Dead WD drive (PCB burnt)

[internetlad]

I've got a WD Caviar SE with a burnt up PCB and trapped pics and video. Model is WD2500JB-22REA0 and PCB is 2060-701292-001 REV A

Does anybody have/know of a place i can get a replacement PCB for this drive? If I get a replacement PCB is there even a good chance it would work? It's an obvious burn on the drive PCB chip, didn't go through the board. I wasn't home at the time, my wife just called me at lunch one day and said "Your computer is saying it can't find the boot drive or something" and I was like :/

I had read this is a common problem with WD drives (Overheating) and I had also read (From a data recovery site, so taken with a grain of salt) that replacing the PCB isn't often very effective. How much truth is there to this? should i just bite the bullet and send it away for the hefty fee?

 

[John_VanKirk]

Hi there,

Whereas we do the disk initialization, partitioning, and file system installation, WD does low level formatting setting the timing and parameters for the disk model and version specifically for those drives. It's configured in one specific chip on the PCB, and unless you find the exact model, revision and very close date, it won't be the same (almost certainly won't work).

Before doing anything else, connect it to a functioning windows computer and see, with a power cable connected if it spins up, and then with the data cable connected, if any files are readable. It if does spin up possibly one of the data recovery programs, like Easeus Data Recovery Wizard (free on their web site), might be able to retrieve your data. If the PCB board has just a bad capacitor, you still might have a little time to be able to extract data from it.

 

[internetlad]

Tried that, doesn't spin up at all, and one of the chips is totally cooked on the PCB (Large, noticable burn marks through the plastic casing of the chip), but not burnt totally through the board. I don't think it's just one of the caps but one of the controller chips.

 

[John_VanKirk]

Tried that, doesn't spin up at all, and one of the chips is totally cooked on the PCB (Large, noticable burn marks through the plastic casing of the chip), but not burnt totally through the board. I don't think it's just one of the caps but one of the controller chips.

If the drive won't spin up, there's not a lot you can do. You could try to find the exact PCB make, model revision # and see if replacing it works. Cost < $100. Look on Ebay. Data recovery can get very expensive thru a commercial concern.

 

[internetlad]

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-WESTERN-DIGITAL-WD2500JB-00REA0-250GB-IDE-CAVIAR-SE-/310327756059?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4840f9c51b

Found those bad boys on ebay. Hard drive model number is the same (WD2500JB-22REA0) PCB appears to be the same (kind of blurry in the picture but appears to be 2060-707292-001 Rev. A) and the manufacturing date is a month off. Mine is May '06, these drives are March '06.

The only noticable difference I can find is the DCM # which i don't think matters in this case, and that on my drive the cover is regular aluminum and on these drives it's painted black. Other than that they appear to be, for all technical purposes, identical.

Do you have any prior experiences with this sort of thing? The drives are a month apart in manufacturing, would there have been a firmware update in that time? I'm not sure how fastidious WD is about that kind of stuff on their drives.

 

[John_VanKirk]

If yours is Rev A, and the same Firmware number, I'd give it a try!

Here is a link to how to exactly match a WD PCB and firmware chip. If your firmware chip is not burnt, and the new PCB board doesn't work, there are several inexpensive services that can swap the chip into the otherwise same PCB board.

http://www.harddrive-repair.com/hard-drive-parts.html

WD must have good records on Rev # and Firmware numbers, it anything changed during that 2 months. I have found them very helpful regarding any other their products, in warranty or out. Their 800 telephone number is (800) 275-4932.

 

[internetlad]

Thanks for your help and advice, I'll probably give it a try if i can get my hands on those drives. Hope I don't spark a bidding war :/

 

[John_VanKirk]

Let us know how it works out!

 

[leon2046]

check this link: http://www.hddzone.com/wd-2060701292001-ide-l-model-pcb-p-61.html

This site provides lots of replacement pcb for WD drives.

Here is also an guide for pcb replacement: http://www.hddzone.com/conditions.html

 

[fzabkar]

If this is your board ...

http://www.ledisquedur.com/img/p/84-72-thickbox.jpg

... then you will need to transfer the 8-pin serial flash memory chip at location U12 from patient to donor. This chip stores unique, drive specific "adaptive" information. Some board suppliers include a firmware transfer or ROM transfer service for US$10 - $20. Otherwise, if you are not adept at soldering, your local TV/AV repair shop should be able to do it for you.

Here is one supplier that provides a transfer service:
http://www.hdd-parts.com/10052603.html

 

[internetlad]

If this is your board ...

http://www.ledisquedur.com/img/p/84-72-thickbox.jpg

... then you will need to transfer the 8-pin serial flash memory chip at location U12 from patient to donor. This chip stores unique, drive specific "adaptive" information. Some board suppliers include a firmware transfer or ROM transfer service for US$10 - $20. Otherwise, if you are not adept at soldering, your local TV/AV repair shop should be able to do it for you.

Here is one supplier that provides a transfer service:
http://www.hdd-parts.com/10052603.html

first link is broken, I don't do much soldering but i've done some before and it's really not THAT hard.

