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Disk won't spin up/Possible voltage problem



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 23rd 04, 05:51 PM
Paul
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Default Disk won't spin up/Possible voltage problem

I have a Western Digitial WD800JB. It's a 7200RPM 80GB IDE drive. It
does not spin up. With the disk out of the computer I hold it
vertically and turn the case. I can hear the platters inside turning.
I would like to determine if I am having a voltage problem. If I am
having a voltage problem I'd like to attempt to breathe enough life
into it to get my data back. Has anyone out there dealt with this
type of issue before?

It's still under warranty. Most of my data has been backed up. There
are some pictures and a few documents I'd like to recover.

TIA,
Paul
  #2  
Old April 23rd 04, 06:37 PM
Chris Stolworthy
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"Paul" wrote in message
om...
I have a Western Digitial WD800JB. It's a 7200RPM 80GB IDE drive. It
does not spin up. With the disk out of the computer I hold it
vertically and turn the case. I can hear the platters inside turning.
I would like to determine if I am having a voltage problem. If I am
having a voltage problem I'd like to attempt to breathe enough life
into it to get my data back. Has anyone out there dealt with this
type of issue before?

It's still under warranty. Most of my data has been backed up. There
are some pictures and a few documents I'd like to recover.

TIA,
Paul

I doubt that it is a voltage problem, it IS possible though. IF it just
won't spin then I would guess the drive motor is shot. If you really want
to test the voltage Unplug EVERYTHING except the motherboard and the hard
drive and turn it on and see if it spins up. It *Should* spin up at this
point, assuming of course you aren't running like a 50watt power supply.


  #3  
Old April 24th 04, 01:29 AM
mr potatohead
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Posts: n/a
Default

I've heard of people using an electric drill/screwdriver with a rubber
tip to jump start them. But you'll have to take it apart, which will
void your warranty. And there's no guarantee it will work.
Interestingly, just a couple of days ago I pulled out an old server with
an IBM Ultrastar. It no longer spins up! I'm quite sure the warranty is
expired. If so I'll try that trick.

Paul wrote:

I have a Western Digitial WD800JB. It's a 7200RPM 80GB IDE drive. It
does not spin up. With the disk out of the computer I hold it
vertically and turn the case. I can hear the platters inside turning.
I would like to determine if I am having a voltage problem. If I am
having a voltage problem I'd like to attempt to breathe enough life
into it to get my data back. Has anyone out there dealt with this
type of issue before?

It's still under warranty. Most of my data has been backed up. There
are some pictures and a few documents I'd like to recover.

TIA,
Paul

  #4  
Old April 24th 04, 02:25 AM
Paul
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Chris Stolworthy" wrote in message ...
"Paul" wrote in message
om...
I have a Western Digitial WD800JB. It's a 7200RPM 80GB IDE drive. It
does not spin up. With the disk out of the computer I hold it
vertically and turn the case. I can hear the platters inside turning.
I would like to determine if I am having a voltage problem. If I am
having a voltage problem I'd like to attempt to breathe enough life
into it to get my data back. Has anyone out there dealt with this
type of issue before?

It's still under warranty. Most of my data has been backed up. There
are some pictures and a few documents I'd like to recover.

TIA,
Paul

I doubt that it is a voltage problem, it IS possible though. IF it just
won't spin then I would guess the drive motor is shot. If you really want
to test the voltage Unplug EVERYTHING except the motherboard and the hard
drive and turn it on and see if it spins up. It *Should* spin up at this
point, assuming of course you aren't running like a 50watt power supply.


I did plug it into power with another drive and the other drive spun
up. I switched power connectors and the other drive still spun up.
This drive didn't spin either time. So, I know that my power
connectors are good. The other drive is a WD400JB. It's identical to
the dead drive except its 40GB instead of 80GB.

I'm guessing that I have to uncover the platters in order to get at
the motor and that will pretty much ruin everything since I don't have
a clean room. What are your thoughts on my chances of replacing the
motor? Any recommendations on how to proceed? I'm not looking to
save the drive, just get my data off of it.

TIA,
Paul
  #5  
Old April 24th 04, 02:35 AM
JAD
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Posts: n/a
Default

Paul,

Many will offer outlandish procedures in opening the drive and doing
this and that, which will ultimately lead to No data recovery and a
lot of frustration. If the data is extremely important, a data
recovery company is the only way to go.




