how to fix hard drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter RB
  • Start date Start date
R

RB

Looks like my logic card on my hard drive unit has been damaged. I'm hoping
I can change it out.

This involves getting a replacement board. What's a good source of the ones
used in Quantum hard drives? Are new or used Quantum hard drives still
available?

Also, can I physically change it out fairly simply? By fairly simply, I
mean it would need to unplug, and not need any soldering. It is just an
unplug it thing?

If I can overcome those two problems, then can I simply stick back in and
fire off the computer and everyone's happy (this assumes no damage to disk
surface and/or programs or data)??
 
RB said:
Looks like my logic card on my hard drive unit has been damaged. I'm hoping
I can change it out.

This involves getting a replacement board. What's a good source of the ones
used in Quantum hard drives? Are new or used Quantum hard drives still
available?

Also, can I physically change it out fairly simply? By fairly simply, I
mean it would need to unplug, and not need any soldering. It is just an
unplug it thing?

If I can overcome those two problems, then can I simply stick back in and
fire off the computer and everyone's happy (this assumes no damage to disk
surface and/or programs or data)??
Click to expand...

if it's definately the logic board
you can try to find an identical drive and just swap it out

it will not involve soldering...
(there are a few small screws)
just be sure to take proper anti-static precautions
 
}}} You've posted this what, three times now? It's getting old. {{{

No. Each one is different. I'm on a learning curve as to what the options
are. Each post is asking something a little different.

}}} Try eBay for the same model of your hard drive. That's about your only
option. {{{

I was hoping there are online vendors who sell OEM or used stuff.
Apparently not, though. I couldn't find any. I also hoped there were
companies who specialize in rebuilding hard drives. Coun't find any of
those either.
 
Let's see here... #1 and #2 are indentical. Not much different there. #3
is worded differently, yes, but the gist of the post is still the same.

Your message has been answered many times over. And you've had people
tell you that while there are DATA recovery firms, very few are going to
recover the hardware. The failed drive is usually destroyed in the recovery
process because it's torn down to get to the platters that contain the data.
And you've been told those firms are quite expensive. Usually running in
the thousands of dollars range to recover a few gigs of data. The data is
important. NOT the drive. A new IDE drive costs what? $80 for 120 gigs?
They aren't going to rebuild an $80 drive and charge a client $3500 for it.
It doesn't make sense. Now, a rare or custom manufactured drive or piece of
hardware...maybe.

As far as finding used or OEM suppliers, you must not have searched Google
well enough. Key in the model number of your drive. I've keyed in the
model of three various drives I have here and found many outfits selling new
old stock or used drives at reasonable costs. And again, eBay is still your
best bet. Plenty of used stuff on there. Especially failed hard drives
that still have functional electronics/controllers.

Swapping out a drive controller (ie: "logic board") is not something drive
manufacturers intend users to do. There is no 100% guarantee it's going to
work. It's a hack job. Period. You just have to cross your fingers and
hope for the best. Ideally you want to find a donor that has the same
firmware and same numbers all around. A lot of times the jibberish ID
numbers stuck on a drive label are nothing more than different date codes,
different quality control codes, etc. and the drives are all identical down
to the last detail. But even when you don't find an exact match, an
extremely similar match will sometimes work. Hard drives are precision
devices and the controllers usually contain parameters set for the exact
platter set it was mated with when it left the factory. BUT, again, you do
get lucky... It's a crapshoot... That's all there is to it.

Only you can answer whether or not you can change out the controller easily.
How "mechanically inclined" are you? Can you deal with teeny tiny screws
without letting the screw driver slip and gouge away at a circuit board?
Can you poke and prod, lift and yank... but with the sensitivity to realize
that something is going to break if you try any harder? Or do you just
willy-nilly tear into things and go "oops" when you tore a ribbon cable in
half because you weren't patient enough to see that it's glued down, too,
and not just clipped into the harness? I feel that replacing a controller
is a simple task because I have precision tools and good soldering skills if
something needed to be de/soldered. But someone else looks upon as I work
and thinks I'm a genius...

So, to sum it up... Either pay $$$$ and send it off to a recovery service
if your data is worth $$$$, or take a chance by finding another drive that
is the is the best match possible (same model/capacity, same or similar
physical layout of components, etc) as a donor for it's controller and
consider yourself extremely lucky if you get your data back.



-Steve




#1 - "how to fix hard drive"
------------------
Looks like my logic card on my hard drive unit has been damaged. I'm hoping
I can change it out.

This involves getting a replacement board. What's a good source of the ones
used in Quantum hard drives? Are new or used Quantum hard drives still
available?

Also, can I physically change it out fairly simply? By fairly simply, I
mean it would need to unplug, and not need any soldering. It is just an
unplug it thing?

If I can overcome those two problems, then can I simply stick back in and
fire off the computer and everyone's happy (this assumes no damage to disk
surface and/or programs or data)??
------------------


#2 - "hard drive repair"
------------------
Looks like my logic card on my hard drive unit has been damaged. I'm hoping
I can change it out.

This involves getting a replacement board. What's a good source of the ones
used in Quantum hard drives? Are new or used Quantum hard drives still
available?

Also, can I physically change it out fairly simply? By fairly simply, I
mean it would need to unplug, and not need any soldering. It is just an
unplug it thing?

If I can overcome those two problems, then can I simply stick back in and
fire off the computer and everyone's happy (this assumes no damage to disk
surface and/or programs or data)??
------------------


#3 - "logic card for hard drive"
------------------
I need a logic card to replace a bad one in my hard drive.

My hard drive has a whole bunch of numbers of various kinds on the stickers
on it. Which ones are important to getting a compatible replacement card?

Also, what firm has is likely to have a logic card for a Quantum Fireball
30gb hard drive?
 
}}} You've posted this what, three times now? It's getting old. {{{

No. Each one is different. I'm on a learning curve as to what the options
are. Each post is asking something a little different.

}}} Try eBay for the same model of your hard drive. That's about your only
option. {{{

I was hoping there are online vendors who sell OEM or used stuff.
Apparently not, though. I couldn't find any. I also hoped there were
companies who specialize in rebuilding hard drives. Coun't find any of
those either.
Click to expand...


Did you ever mention exactly what drive make/model/capacity/etc you're
looking for? That would be one of the fairly important bits of info
you might've put in the very first post.


Dave
 
RB,
A 30 BG drive is worth next to nothing even new. The data may be saved by
rebuilding or special recovery techniques/tools but you normally only do
that if the data is worth 10s of thousands cause it costs somewhere in the
thousands to rebuild drive and/or save data. Get yourself a video on how
HDDs are built. Most of it except maybe putting it in the box and loading
on the truck is done by robots. The people that work the lines are largely
unskilled labour and not trained to detect problems
I don't know or want to know what's on the drive but if it doesn't work and
it isn't a fault like cables or power or software take a large hammer, apply
severely to the drive, throw it away and buy a new one. Oh yes just to be
sure apply fire to the old drive till it starts to smoke and melt.

claus

: }}} You've posted this what, three times now? It's getting old. {{{
:
: No. Each one is different. I'm on a learning curve as to what the
options
: are. Each post is asking something a little different.
:
: }}} Try eBay for the same model of your hard drive. That's about your
only
: option. {{{
:
: I was hoping there are online vendors who sell OEM or used stuff.
: Apparently not, though. I couldn't find any. I also hoped there were
: companies who specialize in rebuilding hard drives. Coun't find any of
: those either.
:
:
:
 
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