www.deadharddrive.com

[wtnyan]

Hi. My harddrive die last two weeks ago. I would like to try out by changing with other same model board and wanna recover some of my important data (but it is not worth like 500 or 1000 that is charged by Data Recovery service). But i dont kow how to find the board number.
I found

Western Digital 40G (WD400)
Model: WD400JB-00ENA0

Cylinders: 16383
Heads: 16
Sectors/Track: 63
Landing Zone: 16383
WPC: 16383
Jumper Setting Information: Ten Pin Drive
Interface: 40-pin EIDE

I am not sure whether this information is enough for finding the same controller board or not. Thank you so much. Hope someone can help me.

[techguy_877]

First, let me say do not give up hope as I was just able to successfully recover my WD2500JB, which had a bad primary controller board (PCB), after 4 weeks of trying. If your hard drive was not making strange noises suggesting internal problems (loud repeated clicks or grinding sounds), you have a chance of success. If it is internal, there is probably little chance of recovery without professional help.

The most important "number" for your search is the primary controller board (PCB) model number. On the Western Digital drives, it is usually found on a white bar code label affixed on the PCB near were the data cable is connected to the computer. It can also be found etched along one side of the board, but the bar code is more complete.

In my case, the PCB model number was "2061-001179-003A DE" followed by several additional numbers, which I believed to be a serial number of some type. In addition to posting your PCB number here at this forum, you should start scanning the eBay auctions for WD400JB-xxxxA0 drives. You need to email each seller, explain where the PCB number is located (on the white bar code label) and ask them what it is on their drive. You should also find out the manufacture date which is on the main label on the top of the hard drive. The closer the date to the one on your drive the better. I added in my emails that it was for a data recovery project (I did not identify the exact PCB I was looking for) and that I would be an aggressive bidder if it was the right one. Fortunately, the white bar code lable is visible from the bottom of the hard drive, so it takes minimal effort for a seller to check for you. You will get about 2 out of 3 sellers that will respond.

CAUTION: You may be wasting your money if you simply buy a WD400JB-00ENA0 hard drive without checking the PCB number. I made that mistake with my drive which was the WD2500JB-00FUA0. I bought one of those manufactured several months after my drive (without knowing to ask about the PCB number). The PCB was a newer model, did not match the wiring patterns on mine and did nothing to help me. In fact, you MAY only have to match the WD400JB-xxxxA0 portion. In my case, I had success with matching a PCB from a WD2500JB-00EVA0 drive to my WD2500JB-00FUA0 drive. However, the PCB number was the same on both.

I was led to believe that when I found a matching PCB, I might have to swap a firmware chip from my bad PCB to the replacement PCB (see my response at http://www.deadharddrive.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=52 ). While the firmware chip swap might be necessary in some cases, in mine it was NOT required. I attached the PCB from the WD2500JB-00EVA0 to my drive, placed the hard drive in an external hard drive case, plugged it in, and connected it to my system by a USB cable. The drive powered up and was recognized by Windows XP Pro. It was correctly recognized as a WD2500JB-00FUA0 (even though the PCB came from a WD2500JB-00EVA0). I may just have been very lucky to not need a chip swap.

A couple of final notes about the PCB I used. There is a four digit number printed on the underside of the board (something like "3903" or "4403"). I was led to believe this represented the week number / year the board was manufactured. In this case, week 39 of 2003 and week 44 of 2003. If this is correct, I successfully used a board made five weeks after my original one without a chip swap. There was another single number printed on the underside (something 1 through 4). my original board had a "4" while the replacement had a "2". Finally, while both PCBs were visually the same, there were minor variations in some of the chip numbers on the boards. I was led to believe from my reading these minor variations would not matter, and they did not. These numbers and chips are not visible without removing the PCB. I needed to buy a very small star wrench to remove the PCB and affix the new one (as they are not attached with standard screws).

Please post your PCB number and hard drive manufacture date here, as someone may have one (and you may find it here) and it will help others in the future who share your issue.

Good luck,

Techguy_877

[bvu]

Hi All,

My WD2500JB is dead. After detaching the PCB from the drive and researching on the web, I learned that the motor control chip was burned (it seems that this has happened to a lot of WD2500 ).

So if someone has the matching PCB please contact me. I would really appreciate it.

My PCB number : 2061-001179-000-DM
My email: vutbao@yahoo.com

Thank you very much.

God bless
Bao