"Paul" wrote in message
om...
"Chris Stolworthy" wrote in

message ...
"Paul" wrote in message
om...
I have a Western Digitial WD800JB. It's a 7200RPM 80GB IDE

drive. It
does not spin up. With the disk out of the computer I hold it
vertically and turn the case. I can hear the platters inside

turning.
I would like to determine if I am having a voltage problem. If

I am
having a voltage problem I'd like to attempt to breathe enough

life
into it to get my data back. Has anyone out there dealt with

this
type of issue before?

It's still under warranty. Most of my data has been backed up.

There
are some pictures and a few documents I'd like to recover.

TIA,
Paul

I doubt that it is a voltage problem, it IS possible though. IF

it just
won't spin then I would guess the drive motor is shot. If you

really want
to test the voltage Unplug EVERYTHING except the motherboard and

the hard
drive and turn it on and see if it spins up. It *Should* spin up

at this
point, assuming of course you aren't running like a 50watt power

supply.

I did plug it into power with another drive and the other drive spun
up. I switched power connectors and the other drive still spun up.
This drive didn't spin either time. So, I know that my power
connectors are good. The other drive is a WD400JB. It's identical

to
the dead drive except its 40GB instead of 80GB.

I'm guessing that I have to uncover the platters in order to get at
the motor and that will pretty much ruin everything since I don't

have
a clean room. What are your thoughts on my chances of replacing the
motor? Any recommendations on how to proceed? I'm not looking to
save the drive, just get my data off of it.

TIA,
Paul



  #7  
Old April 24th 04, 03:21 PM
~A_Sammy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If the wire to the motor is broken, or the motor is broken, your pretty much
finished.
If it's stuck you may have a shot.
Put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This will contract
everything.
Have your system ready, back up media ready, install it as fast as you can
and hope it spins up.
If it does, you have about 3 minutes.

Sammy


  #8  
Old April 25th 04, 12:17 AM
do_not_spam_me
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Posts: n/a
Default

(Paul) wrote in message . com...

I have a Western Digitial WD800JB. It's a 7200RPM 80GB IDE
drive. It does not spin up. With the disk out of the computer
I hold it vertically and turn the case. I can hear the platters
inside turning. I would like to determine if I am having a
voltage problem.


Measure the voltages at the drive circuit board with a digital meter
-- cheap, simple, and almost obvious. You can also measure the AC
voltages at the motor contacts, and while I don't know what they're
supposed to be, you can compare them to those of a working WD drive in
the same series, as your WD400JB may be. Be careful not to short any
contacts together or to any metal.

When you tested the drive with another power supply, did you plug it
into the 40-pin cable? If so, try it with the cable disconnected
because some drives will spin only without the cable, indicating a
problem not related to the motor.

It's still under warranty. Most of my data has been backed up.
There are some pictures and a few documents I'd like to recover.


I'm guessing that I have to uncover the platters in order to get at
the motor and that will pretty much ruin everything since I don't
have clean room. What are your thoughts on my chances of replacing
the motor? Any recommendations on how to proceed?


With drives about 100M-1G and larger, the moment you remove the cover
you virtually ruin the drive and at least double the cost of data
recovery.
Also WD motors seem to be installed from the inside, meaning any
replacement requires removing the platters and therefore ruining the
alignment of all but the first platter (it has the servo marks written
on it).

Since you can hear the platters turn, the motor bearings have
obviously not seized, so about the only thing lefts in the motor
itself are the windings, one of which may have shorted. But just
because a motor doesn't run doesn't mean it's bad because the real
problem could be in the chip that drives the motor, and in some
installations that chip can exceed 80C, especially if the drive is
horizontal, has less than .5" of space around it, no air blowing over
the circuit board, and the chip faces the drive body.

The only practical repair you can do yourself is a circuit board swap
from another identical WD800JB drive, but don't assume that all
WD800JBs are identical; look at the suffix to the part number to make
sure they are. I have, for example, a WD1200JB-00DUA3 and a
WD1200JB-75CRA0, and they differ in the number of platters and their
circuit board layouts (I have no idea if the boards are
interchangeable).

