Dead hdd, trying to get data.

MonkeyoChaos · 08-05-2009, 07:58 PM

So I have a Sata laptop hdd that I have tried everything I can think of and I can not get anything off of it.

It spins up fine, however there is a slight clicking noise at times, not constant though.

The drive is not detected at all when hooked up internally. Not detected by bios, also tried using Spinright and wasn't detected by that, either in the laptop, or hooked up in my desktop. Also tried hooking it up via enclosre, and the only thing i get in disk management is a drive that is Unkown/unreadable. Again not detected by anything, tried a trial version of Ontrack and that didn't see it.

I have tried ordering the exact same drive (same model #, firmware, etc...). The new drive worked fine, placing the new board on the broken drive did not cause any change, however putting the board from the broken drive onto the new drive causes it to not work, so it looks like the board is at least part of the problem.

I have also tried putting in the freezer to no avail.

I'm totally out of ideas. The drive is a friends and she is quite upset and really wants her data, but unable to afford to send it away for professional data recovery (how much is that anyway, I'm assuming its too much).

Thanks for any help.

P.S. Drive is a Seagate Momentus 5400.2 120 gb. FW: 3.14

**raptor_pa** · 08-05-2009, 08:26 PM

I would guess the momentus has issues with the head or preamp, that is a pretty common problem for them - not that it happens a lot, but that when they fail, that is ofte the failure point. It is possible that the PCB fried, and took out the preamp, but usually with a PCB issue you will also get no spin. Things to keep in mind, freezer is a no no - ise will form on the inside of the drive as the moisture in the air condenses. Avoid spinrite on this drive, even if it does detect it. Spinrite can work on very specific problems, but without a good diagnosis it can kill a drive by reading too aggressively - particularly a drive exhibiting these symptoms. For this drive for recovery, you are probably looking at 1200 and up - I'm sure there are shops cheaper, and probably some good ones. You also might not have had a good match on the PCB. Model and firmware are a good start, also must match the site code, and be close on the date - there are online date code apps that will translate the Seagate date code to a standard date. You should also match the fist three digits of the serial number for best fit. Not sure about the 5400.2, but you also may need to move the ROM chip from the patient board tot he donor board. The reason being some of the drive adaptives are stored on the ROM chip of the PCB rather than the SA tracks of the drive. the old board failing on the new drive could indicate the board is bad, but it also could indicate the adaptives are too different to read the SA tracks to finish initing the drive. Can you post a closeup clear image of the component side of the patient PCB? What is the model number of the drive and the sitecode?

MonkeyoChaos · 08-06-2009, 01:06 AM

model is ST9120821AS
Site code for both is WU

date on the new one is 06456

date on the busted one is 07432

Uploaded some pics of the old and new drive to flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11444775@N08/

**raptor_pa** · 08-06-2009, 05:28 AM

Almost a year differenece in date codes... May 11 2006 and April 22 2007 so there may have been some changes to the PCB. I can't read the numbers on the chips in the pics but the rom is one of the 8 leg chips, in the image - to the right of the MCU ( the square chip that has ST on it) or just above the Samsung DIP chip. Google the numbers to see if one of those is a ROM or NVRAM chip, that is the one that will need replaced from the patient to the donor.

MonkeyoChaos · 08-06-2009, 10:14 PM

Here is the info off of those two chips:

Chip to the right of the MCU:

Broken drive: New Drive

SST 25P05AVG
25vf512 HPAAV V5
20-4c-qae KOR613Q
0704064-AA ST

Chip above samsung dip:

Broken Drive: New Drive:

KG IK
BG BG

Didn't have any luck looking anything up.

Which one is the one that would need to be replaced? And I would be taking the chip off the board from the busted drive and putting it onto the new board?

Also what about the hdd clicking. Think that doing all this will get the drive to possibly work or at least be recognized, or will this just be step 1?

Thanks for the help. It's greatly appreciated, and I'm willing to bang my head against this for as long as it takes if there is some hope of getting this working for just a few minutes to get everything off of it.

