assuming it IS the TVS - simply unsolder the disode and remove it - the drive will now function - maybe. This is where trouble shooting the root of the problem is important. Normally when we see a drive in for recovery with a blown TVS, we only get the drive, not the whole system, and we know our power supply is clean. a few quick checks and we can remove the TVS, recover the data to another drive, and life goes on. basically this is what you will need to do. Simply unsolder the TVS and the drive should spin. This method is ONLY good to recover the data, the drive is now spinning and running with no overvoltage protection on that circuit. Kind of like if you blow a fuse and replace it with a penny, things will work, but if there is another problem that caused the fuse to blow, then you could cause more damage. Best thing to do is check votages with a VOM from the power supply - corrrect votages are here http://www.interfacebus.com/SATA_Pinout.html If the voltages check out correctly or very close, then it would probably be safe to connect the drive with the TVS removed. This is NOT a fix to bring the drive back to life for regular use. It is only to recover the data and will probable void your warrantee ( manufacturers take a dim view of end users removing components from the board ).
So the choice is based on the value of your data if the drive is under warrantee. if your data is worth more than the price of a drive, then go for it and try, if not, then RMA the drive and move on. Let us know how things go, and we are always here for the next step!

You were correct. I just did that and am recovering my data now. Thanks for the help.

hesaigo999ca · 07-09-2009, 12:30 PM

Had the exact same thing happen to me, with 2 drives on the same day, I am sure it must be faulty power supplies (the ones hooked up to the drive external btw) that plug into the wall or bar.

My question was, if there is a way to save the oevrall drive, by byuing the new piece from seagate, and then changing the piece that goes on the drive (the plate motherboard attached to the drive)...
1)would this fix the issue,
2)and would it be worth it...
3)as well as easy to do?

Thankx in advance

**raptor_pa** · 07-09-2009, 01:25 PM

A couple of issues...
1) Manufacturers don't sell replacement parts - the parts we use in data recovery to rebuild a drive are all 'used' parts. That is why the drive is never considered repaired - we just try to get it to run long enough to get the data off.
2) the components used may vary from manufacturing locations and date built - even for the same model number so matching the board correctly requires matching multiple parameters on the drive, including firmware version, date code, site code, model# and on some drives other parameters..
3) Most modern hard drives, the board replacement requires additional work, like swapping the NVRam or ROM from theh dead board to the donor board.
If it is in fact the TVS that is gone as above - first of all, use another Power Supply for the drive, or you will have unrecoverable data after removing the TVS Diode. Running without the diode is like putting a penny in a fuse socket, you may get away with it for a while, but when it fails you will have a worse condition than just a blown fuse.
Best fix would be to identify the dead tvs diode, order a direct replacement and resolder that to the board. - Much easier than swapping out the Rom/NVRam... The reason teh chip needs moved is some of the adaptive parameters, things specific to that one drive, are stored on those chips - head maps, preamp bias voltage, zone tables etc, and if they don't match, then you can actually cause more damage to the drive.

drabzz · 07-09-2009, 01:57 PM

Made to fail. Chalk up another win for programmed obsolescence and landfill!

hesaigo999ca · 07-10-2009, 09:35 AM

Thank you for taking the time to write me back... I am currently interested in maybe replacing the dead diode, if this is what it is, any clues as to go about
1) finding out if it is the dead diode, and
2) repalcing this dead diode... I am able to solder, just not sure if this is what needs to be done or not...

I am doing this to try and avoid losing a 500gb hard drive ... if it is at all possible.
I prefer keeping it replacing the diode as you say, instead of going out and buying another drive.

I may try to contact seagate, but I am sure they will just give me a replacement drive...
and I will not have any of the info I had previously....and if they do, what assurance there is no hidden trojan or malware as per all the chinese fads these days!!

Anyways...any help or any helpful links would be greatly appreciated!