 

[fzabkar]

The first URL still works for me.

 

[internetlad]

that's odd, it wasn't working before, must have been my net connection or something. Thanks for the info!

 

[internetlad]

I had seen that before. Any clue if that the site is reputable?

 

[fzabkar]

I prefer not to do business with any board supplier who doesn't offer a "ROM" transfer service as part of the deal, or any supplier who doesn't make it plain that such a transfer is mandatory for certain models. In any case I wouldn't want to do business with any supplier who refers to this chip as "BIOS".

BTW, you may like to investigate these glowing testimonials:
http://www.google.com/search?q=site:deadharddrive.com+leon2046+OR+jamehdd+OR+wdmjys+OR+superbiiz

Do you notice anything similar about them?

 

[fzabkar]

salvationdata,

When your service becomes available, I will add you to my list, as much as I dislike your business practices.

 

[internetlad]

I've come across a drive that has a somewhat similar PCB, I know that there's about a nil chance that it would work, but would trying it on the drive cause any negative effects other than doing nothing at all (what is currently happening anyways?

The PCB from this drive appears to be fine performance wise, i'm just thinking it doesn't match up.

 

[John_VanKirk]

I've come across a drive that has a somewhat similar PCB, I know that there's about a nil chance that it would work, but would trying it on the drive cause any negative effects other than doing nothing at all (what is currently happening anyways?

The PCB from this drive appears to be fine performance wise, i'm just thinking it doesn't match up.

Here is a very good UTube video discussing and showing you about PCB swapping, and in most cases how it won't work with modern HDDS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICR-xw1FYlU

 

[Alin Andries]

I've tried the french site www.ledisquedur.com
TERRIBLE SERVICE, they reply to emails after al months if ever! After more than 3 months I still don't have the product and no sign from them!

Order: #000577 placed on 12/18/2011 15:24:46

From: herralin@hotmail.com
To: guillaume@ledisquedur.com

No one is answering emails, is there anyone there?

From: herralin@hotmail.com
To: guillaume@ledisquedur.com; anca_misyna@yahoo.com
Subject: FW: just payed 7.5 for shipping
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:03:24 +0000

Hi,

When you receive the payment or when you'll send the package could you please send me some kind of an email?
Could you please check your email?
If you don't have the time, is there someone else I could talk to?

Yours,
Alin Andries

From: herralin@hotmail.com
To: guillaume@ledisquedur.com
Subject: just payed 7.5 for shipping
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:58:36 +0000

Hi,

I hope you remember me, with that PCB, since I had no notice whatsoever from you, I presumed the shipment is 7.5 as the last time, I don't know if you received my previous emails so, please, send me the PCB at an address of your choice, mine or that of my brother.

Bank operation CRO number 15001229746 from 20/02/2012

my brother (home)

Andries Dragos..............................

me(office)

Andries Alin
......................................


Yours,
Alin Andries

Hi,

In case you didn't sent the package yet, you could use this alternate delivery address(my brother's home):

.............................

As soon as you tell me how much it cost to ship again, I'll send the payment

Thanks,
Alin Andries

 

[Alin Andries]

To add insult to injury, this guy, Guillaume Delsaux, is sending me now to a chinese site, not a single word about the PCB I bought from him and never received after 4 months.

Thank you so much for nothig!
********************************
Bonjour,

Voici les coordonnées de l’entreprise
http://www.xo.gr/profile/profile-906091431/en/

Je doit rappeler Lundi la chambre de commerce et d’industrie de France en Grêce. Leur bureaux sont fermés à cette heure-ci

Cordialement,

Guillaume Delsaux
Le disque dur
96 rue de caudry
59400 Cambrai
France
guillaume@ledisquedur.com
http://www.ledisquedur.com



De : Alin Andries [mailto:herralin@hotmail.com]
Envoyé : mercredi 21 mars 2012 10:36
À : guillaume@ledisquedur.com; dragosandries@yahoo.com
Objet : ( Toujours pas de vue de la livraison: (

Salut,

Toujours pas de vue de la livraison: (
Environ 10 jours plus tôt, alors que j'étais dans une certaine réunion de travail, j'ai reçu des messages à partir d'un numéro français, mais personne n'a répondu quand j'ai appelé le dos, est-il encore un problème avec le pack?

Quelle adresse avez-vous utilisé pour l'envoyer? Quel est le nombre d'identification - afin que je puisse le retrouver? Y at-il une chance que je puisse réellement obtenir ce PCB?

Bien à vous,
Andries Alin

 

[Alin Andries]

Last email from me to this guy, before signaling him to the authorities:

Hi,

Since you had no real answer about the PCB and directed me to a greek yellow pages entry of a chinese company ( T3 TOMORROW 'S TECHNOLOGY TODAY ) and now I'm receiving emails from yet another chinese vendor of PCB ( Renee Wang, yjtanwei@163.com), should I consider your site a fraud and signal it as such?

Yours,
Alin Andries