HELP! IBM Deskstar problems with fixing the drive

[Kai]

Hi there,

I've got a IBM Deskstar 41.1 GB (model IC35L040AVVA07-0) and this HDD
crashed. It seems to me that the controller does not work proberly any
more. The HDD does not make any weird noises like it is the way when
there would be a head crash. The drive initialization process during
system start sounds perfectly normal too. The only problem is: the
drive is not detectable by the BIOS. The data on this HDD is very
important to me. So I went to eBay and bought a HDD of the very same
model. After Ive got the new HDD I tried it and it worked proberly.
Then I removed the controller board of my crashed HDD and replaced it
with the controller of the new (working) HDD. I did that as like as it
is already documented here:

http://uhhep.phys.uh.edu/~newsom/fix_ibm_hard_drive.htm

But when I tried my new "repaired" HDD it still was not detected by
the BIOS, I tried several computers though. Then I placed the
controller board of my crashed HDD on the new one and this one was not
detectable by any BIOS either. So I swapped the controller boards to
their original HDDs again and now the former working HDD (which I
bought at eBay) did not work with its own controller board too.

Now I am at a loss. Is there any trick to this? How can I make the new
controller working with the other HDD? Is there a lock in the
controller software of IBM Deskstars which prevents such drive
controller changes? Is there a posibility to get my data back without
paying a high price for a specialized company?

Thanx for your comments and/or ideas.
(Would be great if you could answer me via mail too)

Kai

 

[Rod Speed]

I've got a IBM Deskstar 41.1 GB (model IC35L040AVVA07-0)
and this HDD crashed.

They aint called DeathStars for nothing.

It seems to me that the controller does not work proberly any more.
The HDD does not make any weird noises like it is the way when
there would be a head crash. The drive initialization process during
system start sounds perfectly normal too. The only problem is: the
drive is not detectable by the BIOS. The data on this HDD is very
important to me. So I went to eBay and bought a HDD of the very same
model. After Ive got the new HDD I tried it and it worked proberly.
Then I removed the controller board of my crashed HDD and replaced it
with the controller of the new (working) HDD. I did that as like as it
is already documented here:

But when I tried my new "repaired" HDD it still was not detected by
the BIOS, I tried several computers though. Then I placed the
controller board of my crashed HDD on the new one and this one was not
detectable by any BIOS either. So I swapped the controller boards to
their original HDDs again and now the former working HDD (which I
bought at eBay) did not work with its own controller board too.

Now I am at a loss. Is there any trick to this?

Nope. You cant move the controller between IBM GXP drives successfully.

How can I make the new controller working with the other HDD?

You cant.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Hi there,

I've got a IBM Deskstar 41.1 GB (model IC35L040AVVA07-0) and this HDD
crashed. It seems to me that the controller does not work proberly any
more. The HDD does not make any weird noises like it is the way when
there would be a head crash. The drive initialization process during
system start sounds perfectly normal too. The only problem is: the
drive is not detectable by the BIOS. The data on this HDD is very
important to me. So I went to eBay and bought a HDD of the very same
model. After Ive got the new HDD I tried it and it worked proberly.
Then I removed the controller board of my crashed HDD and replaced it
with the controller of the new (working) HDD. I did that as like as it
is already documented here:

http://uhhep.phys.uh.edu/~newsom/fix_ibm_hard_drive.htm

But when I tried my new "repaired" HDD it still was not detected by
the BIOS, I tried several computers though. Then I placed the
controller board of my crashed HDD on the new one and this one was not
detectable by any BIOS either. So I swapped the controller boards to
their original HDDs again and now the former working HDD (which I
bought at eBay) did not work with its own controller board too.

Now I am at a loss. Is there any trick to this?

Except for the usual handling precautions, no.

How can I make the new controller working with the other HDD?

Sounds like that what killed the old drive controller also killed
the new drive controller. End of exercise.

Is there a lock in the controller software of IBM Deskstars which
prevents such drive controller changes?

A lock doesn't prevent a controller working with the drive it came from,
just prevent it from working with another one. And even that is dubious:
Same lock will prevent the manufacturer from repairing his own drives.

 

[Simon]

Except for the usual handling precautions, no.


Sounds like that what killed the old drive controller also killed
the new drive controller. End of exercise.


A lock doesn't prevent a controller working with the drive it came from,
just prevent it from working with another one. And even that is dubious:
Same lock will prevent the manufacturer from repairing his own drives.

Mindlessly superficial when the manufacturer can obviously
deliberately do something lock wise if thats necessary.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Hi there,

[... HDD not working after board swap...]

The problem is that the HDD loads part of its own OS from the
disk. If that is damaged, board-swap will not help,
since the board was not the problem.

Arno

 

[Rod Speed]

Kai <[email protected]> wrote:

[... HDD not working after board swap...]

The problem is that the HDD loads
part of its own OS from the disk.

It aint an OS. At most its the code that runs in the logic card.

If that is damaged, board-swap will not
help, since the board was not the problem.

Doesnt explain why he cant put the logic card back on the drive
that it was working fine on and have it work again on that drive.

 

[Deyo]

Now I am at a loss. Is there any trick to this? How can I make the new
controller working with the other HDD? Is there a lock in the
controller software of IBM Deskstars which prevents such drive
controller changes? Is there a posibility to get my data back without
paying a high price for a specialized company?

Thanx for your comments and/or ideas.
(Would be great if you could answer me via mail too)

Kai

Unfortunately, you may be out of luck there. I had a same problem with my AVVA07
drive (it wont spin at all) and i tried to obtain a replacement board for it.
Now, a representative at shop where i bought it told me that they may be able to
obtain similar disk and disassemble it for its board (i did offer to pay for a
new drive and abandon my warranty claim). But, he said, in their experience such
problems often end with replacement board fried and that ill be better if I just
send it to them for RMA.
D.

 

[Kai Lehmann]

Unfortunately, you may be out of luck there. I had a same problem with my
AVVA07

drive (it wont spin at all) and i tried to obtain a replacement board for it.
Now, a representative at shop where i bought it told me that they may be able to
obtain similar disk and disassemble it for its board (i did offer to pay for a
new drive and abandon my warranty claim). But, he said, in their experience such
problems often end with replacement board fried and that ill be better if I just
send it to them for RMA.
D.

hmm...

I hope I still send the now two HDDs to IBM/Hitachi for RMA ... I did not
break any seal to switch the boards, so maybe they don't recognize my try.

Kai