**linderman** · 07-10-2009, 11:39 AM

I will GUARANTEE you Seagate will not sell you parts and I they wont recovery your data unless you want to pay the "big bucks" for data recivery and they will just add a mark-up to their sub-contractor of choice "if" successful with the recovery

I "used" to think data recovery shops were just theives until this spring I got the chance to visit one in montreal canada and watch them work. When you figure the cost of making that clean room; the cost to keep it disinfected, and all the other diagnostic testing equipment, the hours and hours they must spend scouring their sources for exact matching drives; often time taking 2 & three donor drives to get the job done and once you realize the number of man hours which goes into the whole process. they have a protocol they follow, starting from the easier and less costly steps and proceed forward all the way to platter replacement if necessary.

once you see the whole process and cost involved, the $1500 to $2500 is actually no longer outlandish ............the closest thing to drive recovery set up I have seen is a hospital operating room

I watched thru the window as one tech started his 3rd full day on a corporate hard drive .............

if the computer world as a whole knew how tuff data recovery really is ..............everybody would be an expert at drive data imaging ! LOL

**linderman** · 07-10-2009, 11:40 AM

I will GUARANTEE you Seagate will not sell you parts and they wont recovery your data unless you want to pay the "big bucks" for data recivery and they will just add a mark-up to their sub-contractor of choice "if" successful with the recovery

I "used" to think data recovery shops were just theives until this spring I got the chance to visit one in montreal canada and watch them work. When you figure the cost of making that clean room; the cost to keep it disinfected, and all the other diagnostic testing equipment, the hours and hours they must spend scouring their sources for exact matching drives; often time taking 2 & three donor drives to get the job done and once you realize the number of man hours which goes into the whole process. they have a protocol they follow, starting from the easier and less costly steps and proceed forward all the way to platter replacement if necessary.

using software recovery apps that costs thousands

once you see the whole process and cost involved, the $1500 to $2500 is actually no longer outlandish ............the closest matching thing to drive recovery set up I have seen is a hospital operating room

I watched thru the window as one tech started his 3rd full day on a corporate hard drive ............. recovery operation

if the computer world as a whole knew how tuff data recovery really is ..............everybody would be an expert at drive data imaging ! LOL

hesaigo999ca · 07-10-2009, 11:58 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/s...fected-by-fir/

I was not asking if they would recover the data, as I know they already will, and have offered too, I am merely wanting to replace the job of doing this myself.

I live in montreal, maybe if you let me know where you went for this, I could go visit them myself, and ask them a few questions about what I would need to do?

**linderman** · 07-10-2009, 12:15 PM

I will ask if they mind referal visitors ? I dont want to get my contact into "mud"

**raptor_pa** · 07-13-2009, 05:22 AM

The drive will ship blank, so there won't be anything hidden on the platters. Replacing the TVS diode is relatively simple, finding the replacement is the tough part. On the seagate the two diodes in question are located just above the power connector on the PCB. Checkt hem with a multimeter on resistance. they should read open one way, short the other. if they read short both directions then the diode has failed. Many times they exhibit physical damage - cracking or scroching, but not always. If the drive spins up at all, then it is not the diode. If the diode(s) test bad then the solution to recovery is to remove the diode from the PCB and the drive will spin. You can then recover your data. Recovery shops will not repair the drive by replacing the diode. They will remove it and recover your data to another drive. There is a reason the diode went in the first place. It's purpose is to protect the more sensitive components and protect the data. You could try sourcing the diode based on the numbers on the component. If you post a pic of the component side of the PCB we can show you where the diodes are located. It is not good to run the drive for any longer than needed for the recovery without t hediode, since it is now running unprotected and any spike can cause more severe damage to the drive.

hesaigo999ca · 07-14-2009, 07:11 AM

Thank you Raptor_pa...I will take a picture as soon as I get home, of both drives, and post them on the net...As for running to get a 500gb backup, I already have my stuff 3ple backed up...no prob there.. I was just asking to see if I could save the 500gb drives for diode changing, they are 500gb, I was hoping adding a new diode would fix the problem if it came from an external source, I am tempted to try anyways to recover these, if possible, as I know that seagate will only redistribute them once they fix them.
Without erasing the disk....I can only speculate!

