Dead Hard Disk Recovery

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Ron Pearson

Reputable
Jun 7, 2014
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I wish to recover data from my dead hard disk, which stopped working after a power surge. I wondered if I can get the controller board working again if I remove the TVS diodes.

How do I locate TVS diodes? (pic included below) Should i short the ends with jumpers or just rip the diodes off?

Other info: please see the pics.
http://postimg.org/image/sc650bb0d/
http://postimg.org/image/lr5tjlur7/

Model: Seagate ST3500418AS.

I cannot even obtain the SMART status, nor read or write. But somehow the storage capacity and model show on the computer, and the disk vibrates, indicating that it is rotating inside. Can't hear clicks, so I hope it's fine in there.

UPDATE:
I have located the TVS diodes, but I'm not sure if I should short them or rip them off. They're located in below pic. Which ones should I short?
http://postimg.org/image/wa94te23d/
 
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Ron Pearson

Reputable
Jun 7, 2014
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4,510
I'm trying only to recover the data... Before crash, the HD did have some 5 bad sectors in SMART, but the diagnostics said a "warning". So I thought to only recover the data and get a new HDD. It's 5 years old anyway.

So I don't want to buy a donor board because it won't be of further use to me. The specialists are quoting the same price for recovery, so I thought to do it myself. Only want my documents and especially mobile pics.

UPDATE:
I have located the TVS diodes, but I'm not sure if I should short them or rip them off. They're located in below pic. Which ones should I short?
http://postimg.org/image/wa94te23d/
 
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Ron Pearson

Reputable
Jun 7, 2014
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@fzabkar Then what do you think is the problem? According to the disk utility, the drive's firmware cannot be detected, nor can its SMART status. When i try to do a benchmark test on read operation or r/w it gives an error. But I can see three "unknown" partitions and I have exactly 3 partitions on drive.

http://postimg.org/image/sc650bb0d/

EDIT: my hard disk failed after a power surge, so... I think it's PCB related :-/
 
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Ron Pearson

Reputable
Jun 7, 2014
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4,510


@fzabkar Thanks for helping me. I have tried loading the hard disk many times. One time it suddenly showed me the firmware and SMART status, I don't know how. But then efforts to mount the drive plainly give me "input output error". I tried reading the /dev/sdb device but it shows me nothing: 0 bytes along with I/O error and blames it on "SoftRAID/FakeRAID or hardware fault.

i.e. I cannot read even binary of the device, even with root permission.

I will try one more time. It happened to come up for once with the SMART status. It says 4096 sectors reallocated and disk failure is imminent.

UPDATE: I have since repeatedly been trying to read even the binary of the hard disk, but with failure. Even the firmware version and SMART does not show. Just plain I/O error. (except that one rare occasion)
 
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Ron Pearson

Reputable
Jun 7, 2014
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4,510


I actually searched a lot before i tried to bother you again. Than you so much fzabkar for your help. I cannot find where is the drive's serial diagnostic port :-( Sorry if I sound hard-disk-illiterate :-/

And where can I download this congen program?
 
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fzabkar

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Sep 22, 2010
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