HDD Help!

Lubey · 05-29-2009, 08:45 AM

greetings;
errm I posted a thread the other day about my woes with my computer, thankfully that's over now, but in the process a 'mate' has messed up the HDD, hence my current post!

In offering to assist me fixing with my computer, he stuck my hard disc into his computer so we could try and reinstall XP or retrieve some of the files. Turning the computer on, he told me that some smoke came out of the hard drive. I then put the hard drive back to the broken computer to see if it worked, unfortunately the system wouldn't even power up, I then tried the hard drive as a slave and again no power.

So my question is this; is there anything I can do to retrieve the files or repair the hard drive?, and I mean ANYTHING- even computer shops, just something, I really want and need the files of, of it.

Any help or advice is much appreciated.

**raptor_pa** · 05-29-2009, 09:36 AM

What is the make and model of the hard drive? Sounds like this is an internal drive not in an external USB enclosure - correct? Post a clear closup picyure of teh component side of the Printed circuit board attached to the back of the hard drive, if the components are on the bottom side of the PCB there will be 4 - 7 torx head srews holding it on, remove those and carefull, remove the card holding it by the edges then get the pic. Sounds like most likey a TVS diode blew and should be easily identifiable. You will be able to desolder the diode from the board, and the drive should spin so you can recover your data. The drive cannot be run in this state for extended use since the overvoltage protection will be removed, and another voltage spike would cause damage to more sensitive, much harder to replace components.

Lubey · 06-01-2009, 07:31 AM

Geez, that sounds like a bit of risky business! A tutor at college said that once she (not in relation to this problem, just a random rabble!) took a hard drive apart and it was magnetic! So I'm worried about making the problem worse that it already is, but you assure me that there is hope?! I mean I don't mind getting a new hard drive, I just want my files :(. Could I possibly send it to you and you could fix it for me... I mean I wouldn't mind paying you for your trouble, but if you were to make it worse, then I'd be killing you instead of the moron that broke it, lol! Oh and to answer your questions;

1) internal HDD
2) 'Hitachi Deskstar', but I'm at my local library :(, so I don't have the much information on me

**raptor_pa** · 06-01-2009, 07:40 AM

You won't be opening the drive, that is never a good idea for the end user - you will simply be removing the printed circuit board from the back. I'd never try to walk anyone through internal operations.. I destroyed the first 15 or 20 I opened in the clean room LOL. The PCB is pretty easy though and very safe. Just need the pic to be able to identify the TVS's. And yes there are a couple of pretty heavy duty magnets inside the drive that move the heads back and forth with the voice coil. Unfortunately if you were to send it to me, I'd have to process it through the lab, which would be a whole lot more than cost wise :) This is one I think you can handle, all it requires is a bit of basic soldering skill.

Lubey · 06-01-2009, 07:53 AM

Oh, very quick reply.

This is an idea of the under side of the HDD;

[IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\Public\Desktop\hitachi-7k160-bottom[/IMG]

But I'l take a pic or something and post it soon as. Also, what do you mean by PCB and TVS?

**raptor_pa** · 06-01-2009, 08:44 AM

The PCB is the green printed circuit board, to the left of th pic youposted. You won't need to remove it from your drive for the pic, the component side is visible, get a clear pic as close-up as you can of that area of your drive and post it. I'll mark the component we are looking at in that pic.

05-29-2009, 08:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
Lubey Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4 OS: XP	HDD Help! greetings; errm I posted a thread the other day about my woes with my computer, thankfully that's over now, but in the process a 'mate' has messed up the HDD, hence my current post! In offering to assist me fixing with my computer, he stuck my hard disc into his computer so we could try and reinstall XP or retrieve some of the files. Turning the computer on, he told me that some smoke came out of the hard drive. I then put the hard drive back to the broken computer to see if it worked, unfortunately the system wouldn't even power up, I then tried the hard drive as a slave and again no power. So my question is this; is there anything I can do to retrieve the files or repair the hard drive?, and I mean ANYTHING- even computer shops, just something, I really want and need the files of, of it. Any help or advice is much appreciated.

05-29-2009, 09:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,857 OS: XP	Re: HDD Help! What is the make and model of the hard drive? Sounds like this is an internal drive not in an external USB enclosure - correct? Post a clear closup picyure of teh component side of the Printed circuit board attached to the back of the hard drive, if the components are on the bottom side of the PCB there will be 4 - 7 torx head srews holding it on, remove those and carefull, remove the card holding it by the edges then get the pic. Sounds like most likey a TVS diode blew and should be easily identifiable. You will be able to desolder the diode from the board, and the drive should spin so you can recover your data. The drive cannot be run in this state for extended use since the overvoltage protection will be removed, and another voltage spike would cause damage to more sensitive, much harder to replace components. __________________

06-01-2009, 07:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
Lubey Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4 OS: XP	Re: HDD Help! Geez, that sounds like a bit of risky business! A tutor at college said that once she (not in relation to this problem, just a random rabble!) took a hard drive apart and it was magnetic! So I'm worried about making the problem worse that it already is, but you assure me that there is hope?! I mean I don't mind getting a new hard drive, I just want my files :(. Could I possibly send it to you and you could fix it for me... I mean I wouldn't mind paying you for your trouble, but if you were to make it worse, then I'd be killing you instead of the moron that broke it, lol! Oh and to answer your questions; 1) internal HDD 2) 'Hitachi Deskstar', but I'm at my local library :(, so I don't have the much information on me

06-01-2009, 07:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,857 OS: XP	Re: HDD Help! You won't be opening the drive, that is never a good idea for the end user - you will simply be removing the printed circuit board from the back. I'd never try to walk anyone through internal operations.. I destroyed the first 15 or 20 I opened in the clean room LOL. The PCB is pretty easy though and very safe. Just need the pic to be able to identify the TVS's. And yes there are a couple of pretty heavy duty magnets inside the drive that move the heads back and forth with the voice coil. Unfortunately if you were to send it to me, I'd have to process it through the lab, which would be a whole lot more than cost wise :) This is one I think you can handle, all it requires is a bit of basic soldering skill. __________________

06-01-2009, 08:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,857 OS: XP	Re: HDD Help! The PCB is the green printed circuit board, to the left of th pic youposted. You won't need to remove it from your drive for the pic, the component side is visible, get a clear pic as close-up as you can of that area of your drive and post it. I'll mark the component we are looking at in that pic. __________________