Burnt PCB in Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 hard disk

[Esmond Ivers]

I brought a new Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 hard disk. I transferred data from my old hard disk to this new hard disk. I used it for couple of days and it worked normal in that period. After that it suddenly crashed. I contacted my local shop and they said that PCB of the hard disk has been burnt. Replacing the PCB with a new one will make it work. So I got it replaced with the same PCB like the previous one. It has every property similar except for data code, site code and WWN numbers. After they replaced the PCB, I attached the hard disk in my system. It is detected by the system, the disks in it spin but when I open my computer, nothing is shown in it. It is completely blank. I tried connecting it through device manager but it didn’t help. I used BIOS settings to know its status but it showed that it is 0% filled. It is like no data is in it. I thought that the data must be erased, but since it is not detected I can’t even write any new data in it. I asked the vendor from whom I brought it; he had it with him for 3 days after which he said that their tools cannot solve the problem. I contacted some data recovery agencies, but even they couldn’t help me. Does anyone know how to get the data back? If not possible, does anyone know how to make it read and write data in normal manner?

[Faiyaz9]

According to me, such problems are caused when there is a malfunction in the firmware. The 0 GB hard disk space and unable to read or write data is the result of this malfunction. Many times the hardware manufactured is a faulty one. This fault won’t be present in a single piece but will be seen in a whole batch of the hardware that was manufactured at a time. You can check the Seagate’s official website for any notice of this problem. Official websites tend to put notice about the error and their actions regarding it. Check your hard disk’s serial number to see if it is one of the faulty ones. Since the PCB has been damaged, I don’t think that the product will be replaced. They might just replace the PCB and try to recover the data.

[Gameli]

PCB of the hard disk is one of the easiest parts to repair. New PCB can be soldered over the old ones. If the TVS diodes are blown in the PCB then you can solder new TVS diodes over the old damaged ones. It might not work but at least it will show that the data is present. The data recovery agencies that you mentioned use the light logical recovery methods. The data that is written on the hard disk is placed on the ROM chip on the board that is functioned to adaptively store the data. The ROM chip should be moved to the new board. Different manufacturers use different boards with different MCU configuration. So for recovering data, you will need ROM board of Seagate only.

[Lisa Boney]

If this issue is regarding the firmware of your hard disk then, you will need to replace the firmware of your hard disk. You must first find the firmware that is compatible with the donor board. The problem might get complicated if the TVS diodes have damaged the surrounding 0 ohm resistors along with it too. You will find a 8 pinned chip by name 1R2 in your hard disk. That is the ROM; you will need to move it from one hard drive to another. While working with the internals of hard disk, please use anti static gloves. The internal parts are very sensitive and a minute amount of static energy can damage the small parts. Also the soldering machine that you are using should be of good quality.

[Yistor]

The PCB replacement is a good option for solving such problems but it does not work always. In such situation, platter exchange is the only option that remains to recover the data. Another good thing about the platter exchange process is that it does not require compatibility test to decide if it will work in another board or not. With the amount of damage that your hard disk has gained, it seems that even though the data is recovered, reading it with PC3K or Salvation Disk won’t be possible.

[Naq]

I suggest that you should try flashing the firmware setup on the hard disk after you have replaced the PCB. It helped me when I had the same problem. The firmware can be made into a bootable disk. When you flash the firmware, the old code is replaced by a new code in the Service Area of the Platter.

[chuck28]

When the hard disk was in good condition and was working fine did you ever try to disconnect it when it was being powered? Because from what you are describing I think that is what must have happened. It might have caused even if your CPU had experienced a slight shock caused due to push or the cabinet being crashed by some object unknowingly. The shock must have caused a spike in the power supply of the computer; this spike may have damaged the TVS.

[phunsuk]

I too had the same problem with my Seagate hard drive but only difference was that it was over 1 year old. At that time, I successfully set the serial communication with the firmware. Then I used the SMART erase to clear up the bugs. The only problem comes when you try to turn on the hard disk. Many times thee data are not read. The data doesn’t vanish but just doesn’t allow access. Also the partitioning is not allowed after it.

[ErikaGeek]

When you are working on the internals of the hard disk, see to it that the environment is clean. The dust shouldn’t enter the internals as it might cause damage in small parts. Also there should be no fingerprints left on the platters. You can buy disk cleaning solutions to clean the platters. If in any case, any dust particle remains in the internals or fingerprints on platter, data might be lost forever.

[ftytech]

In most cases, you should exchange the BIOS/Main Controller IC before you swap hard drive PCB, in order to make the replacement board compatible with your HDD. Your local repair shop can offer the firmware transfer for $5-$20.