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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Storage > Hard Drives > Blew fuses on my hard drives... is recovery possible/easy?

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

Forum Storage : Hard Drives Blew fuses on my hard drives... is recovery possible/easy?

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!

Reply to ksot

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.

Reply to nocheese

There's no fuse but there may be diodes on your drive that serve the same purpose. Google "TVS diode"

Reply to FreeDataRecovery

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?

Reply to ksot

You don't need Data Recovery, just Diode Removal. If you are lucky, it will cost you nothing.

If you have trouble locating the shorted TVS diode, upload a detailed photo of the component side of the PCB(s).

Reply to fzabkar

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!

Reply to ksot

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.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to kingnoobe

kingnoobe wrote :

+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.

------------------------------ ____________________
Intel Core i5-2500K @ 4.75Ghz/ASUS P8P67 PRO/EVGA SC GTX 560 Ti/CORSAIR 850HX PSU/Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB SATA III/SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB x 2 (Raid 1 Storage)/CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB DDR3 1600/CM HAF 932/CORSAIR H70
Reply to pacioli

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.

Reply to ksot

Removing the diode is a permanent fix. However, the next overvoltage may kill your drive.

You can replace the 12V TVS diode with an SMBJ12A, and the 5V diode with an SMAJ5.0A. Both are available from Mouser, Digikey, Farnell.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to fzabkar

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!

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to ksot

ksot wrote :

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

Reply to Ubrales

Alright well... I guess it's certainly worth it to try to save my data. Here is the pic finally.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

What say oh wise ones? Which little block thingy do I remove and how do I do it?

Message edited by ksot on 03-17-2011 at 06:28:08 AM

Reply to ksot

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.

Reply to ksot

What do I do folks?

Reply to ksot

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. :-(

Reply to fzabkar

Should I try swapping the board from the replacement drive they sent me? Looks like I'll be using it anyway.

Reply to ksot

You can try, but I suspect that the drive will just spin up and click.

Reply to fzabkar

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!

Reply to ksot

fzabkar wrote :

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

Reply to mskhuranaa

What is your model number?

Reply to fzabkar

It is WD Caviar Blue hdd of model WD500AAKS-00D2B0

Reply to mskhuranaa

The WD5000AAKS has a 12V TVS diode at D4 and a 5V TVS diode at D3. Also check zero-ohm resistors R64 and R67. These components are located near the SATA power connector.

Reply to fzabkar

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

Reply to mskhuranaa

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. :-(

Reply to fzabkar

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with me. I can't transfer adaptive data, so here I give up idea of recovery of data, I am sending it for replacement under warranty.

Reply to mskhuranaa

Thanks guys, just today i replaced a 12V TVS diode on my WD green (from external WD case) and it works after being overvolted with 18Volt power supply three years ago (yes I left it alone for that long "knowing" there is no easy solution. Oh I was so wrong! and no, I was not intended to 'run' on 18V, somebody switched the voltage higher! this thread helped too: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/foru [...] wer-supply

Message edited by SuperVeloce on 04-13-2012 at 01:08:51 AM

Reply to SuperVeloce