**linderman** · 07-14-2009, 07:35 PM

seagate will not fix used drives once they have been in the hands of the customer; they are not about to risk the chance of your data getting recovered by another person

hesaigo999ca · 07-15-2009, 07:11 AM

I hate to be the one to educate you in these matters (coming from a friend of mine who is a quality control engineer)....china (overseas) are famous for repackaging electronics, after fixing it, and usually giving a new serial no to boot.

This is ever present in overseas manufacturing, which is why quality control managers are sent overseas to come up with new ways of being able to mark the so called offensive parts, and then retrace them should they reappear in inventory.

I could tell you some horror stories, but let's just say my friend will have a job for a long time coming, because the chinese/taiwanese etc... are cheap and want to save every buck they can.

You may or may not work for seagate, but I am sure this is something that happens with seagate as well...out of their control...like saying a baby wont cry because it is your baby...however, I still cringe at the possibility of someone coming to my door, because I had some downloaded movies on my drive, and have legal repercussions
with sending my drive to be exchanged!!!

**linderman** · 07-15-2009, 03:24 PM

not so when you send a drive to a united states manufacturer; but regardless

why would anyone risk getting into any $hit over trying to save $60.00 from a defective hard drive ?

the best rule of thumb is........"never surrender a hard drive to anyone that has any data which may cause you grief" -------- end of story

as far as legal prosecution goes; "youre smoking dude" there is a thing called "chain of evidence" and when thats broken by "hear-say or third party" evidence; the prosecution goes out the window

hesaigo999ca · 07-16-2009, 07:15 AM

seagate manufatures in US or in taiwan....I see made in taiwan sticker, not made in US...anyways...it would be out of the US hands anyways, they get it , send it back as defective to get THEIR moeny back from the real manufacturers, then get a new one (refurbished) to replace the old one, and the cycle repeats...

As for law, I am not an expert on how data recovered on a hdd once it has left the person's hands works, but I am sure what you say does not work, when someone sent their drive to bestbuy to get fixed, and the tech called the cops after finding stuff on there..and he was prosecuted and lost...great US of A for ya!

I agree though, I rather not send it out just in case, RIAA and all, I would prefer to replace the diode and see if it works....now if I can just find my camera to take the pics of the hdd themselves to get a proper parts reading from people on this site... : )

02-14-2009, 10:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
SniperJJS13 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Nevada Posts: 10 OS: XP SP3	Seagate HD Smoking Well I must have the worst luck in the world because today my SATA HD started to literally smoke today and yesterday it was working just fine. The smoke smelt like burnt rubber. At first I though it was a fluke but when I tried to plug it in again it did the same thing. The HD is a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500 GB and I am using an all-in-one driver like this one that converts the SATA to USB format. http://upload.ecvv.com/upload/Info/2...USA003_002.jpg The all-in-one converter still works fine on an IDE HD that I have. Is all my data lost or is it just the all-in-one converter? [Edit] Upon further inspection I found that a small chip on the logic board is cracked and fried. Not sure of the specifications of the chip as the writing that was on it was melted off by the looks of it. It's one of the smaller ones though. Is it possible to replace it the chip and regain my HD or am I gonna have to get a new HD and attempt to get all my gigs of data back? I have no insurance on the product so I can't send it back to Seagate. Any places that you would reccomend for HD repair/Data recovery? Last edited by SniperJJS13; 02-14-2009 at 10:27 AM.

02-14-2009, 04:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,437 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Seagate HD Smoking wait for RaptorPa to chime in ........... he is involved in the drive recovery world __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

