Screw Driver for Servicing WD HDDs?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Charles V
  • Start date Start date
C

Charles V

Can anyone furnish description and/or nomenclature identification for the
type of screw driver required to remove the circuit board retaining screws
used on WD Caviar HDDs.
 
Most likely you do not have sufficient knowledge to perform the task you are
indicating.
If you had the knowledge you would already have the proper screwdriver.
 
someone said:
Most likely you do not have sufficient knowledge to perform the task you are
indicating.
If you had the knowledge you would already have the proper screwdriver.
Click to expand...
I don't think that he was asking for an evaluation of his technical
abilities, was he?
He will need a Torx bit driver.

Rita
 
Rita,
Thanks much for your response to my posting re appropriate screw driver for
the WD drives.
I have found tool catalog references to star, torq & torx drivers ---- and
wasn't sure as to which type to order.
I assume that all three types are probably the same?

I have a defective drive, afflicted with the 'click of death' . I want to
try switching circuit boards with another spare drive of the same
nomenclature, hoping that the problem may be due to a defective circuit
board.

Thanks again for your courtesy,
CharlesV
 
Previously Charles V said:
Can anyone furnish description and/or nomenclature identification for the
type of screw driver required to remove the circuit board retaining screws
used on WD Caviar HDDs.
Click to expand...

Usually Torx No 5.

Arno
 
Previously someone said:
Most likely you do not have sufficient knowledge to perform the task
you are indicating. If you had the knowledge you would already have
the proper screwdriver.
Click to expand...

What kind of attitude is that? Ever thought that some people
actually learn by doing things and occasionaly can benefit
from a bit of help? In addition you confuse knowledge and skill.

Arno
 
Most likely you do not have sufficient knowledge to perform the task you are
indicating.
If you had the knowledge you would already have the proper screwdriver.
Click to expand...

Hi, Rod/Ron.
 
Can anyone furnish description and/or nomenclature identification for the
type of screw driver required to remove the circuit board retaining screws
used on WD Caviar HDDs.
Click to expand...

A hammer and chisel should do it.
 
Charles said:
Can anyone furnish description and/or nomenclature identification for the
type of screw driver required to remove the circuit board retaining screws
used on WD Caviar HDDs.
Click to expand...

Torx no. 8 or 9.

I have a couple of WD drives here - they both take Torx no. 9


Odie
 
Charles V said:
Can anyone furnish description and/or nomenclature
identification for the type of screw driver required to
remove the circuit board retaining screws used on WD
Caviar HDDs.
Click to expand...

Torx size T-8, not T-5, and I verified this with a WD800-JB drive
(80G) and an old 1G WD. Torx drivers look like 6-sided stars. Don't
substitute a regular Allen (hex) wrench or screwdriver or you'll leave
marks that WD will notice, if you decided to send the drive to them.

Why do you want to remove the circuit board? Are you trying to
recover data by swapping it with a board from a working drive of the
same model or repair a broken pin on the cable connector?
 
Thanks for the info ----- I locally located a size T-9 Torx which mates
nicely with the screws on my Caviar 26400 (6.4 Gig).

I'm attempting to get the drive working long enough to recover data.from the
'clicking' drive. I have a 28400 --- although this is an 8Gig drive, the
circuit board is physically identical with the one on the 26400, the same
ICs and identical trace layout.

Unfortunately, changing boards did not solve the clicking problem. I'm now
faced with the decision as to whether to attempt to switch drive R/W arms.
Both drives are two-platter designs but I'm not sure that the 8 gig R/W head
is the same as the one on the 6 gig drive. I've not yet removed the sealing
tape from the 28400.

CharlesV
 
Charles V said:
Thanks for the info ----- I locally located a size T-9 Torx which mates
nicely with the screws on my Caviar 26400 (6.4 Gig).

I'm attempting to get the drive working long enough to recover data.from the
'clicking' drive. I have a 28400 --- although this is an 8Gig drive, the
circuit board is physically identical with the one on the 26400, the same
ICs and identical trace layout.

Unfortunately, changing boards did not solve the clicking problem. I'm now
faced with the decision as to whether to attempt to switch drive R/W arms.
Both drives are two-platter designs but I'm not sure that the 8 gig R/W head
is the same as the one on the 6 gig drive. I've not yet removed the sealing
tape from the 28400.

CharlesV
Click to expand...
I was not upfront re the torx screwdriver - most hdd's use #8 on the
control boards.
You will most likely need other torx screwdrivers if you intend to work
inside the HDA.

Do those two drives have the same version of firmware? How far apart are the
mfg dates?

Have you checked the technical specifications of the 2 drives at WD? If they
are different you are wasting your time.
With those drives I would look at the areal density - you state they are
both 2 platter designs - but one is 6.4 Gb, the other is 8.4 Gb? If you
proceed the first thing to check when you open the two drives - do they
appear physically identical?

I trust you know about ESD, and cleanroom techniques.

What is the value of your data? I guess you are only learning/playing with
hdd's?

Good luck!
 
Charles V said:
I'm attempting to get the drive working long enough to
recover data.from the 'clicking' drive. I have a 28400 ---
although this is an 8Gig drive, the circuit board is
physically identical with the one on the 26400, the same
ICs and identical trace layout.

Unfortunately, changing boards did not solve the clicking
problem. I'm now faced with the decision as to whether to
attempt to switch drive R/W arms. Both drives are two-platter
designs but I'm not sure that the 8 gig R/W head is the same
as the one on the 6 gig drive. I've not yet removed the
sealing tape from the 28400.
Click to expand...

Don't do it because opening the drive will instantly increase the cost
of data recovery by a great deal and will not only quickly contaminate
the drive with dust but by removing the platters you'll destroy the
servo alignment of all but either the very top or very bottom platter,
making it impossible to read anything without special equipment.
Unless you have a friend in the drive repair and data recovery
business, the only practical solution for you is to find another 26400
board because it's possible that the firmware for a 28400 is
programmed differently, such as for 4 heads rather than 3. If you
leave the drive alone, all your data will be lost, but if you open the
drive you'll lose the drive as well.
 
Thanks to all for the advice ---- I've decided that I can get by without
recovering the data on the clicking disk.
I will be doing more extensive back-up in the future
Thanks again,
CharlesV
 
Charles V said:
Thanks to all for the advice ---- I've decided that I can get by without
recovering the data on the clicking disk.
Click to expand...

As a last-ditch attempt, put the drive in a sealable bag and bung it in
the freezer for a couple of hours. Then quickly connect it up to your
PC (perhaps on the secondary IDE) and see if it is now accessible. If
so, copy off any important data to your primary drive as quick as you
can.
 
Thanks Mike,
I tried that earlier with no success. As soon as power was applied, the
drive started clicking immediately and was not recognized.
 
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