Non-responsive hard drive - help? - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

4 Oct 2005

At 16:50 -0500 10/4/05, tony wrote:
...

	Drive *does* make spinning-up and head-seeking noises (once
  per power-up). LED indicating drive attention does flash, *once*, as 
Does it sound as though it's staying spun-up? It doesn't make spin-down
noises I hope. 
Not until powered down, at which point it makes the noises I'd expect 
(taking 2-3 times as long to spin down as the fan, for example).

...
 Those 'wings' are heatsink tabs, used to
conduct heat away from the
actual chip. It's a standard package for power driver type chips. I would
guess this chip is either the spindle motor or head actuator driver. 
Thought I was being clever, but Oh Well.

...
 As to whether it should get hot. Well, it is a power
device, so it would
get warm. But if it gets too hot to keep your finger on it for any length
of time, then I'd start worrying. The chip may not be faulty of course,
it might be a problem (like a shorted load, or an incorrect drive signal)
elsewhere in the unit. 
Both the head seek and the platter spin noises are consistent with 
what I recall from before the failure, so I'll bet that chip is OK. 
It's warm, but I can keep my finger on it for seconds at a time, with 
no blisters arising.

Started looking for similar drives to mail-order for a controller board-swap.

Thanks to all responses so far!

Progress about to come to a screeching halt on the project, as I'm 
about to hit the road again. Sigh.

-- 
					- Mark
			210-522-6025, temporary cell 240-375-2995