02-14-2009, 08:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,800 OS: XP	Re: Seagate HD Smoking Taking my cue from Linderman :) And excuse the spelling, too many Valentine's day Margaritas I think - but I still have a handle on what I want to say anyway.. My guess would be what you are seeing is a TVS (transient voltage supressor) diode that has fried. You have a couple of choises at this point. First thing to do is try to determine if this is the TVS. The TVS will be near the power input, it will also have only two solder points connecting it to the PC board of the drive. With the numbers on the component unreadable it may be a bit tough to be 100% certain, but if these tow descriptions fit the bill, then it is probably the TVS. First of all it sounds like the diode has done it's job, it has shorted to ground. The problem is it is tough to tell WHY the TVS tripped. With IDE drives, it is often forcing the power connector on upside down and applying 12 VDC to the 5VDC line. I suppose it would be possible to force the power connector on reversed, although I have never tried, and it would be tough to do... so the question with your drive is WHY did the TVS blow. a problem with your power supply is a potential. a problem with the PCB is aother, or a problem with the power cable to the drive could also be an issue. Now the good and bad news - fixing the issue. The purpose of the TVS is to protect more sensitive components, like the preamp on the heads, or the other chips on the PCboard. The simple solution to recover the files is to simply remove the TVS from the board, assuming it IS the TVS - simply unsolder the disode and remove it - the drive will now function - maybe. This is where trouble shooting the root of the problem is important. Normally when we see a drive in for recovery with a blown TVS, we only get the drive, not the whole system, and we know our power supply is clean. a few quick checks and we can remove the TVS, recover the data to another drive, and life goes on. basically this is what you will need to do. Simply unsolder the TVS and the drive should spin. This method is ONLY good to recover the data, the drive is now spinning and running with no overvoltage protection on that circuit. Kind of like if you blow a fuse and replace it with a penny, things will work, but if there is another problem that caused the fuse to blow, then you could cause more damage. Best thing to do is check votages with a VOM from the power supply - corrrect votages are here http://www.interfacebus.com/SATA_Pinout.html If the voltages check out correctly or very close, then it would probably be safe to connect the drive with the TVS removed. This is NOT a fix to bring the drive back to life for regular use. It is only to recover the data and will probable void your warrantee ( manufacturers take a dim view of end users removing components from the board ). So the choice is based on the value of your data if the drive is under warrantee. if your data is worth more than the price of a drive, then go for it and try, if not, then RMA the drive and move on. Let us know how things go, and we are always here for the next step! __________________

02-14-2009, 09:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
nzproduKt Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Nz Posts: 40 OS: Windows Server 2003	Re: Seagate HD Smoking Damn, i was gonna say in regards to the Thread Title "Get it a nicotine patch?" :D

07-09-2009, 12:30 PM	#7 (permalink)
hesaigo999ca Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 7 OS: windows	Re: Seagate HD Smoking Had the exact same thing happen to me, with 2 drives on the same day, I am sure it must be faulty power supplies (the ones hooked up to the drive external btw) that plug into the wall or bar. My question was, if there is a way to save the oevrall drive, by byuing the new piece from seagate, and then changing the piece that goes on the drive (the plate motherboard attached to the drive)... 1)would this fix the issue, 2)and would it be worth it... 3)as well as easy to do? Thankx in advance

07-09-2009, 01:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,800 OS: XP	Re: Seagate HD Smoking A couple of issues... 1) Manufacturers don't sell replacement parts - the parts we use in data recovery to rebuild a drive are all 'used' parts. That is why the drive is never considered repaired - we just try to get it to run long enough to get the data off. 2) the components used may vary from manufacturing locations and date built - even for the same model number so matching the board correctly requires matching multiple parameters on the drive, including firmware version, date code, site code, model# and on some drives other parameters.. 3) Most modern hard drives, the board replacement requires additional work, like swapping the NVRam or ROM from theh dead board to the donor board. If it is in fact the TVS that is gone as above - first of all, use another Power Supply for the drive, or you will have unrecoverable data after removing the TVS Diode. Running without the diode is like putting a penny in a fuse socket, you may get away with it for a while, but when it fails you will have a worse condition than just a blown fuse. Best fix would be to identify the dead tvs diode, order a direct replacement and resolder that to the board. - Much easier than swapping out the Rom/NVRam... The reason teh chip needs moved is some of the adaptive parameters, things specific to that one drive, are stored on those chips - head maps, preamp bias voltage, zone tables etc, and if they don't match, then you can actually cause more damage to the drive. __________________

07-09-2009, 01:57 PM	#9 (permalink)
drabzz Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salisbury, UK Posts: 5 OS: Fista	Re: Seagate HD Smoking Made to fail. Chalk up another win for programmed obsolescence and landfill! Last edited by drabzz; 07-09-2009 at 01:58 PM.

