Data recovery, data board has scorch mark; how to proceed?

[d3v]

Hi all. I'm helping a friend of mine whom is a freelance photographer.

He said his external hard drive started to smoke and smell of burn so he quickly disconnected the power and now wants me to try to salvage his valuble data that contains a lot of his recent work.

A close look at the data board reveals one of the micro components has a scorch mark surrounding it (see photo). Now here are my options...

1. Simply connect the drive and proceed with data recovery. If the data board burns further, so be it!
2. Source and replace the data board outright, then proceed with data recovery.


My question to you guys is if I go with option 1 and the data board starts to burn again, would it possibly damage the internal machanics of the hard drive, at all? There's been quite a few occasions where a motherboard or other component has burnt and sparked, yet continued to work just fine, so that is why I'm considering option 1, but want to be 100% sure any damage is confined to the replacable data board and not the inside of the drive.

Thanks for reading all that!

 

[Encrypted Existence]

Looks like the next step would be to swap the PCB with a good one. There is a chance that if you proceed with "option 1" that data could be lost. Not likely but still a chance.

 

[phaZed]

I don't know how you do with soldering, but that piece can *probably* be removed entirely to make the board work again.

It is connected to ground and 5v+ as seen here:
http://pinouts.ru/Power/sata-power_pinout.shtml

which leads me to believe that the component is a TVS Diode (Transient Voltage Suppression), and serves the function of providing the circuit with a voltage stabilization on the 5v rail and protection from voltage spikes.

Being as the component is connected from Ground to the 5v+, it fried when it short circuited and failed. One of two things will happen now... either is is causing a short circuit, or the component is OPEN, and not conducting at all (Which is what you would have if it were removed). The power supply of the external drive is 80% certainly the point of failure.

Personally, I would remove the part and try the drive again for data recovery. I would not salvage the drive for extended use.

Is any writing visible on the burnt component?

Check this post out... info and replacement part info:
http://forums.seagate.com/t5/Barracuda-XT-Barracuda-Barracuda/HDD-TVS-diode-FAQ/m-p/118908#M25521

 

[d3v]

Wow phazed, you certainly know your stuff!

Under the magnifying glass the small semiconductor reads...

QE R704

The manufactuers logo is so small that I just cannot read it!

I can certainly de-solder it if neccesary. What do you reccomend?

 

[Larry Sabo]

That is a TVS diode. The external enclosure power is probably kaput, as is its controller board. Depending on the make/model of the enclosure, you may be able to just remove the burnt TVS then directly connect the drive to another system for data recovery. Do NOT reconnect it to the original enclosure. Some external controllers (e.g., some HP MyBooks and Passports) encrypt the drive, so if their controller is toast, you need to take it for professional data recovery.

 

[d3v]

Yeah just read phaZed's link and it does say you can simply snip it off with pliars and the drive should then work.

I intend to connect the drive to the external SATA bay on my coolermaster PC case and the drive should simply install and let me retrieve the files within Windows.

I think I'll de solder it rather than use pliars just incase I crack the PCB.

It is an external seagate ST3250820AS hard drive.

 

[d3v]

Ok I've de soldered the little chip off and cleaned up with solvent. Does this look OK and can I now connect this safely to my PC for data retrieval?

 

[d3v]

OK just dived ahead and connected the drive to my PC and WIndows instantly recognized/installed it and all the data is right here intact ready to transfer!

Incredible! But I wonder would would of happend if I connected it without removing that diode first?? Anyone know???

And phaZed, thank you!

 

[phaZed]

OK just dived ahead and connected the drive to my PC and WIndows instantly recognized/installed it and all the data is right here intact ready to transfer!

Incredible! But I wonder would would of happend if I connected it without removing that diode first?? Anyone know???

And phaZed, thank you!

Good job! Congratulations!

Two things could have happened if you connected with the diode...

1. Could have worked.. is possible the diode is OPEN (nothing connecting inside)

2. Could have kept letting the smoke out of the diode and/or causing a PS fault.


On a side note, I wish I could get as lucky as you to have a "scorch" mark on the drive... never seems to be that easy when i get one!

 

[OldSchoolPC]

On a side note, I wish I could get as lucky as you to have a "scorch" mark on the drive... never seems to be that easy when i get one!

Exactly. A scorch "mark" is usually a whole section of the PCB. lol. The OP is very lucky, as is the End User.

 

[compnet]

Thank you phazed!! Who do I make the check out to?

I had a drive that smoked on me, checked and it had a busted diode. Remembered this thread, googled diode site:technibble.com, everything looked the same. I desoldered the diode and I'm transferring the data off now.

Interestingly, this was an internal IDE drive hooked up to a bench machine with a known good P/S, and I hooked the drive up to the same P/S on the same rail after removing the diode.

I love TN... this would have been sent off to data recovery if I didn't read this thread.