WD External hard disk failure...

It is rather impossible to change DC polarity for those devices by mistake.

How valuable was data on that drive?

Peter,

The adapter I have can be customized to different input volts and different outputs with a variety of heads (pins). Like in the sense if I want to use it to charge my camera, I just need to set the right input/output combination and change the head of the pin which matches to the camera input. But everytime you have check the polarity, and accordingly set it in the adapter head.

The data is valuable to me, lots of my previous work files and I dont have a backup for all of them.

Its something like this except I have a variety of heads..

Is it still under warranty ?

Not with the DC adapters with multiple heads, very easy with most of those.

Didn't it come with a dedicated power supply? Unless it is specifically designed for use on third party power supplies then it shouldn't be used with one. For example, mine uses a dedicated 12v switchmode adapter, and the drive enclosure has a regulator to drop the 12v down to 5v for the drive's logic board. The 12v goes straight to the drive and therefore must be supplied by a well regulated source. A cheap, multi head adapter will usually have atrocious regulation.

Anyway- over to your problem. Have you dismantled the enclosure and fitted the drive to an IDE cable in your computer? (I'm assuming the drive is a standard IDE type) Maybe the USB interface in the drive housing was damaged and if you're *very* lucky the drive might be OK.

Dave

Nope, I ran out of warranty last year :(

Yes, the next I'm planning to do is to dismantle it and use an IDE-USB adapter, I will just have my fingers crossed on that one.

Is there anything to watch out before doing that?

In that case I'd personally try removing the drive from the enclosure and see it can be seen as an internal drive in the system, not in the enclosure.

Not a good idea if its under warranty, but since its not and the data is important, worth trying because it may just be the bridge that's got killed and not the drive itself.

If the drive doesnt work in the system, you'll have to decide if the data is important enough to be worth the cost of pro recovery. That aint cheap.

Its a bit easier to try it in the system instead of with an adapter.

Not really, just see if the drive spins up when first plugged in.

hmm, can I use the power cable from PC or do I still need to use the external DC adapter.

I'm planning to get another WD External HDD, check the input/output for their adapter and use it, incase I cannot use power supply from the PC.

Seek professional data recovery, or at least find a person experienced in this type of work.

Did it come with external disk? Strange...

No, but it's much better to just try it inside the PC on the IDE cable. That way you know the drive will get the proper stabilised 5v and 12v power it needs to run properly.

Dave

Ill try that and let you guys know the result!

BTW, this is my drive...

Remove the drive from the case and connect it directly to a PC via the normal IDE interface and see if it works. If you're lucky, you may have only had the USB adapter get cooked. If the drive is still dead, look around the circuit board for a diode near the power connector, I've fixed a couple drives that got plugged in wrong by replacing that.

Inside is just an ordinary IDE drive, probably the exact same 160GB unit I have in my own PC.

There is not. Not for this type of failure, since it is rather hard to protect semiconductors against it, when you cannot afford a signifivant voltage level drop (>0.5V) on the power lines. The only way that works would require power isolation and wide-range inputs on all logic lines. Possible, but expensive. Nobody does it. If you can afford that voltage drop, a rectifier diode on 5V and

12V input cpuld be used. The logic input protection would still be needed, since otherwies the ESD circuitry can fry itself. Nobody does this either.

Think about what the data is worth. If it is enough, then contact a professional recovery service. Otherwise throw the drive away, there is nothing you can do.

Arno

Well, I have to say that not protecting the device physically is an accident waiting to happen. Likely the drive and the other circuitry is all fried.

I think the only way of salvaging anything here is that you learn a lesson or two. The data will be very expensive to get back and there is nothing you can do yourself.

So here:

1) Do backups of all important data. 2) Do not build circuits that can be killed by a simple error in handling. 3) Do not give things that can be killed by a simple error to other people.

Sorry, but I think that you got what you deserved for a dangerous design and careless handling of valuable data.

Arno

It seems that OP (or his brother) used a diiferent AC adapter then originally supplied with his external disk. Accidents happen..... Most of them create some damage. Life is a learning process.

This is one case that might be fixed by swapping the board from another identical drive. Andy Cuffe

snipped-for-privacy@psu.edu

Nonsense.

But you can use a diode in parallel that trips a fuse.

And there are diodes too that produce less of a drop.

(Whatever that's supposed to mean)

Or use an unregulated supply and regulate internally in the box.

Whatever is was supposed to mean.