Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (
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"BobbyUK" wrote:
> Brian, was you ever able to fix your Hard Drive? I now have a
> smilar problem. The Disk drive Spindle chip has a burn mark
> in it. So it no longer spins up. (The smallest of the chips).
> A recovery company said they would get a similar chip (as they
> could not get the exact one from WD). They would Ask WD about
> the firmware and modify it to accomodate the chip they would
> replace. Cost 740 uk pounds for a 50 pound disk.
>
> However, I am now looking for a circuit board, but only if I
> know there is a chance of getting the data off the disk.
>
> Details;
> MDL: WD1200JB-00EVA0 (The 00 is the distributer, EV the
> Revision, A0 the firmware.)
> Date: 6 May 2004
> DCM: HSBHCTJAH The JAH refers to the Head assemby.
>
> If I can find the chip (which has scorch mark through it), I
> would replace the chip, but I can't read the number.
>
> Does anyone out there have this exact model in working order.
> I would purchase it from them or give them a brand new higher
> capacity drive in exchange.
>
> Bob.
I have cut and pasted this from another forum which helped me repair
my Hard disk.
Hard Drive Repair Success – thanks to Action Forum, by changing the
Firmware Chip at the U12 Position on the Circuit Board. A Board swap
does not always work, as you have to match the Firmware on the Disk
Platters with the Firmware on the Serial Chip on the board. If the
original board is blown, it usually will not spin up. By swapping the
board, the drive will spin up but may not be recognised in bios of the
PC. If it is seen by Bios, you may not see any data. You will have
to swap the Firmware chip to the good board to be able to see the
data. Also the DCM code should match as should the serial number in
full.
http://forums.actionfront.com/showthread.php?t=635
Yes, I have repaired the hard disk, much to my amazement and
happiness.
When I described the problem in detail to data recovery companies in
the UK, I think they knew what the problem was and how quickly it
would be fixed, but they all gave me the “White Room Recovery” line.
However, I had read that 95% of all data recovery was possible without
opening the hard disk and accessing the platters, so I persisted in
trying to find out. Luckily for me I came across Action Fronts Web
site.
I work in Helpdesk support, but we keep good backups at work. This
disk was my friends who is a wedding photographer and had not backed
up his data.
How I did it.
On the blown board, I used dentist type tools (bought from Maplins, a
local electronics store) to lift up the legs of the chip from one
side, while heating them up with my standard soldering iron. I managed
to bend the legs and lift up one of the pads and the track. I heated
each pin again, and used a sharp point to separate the solder from the
legs. On the otherside of the chip, I used the side of the soldering
iron and managed to heat the four pins and push the chip off the pads.
Having practiced with the blown board, I used a pair or tweezers to
hold the chip nearest the pins being heated on the good circuit board,
and heated all the pins and pulling on the chip. The chip raised up
but the solder underneath also lifted up in points. I heated each pin
and used a sharp point to separate the solder from the pins. I then
heated the legs on the other side of the chip and pushed the chip away
from the pads.
I soldered one leg from the required chip, onto the donor new circuit
board. Posited the other legs and heated all the legs, one side at a
time. Reassembled the board onto the faulty drive and inserted the
drive into my PC Caddy. When I powered up the PC, the Bios recognised
the drive as a Western Digital and the PC booted up normally. Opening
Windows Explorer I saw the drive. I made a new folder on another
drive, highlighted all the files from the now fixed drive and dragged
all the files to the new folder. The files started copying 80Gb of
data and said it would take 70 minutes. It is currently copying the
data. To all intents and purposes, the drive is now OK but I am
copying it just in case my friend messes up again. The drive came from
an external USB Caddy, with an external power supply, which must have
surged. Now the new drive is no longer working as I have removed it’s
Circuit board and it is on the old faulty drive but it was a necessary
80 Pounds spent, getting it from ebay and shipping it from Germany to
the UK.
Removing the IC was not easy without the proper tools. The tools I
used and the method I used was not the correct one. I have seen it
done properly on the internet with a proper hot air gun and a solution
called Quick Chip. I may have damaged the pads and circuit board of
the donor board and would have been down 80 UK pounds, but all worked
out. I also bought security screw driver, a new soldering iron (my old
one died last year), and a magnifying glass with bulb. (I now wish I
had bought one with a tube light as the bulb kept burning my hand,
well made it very hot !!), dentist type tools and a pack of tweezers.
Plus trying to find some time to sit down and fix the board.
Now that I know what is involved, and know where the problem lies, I
would be more inclined to barging with the Data Recovery company or
some other company who specialises in soldering and has a rework
station to exchange the chips. The cheapest data recovery I found in
the UK, was 300 pounds.
Thank you Action Front and thanks especially to John and Dmitry of
Action Front and the Guru. The internet has indeed been used for what
it was indented; the exchange of information and helping ones fellow
man.
Thanks Once Again.
Amit.
** If this post helped you, please send me an e-mail. I always like
to hear of a successful outcome. AmitVirdi.remove@hotmail.com
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