Swapping circuit boards on identical drives

[Li'l ol' me]

I have two identical (I think 10gig drives). One is not IDs by BIOS, the
other seems OK, but the SMART status is BAD. I thought I'd have a go at
switching the boards round as some people report success wth this.

I first removed the board from the dirve with the bad SMART status and put
on it the board from the other drive. It just made chugging noises and the
drive was not IDd at all.

So I replaced the original board onto this disk and expected to see bad
SMART status as before. But now the board is making like it was with the
other drive's board, and is not IDd at all.

What gives? Can putting an incompatible board on mess up an otherwise
working drive? I'm sure these were identical.

tia

 

[Rod Speed]

I have two identical (I think 10gig drives). One is not IDs by BIOS, the
other seems OK, but the SMART status is BAD. I thought I'd have a go
at switching the boards round as some people report success wth this.

I first removed the board from the dirve with the bad SMART
status and put on it the board from the other drive. It just
made chugging noises and the drive was not IDd at all.

So I replaced the original board onto this disk and expected to
see bad SMART status as before. But now the board is making
like it was with the other drive's board, and is not IDd at all.

What gives?

You can get a result like that if the drives have a proper hardware
password set. Usually only seen with laptops and notebooks tho.

Can putting an incompatible board on
mess up an otherwise working drive?

Yes, most obviously if you bugger up the card when swapping it.

I'm sure these were identical.

What model number details ?

 

[Li'l ol' me]

You can get a result like that if the drives have a proper hardware
password set. Usually only seen with laptops and notebooks tho.


Yes, most obviously if you bugger up the card when swapping it.


What model number details ?

I actually bought SEVEN of those infamous Fujitsu drives, all 10gig, mostly
MPG310AT, but one MPG310AH. I think all but one are the same manufacture
date.

Two of these are 100% (touch wood) so I havn't lost anything. Two are not
ID'd but seem to spin up at least, two make what I called 'chugging' noises
(but are more like the clack of a horse's hooves when I think about it).

The last is the one I mentioned with the SMART reported as bad. What I'm
not sure about with this is whther that means the drive is being reported as
bad, or whether the SMART itself is being reported as bad. I guess I should
have disabled the SMART and tested the disk BEFORE messing about with
swapping electronics.

I'm sure I didn't bugger up the card when swapping it! The only issue seems
to be the cable that connects them, as it's hard to know if they're making a
proper connection. Shame they weren't cableless like the Seagate
Barracudas.

 

[Rod Speed]

I actually bought SEVEN of those infamous Fujitsu drives, all 10gig,

I've reported you to the RSPCPPFHDMBCF

mostly MPG310AT, but one MPG310AH. I think
all but one are the same manufacture date.

Two of these are 100% (touch wood) so I havn't lost anything.

I'd try swapping the logic cards between those two drives
to prove definitively if those drives can have the logic card
swapped between two working drives and still see them working.

If you cant, and both drives no longer work, even
with the original logic card back on the drive, you
can always slash your wrists or something |-)

Two are not ID'd but seem to spin up at least, two
make what I called 'chugging' noises (but are more
like the clack of a horse's hooves when I think about it).

Thats just the elves that are in every hard drive stomping
around in the drive in their hobnail boots and really putting
the boot into the drive when it doesnt start up properly.

The last is the one I mentioned with the SMART reported as bad.
What I'm not sure about with this is whther that means the drive is being
reported as bad, or whether the SMART itself is being reported as bad.

The drive is being reported as bad.

I guess I should have disabled the SMART and tested the
disk BEFORE messing about with swapping electronics.

Shouldnt make any difference.

I'm sure I didn't bugger up the card when swapping it!

You cant ever be completely sure about
that, particularly with static damage.

The only issue seems to be the cable that connects them,
as it's hard to know if they're making a proper connection.

So you could well have buggered that up when swapping the card.

Shame they weren't cableless like the Seagate Barracudas.

Sure. Bit academic tho with the utterly
obscene failure rate of the MPGs.

Are you really that desperate a pov ?

 

[Li'l ol' me]

I've reported you to the RSPCPPFHDMBCF

I got lost after the RSPC bit, explain!

I'd try swapping the logic cards between those two drives
to prove definitively if those drives can have the logic card
swapped between two working drives and still see them working.

I'm not chancing this just in case I did bugger up the others.

If you cant, and both drives no longer work, even
with the original logic card back on the drive, you
can always slash your wrists or something |-)


Thats just the elves that are in every hard drive stomping
around in the drive in their hobnail boots and really putting
the boot into the drive when it doesnt start up properly.


The drive is being reported as bad.


Shouldnt make any difference.


You cant ever be completely sure about
that, particularly with static damage.


So you could well have buggered that up when swapping the card.


Sure. Bit academic tho with the utterly
obscene failure rate of the MPGs.

Are you really that desperate a pov ?

Well, no, but like I alluded to when I said I'd lost nowt, the two that are
working are worth more than I paid for all 7, and the ones left over can go
back on ebay for spares. Alternatively, there's some guy(s) on ebay
offering to buy these for £5 a time. I'm just guessing, but I reckon he's
ripped out some working drives from some ex-corporate machines, and is using
dud drives and those machines to get around Fujitsu's strict RMA policy. If
this is kosher, I'll have doubled my money.

 

[Rod Speed]

I got lost after the RSPC bit,

Wota wimp.

explain!

No way!

I'm not chancing this just in case I did bugger up the others.

Wota wimp.

Well, no, but like I alluded to when I said I'd lost nowt,
the two that are working are worth more than I paid for all 7,

Only to dills who havent noticed the obscene failure rate seen
with Fujitsu MPGs. They're worthless to anyone who has.

and the ones left over can go back on ebay for spares.

Pointless when its normally the logic card that fails with those.

Alternatively, there's some guy(s) on ebay offering to
buy these for £5 a time. I'm just guessing, but I reckon
he's ripped out some working drives from some
ex-corporate machines, and is using dud drives and
those machines to get around Fujitsu's strict RMA policy.
Probably.

If this is kosher, I'll have doubled my money.

Clearly a desperate pov...

 

[HddGuru]

You can't just swap the PCB on your Fujitsu 10GB, the PCB is matched to the HDA.

ANd yes you can break the drive if you use the wrong PCB ;O)

 

[Li'l ol' me]

Is that just an issue with Fujistu in particular?

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

"HddGuru" (e-mail address removed) wrote in message news:[email protected]

You can't just swap the PCB on your Fujitsu 10GB, the PCB is matched to the HDA.

So they are throwaways then, can't be repaired.

And yes you can break the drive if you use the wrong PCB ;O)

Bwah. To think that Fujitsu were a reputable company, once.

 

[Li'l ol' me]

Wota wimp.


No way!

Wota (sic) wimp!

No, hang on, worked it out now!

Wota wimp.



Only to dills who havent noticed the obscene failure rate seen
with Fujitsu MPGs. They're worthless to anyone who has.


Pointless when its normally the logic card that fails with those.


Clearly a desperate pov...

Maybe I should get a job charging £500 a time for data recovery. Maybe I
should just get ANY job....

 

[Rod Speed]

Wota (sic) wimp!

No, hang on, worked it out now!

Liar |-)

Maybe I should get a job charging £500 a time for
data recovery. Maybe I should just get ANY job....

Can do useful things for the cashflow.