Blew fuses on my hard drives... is recovery possible/easy?

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ksot

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I don't know how I did it but when I switched power supply on my computer all of my hard drives and CD drives simultaneously went dead. They no longer respond to anything. I'm assuming I blew the fuses or whatever they're called, I'm just wondering if theres any way I can recover the data from the main hard drive myself? I imagine it would all be in tact and everything... since it didn't die in the usual fashion. Any luck for me?

Thanks!
 

nocheese

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If all of your drives went dead at once then it is more than likely a problem with your power supply or the power supply connection (were all drives coming from the same plug and distributed with a power splitter?)

That said, I have never seen fuses on a hard drive nor optical (CD or DVD drive).

if the hard drive is really dead, then you won't be able to recover the data yourself will probably have to be sent out. if it is just a power supply issue, then replacing the power supply should fix everything. Also drive would be able to be put into another machine (or external case or USB adapter) to access the data.
 

ksot

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Yeah I think I suffered a voltage spike when I plugged my new PSU into the socket without a surge protector like an idiot. All drives were connected to the same power splitter, yes. I tried putting one of the hard drives into an external case and it was just as unresponsive as in the computer. Doesn't even spin or anything. Looks like I'll be buying some new ones and paying a pretty penny for data recovery =/

Any suggestions on a company to use for that?
 

ksot

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OOOOOhhhh nice, that is very interesting. I just checked and I apparently don't even have the type of screw driver needed to open this hard drive to get to the PCB, but I will pick one up tomorrow or Wednesday and upload that pic for you.

Would removing the Diode fix it permanently or should I hurry up and get the data off if it works and get a new drive? Cause I sort of already got an advanced warranty replacement sent today, hehe...

Thanks a bunch!
 

kingnoobe

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Before you buy a new hdd, I suggest replacing the psu. Otherwise you might end up with the same problem. I would never use a psu again when everything on the same rail "just went out". To me it seems your new psu is crap.
 

pacioli

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+1

Always, always, always buy a Power supply from a reputable company. Bad power supplies cause pain and kill your hardware before it's time. If it's does not fry the hard drives it'll fry the video card. If it does not fry the GPU it'll fry your motherboard. Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, Corsair, XFX, Thermaltake, or Corsair (yes I am an unabashed Corsair fanboi but the other manufacturers seem to put out good product too). When in doubt check jonnyguru's site to see which PSUs are recommended there.
 

ksot

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It's funny because I bought the most expensive PSU at Fry's Electronics, a Thermaltake Toughpower 1200 (expecting to return it after testing). I am going to go back to the old PSU anyway, because now I think it wasn't my problem after all. I kept having a problem where my video card would shut down out of the blue. I now believe that was due to brownouts from a shoddy outlet and have ordered a UPS. I will test it with the old PSU to see if the problem persists then if not I can at least narrow down the issue a bit.
 

ksot

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Blah, bought the wrong sizes Torx screwdrivers... will rectify later tonight hopefully.

A question. I already got an advanced warranty replacement drive sent to me from Western Digital. If this all works, I would prefer to just copy my data over to the new drive and send the old one back to the company. But would me having tampered with the drive (removing the diode) void the warranty? I will call them tomorrow to ask if nobody knows for sure.

Thanks!
 

Yes, any kind of tampering, even sneezing or coughing on the HDD will void the warranty!
 

ksot

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BTW there was a foam covering over that which had a tiny hole burned through it over that chip thingy on the bottm left that appears to be fried... that can't be good.
 
The TVS diodes didn't protect your drive. :-(

The burnt chip is the motor controller. Unfortunately location U12 on the PCB is vacant, so the "adaptive" information is stored in the Marvell MCU (big "M"). This means that you will need to be very lucky with a board swap.

In short, there is no real DIY solution. :-(
 

ksot

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It didn't even spin at all o_O That thing must really be crispy... oh well, time to let go of my data and start fresh I guess. I hope everything works with my power once the UPS gets here. *fingers crossed*

Thanks a bunch for your help fzabkar and everyone else!
 

mskhuranaa

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Sir,

My 500 GB WD hdd has become dead due to malfunctioning of ups which damaged motherboard also.

Can you suggest some solution to fix the hdd for recovering its data befroe sending it for replacement under warranty?

Please e-mail me on mskhuranaa@gmail.com.

Thanks!

-MS Khurana
 

mskhuranaa

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Sir,
Thank you very much. My hdd is under warranty. changing of diodes will ruin its warranty.
Can I get another pcb and replace it for data recovery. Is it possible to replace pcb without spoiling its warranty?
-Manjeet
 
Unfortunately each PCB has unique, drive specific "adaptive" data. In your case they are stored inside the Marvell MCU. These adaptives would need to be transferred from patient to donor. That's not a DIY job. You would need to be very lucky for a replacement PCB to work without such a modification. :-(
 
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