If you open the drive, you'll lose your drive and your data and make
data recovery cost much more. If you leave the drive closed you'll at
least get a replacement drive.
  #9  
Old April 25th 04, 12:36 AM
do_not_spam_me
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Posts: n/a
Default

"mr potatohead" "mr potatohead" wrote in message ...

I've heard of people using an electric drill/screwdriver with a rubber
tip to jump start them. But you'll have to take it apart, which will
void your warranty. And there's no guarantee it will work.
Interestingly, just a couple of days ago I pulled out an old server with
an IBM Ultrastar. It no longer spins up! I'm quite sure the warranty is
expired. If so I'll try that trick.


Sometimes if just one winding is bad, the motor can be started by
rotating it about 1/8 turn, which can be done by holding the drive
horizontally and quickly twisting it. But if the problem is stiction
(rare), turning the power on and off while flicking a finger hard
against the top of the drive will often loosen it, but the drive
should sit firmly on a tabletop while this is done. When stiction
exists, turning a motor manually, even by hand, often tears a head off
one of the arms.
  #10  
Old April 26th 04, 03:35 AM
Paul
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

(do_not_spam_me) wrote in message . com...
(Paul) wrote in message . com...

I have a Western Digitial WD800JB. It's a 7200RPM 80GB IDE
drive. It does not spin up. With the disk out of the computer
I hold it vertically and turn the case. I can hear the platters
inside turning. I would like to determine if I am having a
voltage problem.


Measure the voltages at the drive circuit board with a digital meter
-- cheap, simple, and almost obvious. You can also measure the AC
voltages at the motor contacts, and while I don't know what they're
supposed to be, you can compare them to those of a working WD drive in
the same series, as your WD400JB may be. Be careful not to short any
contacts together or to any metal.

When you tested the drive with another power supply, did you plug it
into the 40-pin cable? If so, try it with the cable disconnected
because some drives will spin only without the cable, indicating a
problem not related to the motor.

It's still under warranty. Most of my data has been backed up.
There are some pictures and a few documents I'd like to recover.


I'm guessing that I have to uncover the platters in order to get at
the motor and that will pretty much ruin everything since I don't
have clean room. What are your thoughts on my chances of replacing
the motor? Any recommendations on how to proceed?


With drives about 100M-1G and larger, the moment you remove the cover
you virtually ruin the drive and at least double the cost of data
recovery.
Also WD motors seem to be installed from the inside, meaning any
replacement requires removing the platters and therefore ruining the
alignment of all but the first platter (it has the servo marks written
on it).

Since you can hear the platters turn, the motor bearings have
obviously not seized, so about the only thing lefts in the motor
itself are the windings, one of which may have shorted. But just
because a motor doesn't run doesn't mean it's bad because the real
problem could be in the chip that drives the motor, and in some
installations that chip can exceed 80C, especially if the drive is
horizontal, has less than .5" of space around it, no air blowing over
the circuit board, and the chip faces the drive body.

The only practical repair you can do yourself is a circuit board swap
from another identical WD800JB drive, but don't assume that all
WD800JBs are identical; look at the suffix to the part number to make
sure they are. I have, for example, a WD1200JB-00DUA3 and a
WD1200JB-75CRA0, and they differ in the number of platters and their
circuit board layouts (I have no idea if the boards are
interchangeable).

If you open the drive, you'll lose your drive and your data and make
data recovery cost much more. If you leave the drive closed you'll at
least get a replacement drive


I have measured the voltage where the power connector attaches to the
circuit board. The voltages are as marked on the board, +5V and +12V.
I didn't measure the AC voltage. I thought about comparing it to the
40GB drive but didn't do it yet. I did try to spin it up with the IDE
cable disconnected. I am restoring my system onto a second 40GB drive
while I wait for the advance replacement to arrive. When I get it
back up and running I'll try the suggestions posted.

I will measure the AC voltage to see how it compares to the 40GB
drive, try the freezer method and the quick 1/8th of a turn procedure.
If I don't have any luck with any of these I might try to find a
drive with the exact part number on ebay so I can replace the circuit
board. From the sounds of it there is a very slim chance that the
replacement drive will have a circuit board that will work with this
drive. I thought I might give it a try anyway just to see what
happens. The part number of the bad drive is WD800JB-00ETA0,
manufactured on September 16, 2003.

Thanks for all of the great suggestions so far.

Paul
 




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