**raptor_pa** · 08-06-2009, 10:46 PM

Probably first step, the clicking would tend to lead me to a head swap, and in the clean room, I'd do heads first before a board swap even, just because clicking usually indicates a head issue, but that is something that takes lots of practice to get correct, the PCB swap is about the only chance to get it from home. All the other parameters I had above are matches correct? First three of serials match? That year difference and the difference in the chips is a bit concerning. On the PCB next to those two chips from above, are there any silkscreened identifiers, probably like U## the numbers may vary. It should be the chip above the Samsung, but if there are identifiers, they may offer better identification.

MonkeyoChaos · 08-06-2009, 11:17 PM

First three of the serials match. Just realized my formatting on the last post was horrible so just gonna post that info again:

Chip to the right of the MCU:

Broken drive:
SST
25vf512
20-4c-qae
0704064-AA

New Drive:
25P05AVG
HPAAV V5
KOR613Q
ST

Chip above samsung dip:

Broken Drive:
KG
BG

New Drive:
IK
BG

Don't see any kind of U#.

So what are my chances of being able to swap the heads and get it to work for long enough to get the data. Sending this out and paying 1200 isn't really an option, so I figure worse case scenario I would be killing any chance at ever getting anything off of this, which it's looking like I wont get anyway.

MonkeyoChaos · 08-09-2009, 01:32 PM

One last question.......if I were to take it apart and try replacing the heads......would I be ruining any chance of being able to send this thing away to get data recovered.....or would they still be able to get stuff off of it regardless of what I do (with the exception of taking a hammer to the platters)

Thanks

**raptor_pa** · 08-09-2009, 04:14 PM

You will almost certainly decrease the chances, If the heads drag across the platter it is game over. You will increase the cost of recovery, and decrease the chances, and without proper diagnosis, it's impossible to determine if the heads are actually the problem. If you are considering sending the drive out, then don't even try the heads, you'll spend the money on a donor drive, probably fail, and then the recovery will cost you more....

08-05-2009, 07:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
MonkeyoChaos Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Dead hdd, trying to get data. So I have a Sata laptop hdd that I have tried everything I can think of and I can not get anything off of it. It spins up fine, however there is a slight clicking noise at times, not constant though. The drive is not detected at all when hooked up internally. Not detected by bios, also tried using Spinright and wasn't detected by that, either in the laptop, or hooked up in my desktop. Also tried hooking it up via enclosre, and the only thing i get in disk management is a drive that is Unkown/unreadable. Again not detected by anything, tried a trial version of Ontrack and that didn't see it. I have tried ordering the exact same drive (same model #, firmware, etc...). The new drive worked fine, placing the new board on the broken drive did not cause any change, however putting the board from the broken drive onto the new drive causes it to not work, so it looks like the board is at least part of the problem. I have also tried putting in the freezer to no avail. I'm totally out of ideas. The drive is a friends and she is quite upset and really wants her data, but unable to afford to send it away for professional data recovery (how much is that anyway, I'm assuming its too much). Thanks for any help. P.S. Drive is a Seagate Momentus 5400.2 120 gb. FW: 3.14

08-05-2009, 08:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,801 OS: XP	Re: Dead hdd, trying to get data. I would guess the momentus has issues with the head or preamp, that is a pretty common problem for them - not that it happens a lot, but that when they fail, that is ofte the failure point. It is possible that the PCB fried, and took out the preamp, but usually with a PCB issue you will also get no spin. Things to keep in mind, freezer is a no no - ise will form on the inside of the drive as the moisture in the air condenses. Avoid spinrite on this drive, even if it does detect it. Spinrite can work on very specific problems, but without a good diagnosis it can kill a drive by reading too aggressively - particularly a drive exhibiting these symptoms. For this drive for recovery, you are probably looking at 1200 and up - I'm sure there are shops cheaper, and probably some good ones. You also might not have had a good match on the PCB. Model and firmware are a good start, also must match the site code, and be close on the date - there are online date code apps that will translate the Seagate date code to a standard date. You should also match the fist three digits of the serial number for best fit. Not sure about the 5400.2, but you also may need to move the ROM chip from the patient board tot he donor board. The reason being some of the drive adaptives are stored on the ROM chip of the PCB rather than the SA tracks of the drive. the old board failing on the new drive could indicate the board is bad, but it also could indicate the adaptives are too different to read the SA tracks to finish initing the drive. Can you post a closeup clear image of the component side of the patient PCB? What is the model number of the drive and the sitecode? __________________