07-10-2009, 09:35 AM	#10 (permalink)
hesaigo999ca Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 7 OS: windows	Re: Seagate HD Smoking Thank you for taking the time to write me back... I am currently interested in maybe replacing the dead diode, if this is what it is, any clues as to go about 1) finding out if it is the dead diode, and 2) repalcing this dead diode... I am able to solder, just not sure if this is what needs to be done or not... I am doing this to try and avoid losing a 500gb hard drive ... if it is at all possible. I prefer keeping it replacing the diode as you say, instead of going out and buying another drive. I may try to contact seagate, but I am sure they will just give me a replacement drive... and I will not have any of the info I had previously....and if they do, what assurance there is no hidden trojan or malware as per all the chinese fads these days!! Anyways...any help or any helpful links would be greatly appreciated!

07-10-2009, 11:39 AM	#11 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,437 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Seagate HD Smoking I will GUARANTEE you Seagate will not sell you parts and I they wont recovery your data unless you want to pay the "big bucks" for data recivery and they will just add a mark-up to their sub-contractor of choice "if" successful with the recovery I "used" to think data recovery shops were just theives until this spring I got the chance to visit one in montreal canada and watch them work. When you figure the cost of making that clean room; the cost to keep it disinfected, and all the other diagnostic testing equipment, the hours and hours they must spend scouring their sources for exact matching drives; often time taking 2 & three donor drives to get the job done and once you realize the number of man hours which goes into the whole process. they have a protocol they follow, starting from the easier and less costly steps and proceed forward all the way to platter replacement if necessary. once you see the whole process and cost involved, the $1500 to $2500 is actually no longer outlandish ............the closest thing to drive recovery set up I have seen is a hospital operating room I watched thru the window as one tech started his 3rd full day on a corporate hard drive ............. if the computer world as a whole knew how tuff data recovery really is ..............everybody would be an expert at drive data imaging ! LOL __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

07-10-2009, 11:40 AM	#12 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,437 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Seagate HD Smoking I will GUARANTEE you Seagate will not sell you parts and they wont recovery your data unless you want to pay the "big bucks" for data recivery and they will just add a mark-up to their sub-contractor of choice "if" successful with the recovery I "used" to think data recovery shops were just theives until this spring I got the chance to visit one in montreal canada and watch them work. When you figure the cost of making that clean room; the cost to keep it disinfected, and all the other diagnostic testing equipment, the hours and hours they must spend scouring their sources for exact matching drives; often time taking 2 & three donor drives to get the job done and once you realize the number of man hours which goes into the whole process. they have a protocol they follow, starting from the easier and less costly steps and proceed forward all the way to platter replacement if necessary. using software recovery apps that costs thousands once you see the whole process and cost involved, the $1500 to $2500 is actually no longer outlandish ............the closest matching thing to drive recovery set up I have seen is a hospital operating room I watched thru the window as one tech started his 3rd full day on a corporate hard drive ............. recovery operation if the computer world as a whole knew how tuff data recovery really is ..............everybody would be an expert at drive data imaging ! LOL __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial Last edited by linderman; 07-10-2009 at 11:43 AM.

07-10-2009, 11:58 AM	#13 (permalink)
hesaigo999ca Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 7 OS: windows	Re: Seagate HD Smoking http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/s...fected-by-fir/ I was not asking if they would recover the data, as I know they already will, and have offered too, I am merely wanting to replace the job of doing this myself. I live in montreal, maybe if you let me know where you went for this, I could go visit them myself, and ask them a few questions about what I would need to do?

