HDD - Western Digital 250GB SATA / 8M Cache WD2500AAJS
My drive has fried (from what I can tell) I was doing a couple of custom cables and I switched up the 5v and 12v leads and connected it and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working and then later realized that I may have switched the leads and came to the conclusion that it fried my harddrive.
The harddrive does NOT spin up when connected to power, no sound is made. When I shake the drive while it is turned off it sounds like there is sand inside of it (very fine sand).
The circuitry at the bottom of the board DOES get hot when it is connected to power so it seems like the board may still be alive? I’m not an expert on harddrives by any means so I would REALLY appreciate some assistance on the matter.
I had a lot of important files on this drive and would really like to salvage the data, I will be backing up my data in the future from now on.
I’ll make sure this incident doesn’t happen again, along with this I’ve attached some pictures to show you guys some of the connectors.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww67/Necrodox/IMG_0135.jpg
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww67/Necrodox/IMG_0134.jpg
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww67/Necrodox/IMG_0133.jpg
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww67/Necrodox/IMG_0132.jpg
I hope the pictures help, if you need anymore information about the drive please do not hesitate to ask! I really need to get this information back! Thank you in advance!
I hate to say it… but this sounds like a real candidate to take to a (real) Data Recovery company like the ones listed on WDs site (as opposed to say Best Buys recovery guys). It’s expensive, but considering the damage you caused it might be the only way to get those files back without risking further damage.
None of the photos show the area of interest. Instead they show the typical discolouration which is a consequence of materials changes mandated by RoHS.
What we need to see are the TVS diodes (D3 and D4) and zero-ohm resistors (R64 and R67) in the vicinity of the SATA power connector. You will most probably find that the 5V TVS diode is shorted, and its associated resistor is open. If that is all that is wrong, then there is an easy no-cost DIY solution.
Sorry that I posted the incorrect pictures I thought the discoloration was a result of me frying the harddrives. I’m currently at work so I cannot take pictures of the proper area but as soon as I get home I will take all of the necessary pictures and post them up. Thanks for the replies guys.
The usual result of an overvoltage on the 5V input is a shorted TVS diode at D3. If R67 is also open circuit, then the drive may still be receiving +12V power, which would explain the heating.
Does the board get hot if you power it up on its own? Is the heat coming from the SMOOTH motor controller IC, or from the Marvell MCU (big “M”)?
The heat seems to be coming from the Smooth chip, it is generating the most heat when I run my finger on the board. I feel heat around the big “M” chip but I think that may be heat from the Smooth chip because the heat isn’t intense nor does it feel direct.
As of right now the only one I see to be producing heat is the Smooth chip.
R67 is still an open circuit from what I can tell.
You need to understand the difference between a short circuit and an open circuit. If R67 were visibly open circuit, then it would be burnt. In fact it should normally test as a short circuit, just like a fuse.
Things aren’t looking good for you, but in order to confirm the damage, you should measure the resistances of D4, D3, R67, and R64.
A cheap digital multimeter should only cost around US$10. In fact here’s one for $5:
Cen-Tech 90899 7 Function Digital Multimeter (US$5):
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.html
Cen-Tech 90899 7 Function Digital Multimeter User Manual:
http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/90000-90999/90899.pdf