08-06-2009, 01:06 AM	#3 (permalink)
MonkeyoChaos Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Re: Dead hdd, trying to get data. model is ST9120821AS Site code for both is WU date on the new one is 06456 date on the busted one is 07432 Uploaded some pics of the old and new drive to flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/11444775@N08/

08-06-2009, 05:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,801 OS: XP	Re: Dead hdd, trying to get data. Almost a year differenece in date codes... May 11 2006 and April 22 2007 so there may have been some changes to the PCB. I can't read the numbers on the chips in the pics but the rom is one of the 8 leg chips, in the image - to the right of the MCU ( the square chip that has ST on it) or just above the Samsung DIP chip. Google the numbers to see if one of those is a ROM or NVRAM chip, that is the one that will need replaced from the patient to the donor. __________________

08-06-2009, 10:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
MonkeyoChaos Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Re: Dead hdd, trying to get data. Here is the info off of those two chips: Chip to the right of the MCU: Broken drive: New Drive SST 25P05AVG 25vf512 HPAAV V5 20-4c-qae KOR613Q 0704064-AA ST Chip above samsung dip: Broken Drive: New Drive: KG IK BG BG Didn't have any luck looking anything up. Which one is the one that would need to be replaced? And I would be taking the chip off the board from the busted drive and putting it onto the new board? Also what about the hdd clicking. Think that doing all this will get the drive to possibly work or at least be recognized, or will this just be step 1? Thanks for the help. It's greatly appreciated, and I'm willing to bang my head against this for as long as it takes if there is some hope of getting this working for just a few minutes to get everything off of it.

08-06-2009, 10:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,801 OS: XP	Re: Dead hdd, trying to get data. Probably first step, the clicking would tend to lead me to a head swap, and in the clean room, I'd do heads first before a board swap even, just because clicking usually indicates a head issue, but that is something that takes lots of practice to get correct, the PCB swap is about the only chance to get it from home. All the other parameters I had above are matches correct? First three of serials match? That year difference and the difference in the chips is a bit concerning. On the PCB next to those two chips from above, are there any silkscreened identifiers, probably like U## the numbers may vary. It should be the chip above the Samsung, but if there are identifiers, they may offer better identification. __________________

08-06-2009, 11:17 PM	#7 (permalink)
MonkeyoChaos Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Re: Dead hdd, trying to get data. First three of the serials match. Just realized my formatting on the last post was horrible so just gonna post that info again: Chip to the right of the MCU: Broken drive: SST 25vf512 20-4c-qae 0704064-AA New Drive: 25P05AVG HPAAV V5 KOR613Q ST Chip above samsung dip: Broken Drive: KG BG New Drive: IK BG Don't see any kind of U#. So what are my chances of being able to swap the heads and get it to work for long enough to get the data. Sending this out and paying 1200 isn't really an option, so I figure worse case scenario I would be killing any chance at ever getting anything off of this, which it's looking like I wont get anyway.

08-09-2009, 01:32 PM	#8 (permalink)
MonkeyoChaos Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Re: Dead hdd, trying to get data. One last question.......if I were to take it apart and try replacing the heads......would I be ruining any chance of being able to send this thing away to get data recovered.....or would they still be able to get stuff off of it regardless of what I do (with the exception of taking a hammer to the platters) Thanks

08-09-2009, 04:14 PM	#9 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,801 OS: XP	Re: Dead hdd, trying to get data. You will almost certainly decrease the chances, If the heads drag across the platter it is game over. You will increase the cost of recovery, and decrease the chances, and without proper diagnosis, it's impossible to determine if the heads are actually the problem. If you are considering sending the drive out, then don't even try the heads, you'll spend the money on a donor drive, probably fail, and then the recovery will cost you more.... __________________