A client had an old IBM hard drive originally housed in an external parallel port case. The drive contained code they had produced as a child, making the data highly sentimental and irreplaceable.
The client attempted to access the drive using an IDE 2.5 to USB adapter, but the HDD failed to power on. Additional observations included:
- No LED activity on the adapter when connected to the IBM drive.
- A burnt smell coming from the hard drive, suggesting a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) failure.
- Other drives with a higher power draw worked fine with the same USB adapter, ruling out power supply issues.
Realizing that the drive was likely dead due to PCB failure, the client sought professional hard drive data recovery services from Manchester Data Recovery, a specialist company with over 25 years of experience in retrieving lost, deleted, and inaccessible data.
Challenges
- PCB Failure & Burnt Smell – A burnt PCB meant the drive was not receiving power, making traditional data recovery methods ineffective.
- No Response from IDE-to-USB Adapter – The drive was completely unresponsive, preventing direct access to stored data.
- Potential Internal Damage – The burnt PCB might have also caused damage to internal components such as the motor controller or read/write heads.
- Unique & Sentimental Data – The lost code from childhood made data recovery essential for the client.
Solution by Manchester Data Recovery
Upon receiving the IBM hard drive, Manchester Data Recovery’s engineers implemented a specialized recovery process to address the PCB failure and restore access to the client’s data.
✅ Cleanroom Inspection & PCB Damage Assessment – Engineers inspected the burnt PCB, identifying damaged electronic components responsible for the failure.
✅ PCB Replacement & Firmware Chip Transplant – Since hard drives have unique firmware stored on the PCB, engineers:
- Sourced an identical IBM hard drive PCB replacement
- Transplanted the original firmware chip from the burnt PCB onto the new one
- Ensured full compatibility before powering on the drive
✅ Drive Power-On & Cloning – Once the PCB was repaired, the drive was carefully powered on in a controlled lab environment and cloned sector-by-sector to prevent further degradation.
✅ File System Repair & Data Extraction – The cloned data was analyzed, and corrupt or missing file structures were reconstructed for a complete recovery.
✅ Secure Data Transfer – Successfully recovered files, including the client’s childhood code, were verified for integrity and transferred to a new external storage device.
Results & Client Impact
- 100% of code and stored files successfully recovered
- Drive successfully powered on after PCB replacement & firmware transfer
- Data transferred securely to a new, stable external drive
- Client was able to retrieve lost code, preserving valuable personal history
The client was extremely relieved, as Manchester Data Recovery successfully restored all sentimental files, despite the severe PCB failure.
Conclusion
This case highlights the importance of PCB integrity in hard drives and the risks associated with burnt components. Many assume a dead drive is unrecoverable, but professional PCB repair and firmware transplantation can often restore functionality and recover data.
For those experiencing hard drive PCB failures, burnt components, or non-responsive drives, Manchester Data Recovery provides expert data recovery solutions to restore valuable files safely and efficiently.
👉 Hard Drive Not Powering On? Contact Manchester Data Recovery Today!