07-10-2009, 12:15 PM	#14 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,437 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Seagate HD Smoking I will ask if they mind referal visitors ? I dont want to get my contact into "mud" __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

07-13-2009, 05:22 AM	#15 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,800 OS: XP	Re: Seagate HD Smoking The drive will ship blank, so there won't be anything hidden on the platters. Replacing the TVS diode is relatively simple, finding the replacement is the tough part. On the seagate the two diodes in question are located just above the power connector on the PCB. Checkt hem with a multimeter on resistance. they should read open one way, short the other. if they read short both directions then the diode has failed. Many times they exhibit physical damage - cracking or scroching, but not always. If the drive spins up at all, then it is not the diode. If the diode(s) test bad then the solution to recovery is to remove the diode from the PCB and the drive will spin. You can then recover your data. Recovery shops will not repair the drive by replacing the diode. They will remove it and recover your data to another drive. There is a reason the diode went in the first place. It's purpose is to protect the more sensitive components and protect the data. You could try sourcing the diode based on the numbers on the component. If you post a pic of the component side of the PCB we can show you where the diodes are located. It is not good to run the drive for any longer than needed for the recovery without t hediode, since it is now running unprotected and any spike can cause more severe damage to the drive. __________________

07-14-2009, 07:11 AM	#16 (permalink)
hesaigo999ca Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 7 OS: windows	Re: Seagate HD Smoking Thank you Raptor_pa...I will take a picture as soon as I get home, of both drives, and post them on the net...As for running to get a 500gb backup, I already have my stuff 3ple backed up...no prob there.. I was just asking to see if I could save the 500gb drives for diode changing, they are 500gb, I was hoping adding a new diode would fix the problem if it came from an external source, I am tempted to try anyways to recover these, if possible, as I know that seagate will only redistribute them once they fix them. Without erasing the disk....I can only speculate!

07-14-2009, 07:35 PM	#17 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,437 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Seagate HD Smoking seagate will not fix used drives once they have been in the hands of the customer; they are not about to risk the chance of your data getting recovered by another person __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

07-15-2009, 07:11 AM	#18 (permalink)
hesaigo999ca Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 7 OS: windows	Re: Seagate HD Smoking I hate to be the one to educate you in these matters (coming from a friend of mine who is a quality control engineer)....china (overseas) are famous for repackaging electronics, after fixing it, and usually giving a new serial no to boot. This is ever present in overseas manufacturing, which is why quality control managers are sent overseas to come up with new ways of being able to mark the so called offensive parts, and then retrace them should they reappear in inventory. I could tell you some horror stories, but let's just say my friend will have a job for a long time coming, because the chinese/taiwanese etc... are cheap and want to save every buck they can. You may or may not work for seagate, but I am sure this is something that happens with seagate as well...out of their control...like saying a baby wont cry because it is your baby...however, I still cringe at the possibility of someone coming to my door, because I had some downloaded movies on my drive, and have legal repercussions with sending my drive to be exchanged!!!

07-15-2009, 03:24 PM	#19 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,437 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Seagate HD Smoking not so when you send a drive to a united states manufacturer; but regardless why would anyone risk getting into any $hit over trying to save $60.00 from a defective hard drive ? the best rule of thumb is........"never surrender a hard drive to anyone that has any data which may cause you grief" -------- end of story as far as legal prosecution goes; "youre smoking dude" there is a thing called "chain of evidence" and when thats broken by "hear-say or third party" evidence; the prosecution goes out the window __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial Last edited by linderman; 07-15-2009 at 03:26 PM.

07-16-2009, 07:15 AM	#20 (permalink)
hesaigo999ca Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 7 OS: windows	Re: Seagate HD Smoking seagate manufatures in US or in taiwan....I see made in taiwan sticker, not made in US...anyways...it would be out of the US hands anyways, they get it , send it back as defective to get THEIR moeny back from the real manufacturers, then get a new one (refurbished) to replace the old one, and the cycle repeats... As for law, I am not an expert on how data recovered on a hdd once it has left the person's hands works, but I am sure what you say does not work, when someone sent their drive to bestbuy to get fixed, and the tech called the cops after finding stuff on there..and he was prosecuted and lost...great US of A for ya! I agree though, I rather not send it out just in case, RIAA and all, I would prefer to replace the diode and see if it works....now if I can just find my camera to take the pics of the hdd themselves to get a proper parts reading from people on this site... : )