WD Elements HDD - NO Power: NOT Spinning

[hdd_user]

Dear All,

I have a WD Elements External hard disk, model “WDBABV7500ABK”.  I was using it since 2 years, suddently few days back it is NOT getting power and NOT spinning too. I am not able to read my data in the disk. When I cotacted WD Support, they asked to do the data recovery myself through authorized data recovery vendor. As it is expensive, I am looking for alternate option to recover my data from disk.

Did any body encounter similar issue (NO power)? Please help to share your suggestions on this.

Thank you.

[Kieren]

Can you try the drive with a different cable? I would start there, if you have not already tried it.

If this does not help, try searching for variations on “WDBABV7500ABK disassemble”. There are some YouTube videos out there. If it won’t run with a different cable, you might be able to access it out of the case in a USB dock. It appears to have a 2.5" SATA drive inside.

[Joe_S]

If it is a USB powered drive try another cable. If it is a powered drive it may be the power supply.

Joe

[hdd_user]

Hi All,

Thank you for the responses.

I have tried with different cables and taken out from the disk and tried but unsuccessful…

Now, I have got identical disk from a friend (we both bought them on same time), and intending to the swap the PCB.

But I am not sure how to remove the PCB from my disk and replace with friend hdd PCB.

Below are the images of my disk. Appreciate for your kind suggestions.

[Hamlet]

Hello,

Please know that replacing the circuit board on a hard drive is not a recommended method for recovering data or drive functions as this will void the warranty on the hard drive. For every hard drive model that Western Digital manufacturers, there are many firmware changes that would make it very difficult to find a circuit board with the same firmware of the defective drive. If you attempt to install a circuit board with a different firmware than the original, this may damage the hard drive further.

[Kieren]

Besides the difficulties of exchanging a PCB, something I’ve never attempted, there is no assurance that doing so would revive the drive. Since you have it out of the case, I would try the following which worked for me with a drive which was failing and reluctant to spin up.

Put the drive in an anti-static sleeve with the drive connectors at the open end. Then put the whole thing in a ziplock freezer bag and stick it in the freezer for at least a couple of hours. Get your direct SATA hookup ready. Get the drive out of the freezer, open the seal on the bag just enough to connect the cables, and start up the system. Feel or listen if the drive spins up. If it does, try to get data off it, most important files or folders first.

[hdd_user]

the disk is having 12 pin input/connector, which is not able to connected with normal SATA adaptor. Can you please tell me about which “direct SATA hookup” you are mentioned here?

Thank you.

[Zatick]

At this stage you seriously want to consider having a data recovery company do the PCB replacement…

You can’t just replace the PCB, you need to swap over your ROM chip to the new PCB as it contains calibration data for your particular HDD, the ROM chip on the new PCB won’t work.

[Zatick]

Also, do not put the drive in an ESD bag and power it, the bags are conductive, which is how they get their static protection properties.

[Kieren]

Good point. I was quoting without thinking, though I have gotten away with it. But you are correct. It’s a bad idea.

Zatick wrote:

Also, do not put the drive in an ESD bag and power it, the bags are conductive, which is how they get their static protection properties.

[hdd_user]

Hi,

You mean, swapping of PCB by ourselves doesnot help in data recovery… 

But I read some where in the net, if we replace the PCB it will work. Please suggest.

Thanks.

[Zatick]

What I mean is that removing the PCB is the easy part. After both PCB’s are removed you need to swap the ROM chip from your old PCB to the new one, before putting the new PCB into your HDD. The ROM chip is surface mount so desoldering that could be challenging, if you cook it then your data is gone for good…