Was a burnt FFC hard drive connector cable the root of my problem?

[amarcerim8]

I was experiencing problems with my HDD while trying to partition it using diskpart and getting errors associated with I/O. I decided to open up my laptop ASUS K556UQ and check if the HDD had any faults. I used [this video][2] as a reference for checking (as this is unfamiliar territory for me).

Anyway I ended up setting the FCC cable on fire(just a bit of smoke) while mingling with it (DC was plugged in) and quickly removed it from its position. I made a drive with images of the damage done so please check it out.

My questions are: Is the cable the root of my problem? I seem to have noticed some burns on the boards around the HDD which can be seen on the drive pictures. How much damage did I make(in $ please) and can I fix it or should I seek professional help? Do I need the exact same FCC cable if replacement is an option or is there an alternative?

I will appreciate any kind of input as this is quite possibly the biggest computer problem I've had to this date. Due to my ignorance, I'm afraid to move on as I've no idea of how much a setback this is for my PC.

Hope it's enough info

 

[thx1138v2]

Although the pictures are clear enough it's still not possible to see everything that needs to be examined. You may need to pull other boards to examine their opposite sides for damage. The main question is what caused the problem in the first place?

I'd say you need professional help at this point.

BTW, always unplug the transformer and remove the battery from a laptop before working on it.

 

[amarcerim8]

Although the pictures are clear enough it's still not possible to see everything that needs to be examined. You may need to pull other boards to examine their opposite sides for damage. The main question is what caused the problem in the first place?

I'd say you need professional help at this point.

BTW, always unplug the transformer and remove the battery from a laptop before working on it.