Swap a Hard Drive Controller Circuit
Your hard just quit, and it has some priceless data that isn't backed up.
This is a long shot, but worth trying in some cases.
This is much more likely to work on a brand new drive that just 'quits' (on the leading edge of its 'bathtub curve') than an older one. Especially when it comes to finding a sacrificial clone.
Read the warnings.
Contents
Steps
- Remove the hard drive from the computer or device.
- Examine it carefully for 'hot spots' or other damage on the external controller board.
- Shake it gently and make sure it makes no 'tinkle' noises.
- In a computer, if it was slave or 'cable select', try making it 'master' and plugging it in alone, or plugging it into an external drive adapter (i.e. USB). Try it on another IDE channel
- If it was SCSI, try other ids, and another SCSI controller, if available.
- If the drive is simply INERT, here's one more thing to try.
- MAYBE it's just the drive controller board.
- Inspect carefully and see if the board can be removed without exposing the drive internals. This is usually "YES". If so, carry on. If not, don't bother.
- Buy or find another SACRIFICIAL drive EXACTLY like it. Same model and stepping. Preferably you already have two identical drives from the same time.
- Carefully remove the presumed bad board. Learn everything about how it is connected, how the ribbon cables are attached.
- Be gentle. You don't want to damage connectors. Do not crimp or damage the ribbon cable(s), either.
- Even more carefully remove the good board from the other, working drive.
- Attach the good board to the 'dead' drive and hook it up again, try to mount it.
- If you did everything right and are very fortunate (i.e. no coils in the stepper motor or heads are bad, or an inaccessible analog controller within the casing is not bad), the 'dead' drive will snap to and begin doing its thing, and give you back your data like there was nothing ever wrong with it.
- BACK IT UP. Replace it. Both drives are still condemned. All you wanted was the data.
- If that didn't work, try to re-assemble the sacrificial drive with the working controller board. It should still work. Then re-assemble with the presumed 'bad' board. If that works, it wasn't the externally accessible board.
- If the sacrificial drive does not work when you re-assemble it with its original part, perhaps you should find out why? After all, if you re-assembled this one wrong, perhaps you re-assembled the 'dead' one wrong, so maybe (just MAYBE) there's still a chance. Try again.
- If it still doesn't work, hardware must be more damaged than could be fixed by trivially swapping that outer board.
- Now it’s time to get bold. Swap the drive platters. See related links.
- If it still doesn't work, it was worth a shot. It was either beyond your capabilities, or the hardware was damaged beyond repair.
Tips
- Ground your self!
- When swapping the controller circuit you might need some special tools. Get the right tools!!!
Warnings
- This will void any existing warranty.
