PCB repair shop, broken HDD PCB

[kaike26]

I'm looking for a place that can repair PCBs. I have an external WD HDD where the USB port is soldered on the PCB. It broke off and I'd need to be re-attached (still have all parts). It doesn't have to be a permanent solution, I just want to recover some files.
Transplanting a PCB from another HDD doesn't work, I tried.
Does someone has a recommendation for a shop that repairs PCBs? Going for professional data recovery places is way too expensive (and not really necessary, I just want someone who can solder way better than me).

 

[Koenig168]

You might want to mention the model.

I guess these are 2.5" USB only?

 

[KYZT2021]

inside got precious seafood?

 

[NightRaven49]

just shuck your external drive and get a cheap hdd dock, likely that it is just a standard drive with sata connectors on the inside. will also be handy in the future if u manage multiple drives.

 

[obichacha]

Take your risk to repair hdd.
Pcb repair in SLS have few.

 

[SNAG]

I'm looking for a place that can repair PCBs. I have an external WD HDD where the USB port is soldered on the PCB. It broke off and I'd need to be re-attached (still have all parts). It doesn't have to be a permanent solution, I just want to recover some files.
Transplanting a PCB from another HDD doesn't work, I tried.
Does someone has a recommendation for a shop that repairs PCBs? Going for professional data recovery places is way too expensive (and not really necessary, I just want someone who can solder way better than me).

If it's just a USB port resolder, you might want to try some of those soldering services on Carousell. You can't transplant the board without transplanting the BIOS chip (if I'm not wrong).

 

[Soccer Ball]

I thought what is the 'pcb'.

 

[cscs3]

I'm looking for a place that can repair PCBs. I have an external WD HDD where the USB port is soldered on the PCB. It broke off and I'd need to be re-attached (still have all parts). It doesn't have to be a permanent solution, I just want to recover some files.
Transplanting a PCB from another HDD doesn't work, I tried.
Does someone has a recommendation for a shop that repairs PCBs? Going for professional data recovery places is way too expensive (and not really necessary, I just want someone who can solder way better than me).

You are referring to those 2.5" USB disk with USB board/socket on the disk itself? Unlike those older disk that is basically a IDE or SATA interface, connecting to a small USB adapter board?

Model harddrive has the firmware ID tie to physical disk for identification. So swapping of logic board would not work. (You need to transfer the id chip too).

Not sure which model of disk you are referring too? Those USB3 type? Whole connector broke off? May be you can take a picture of the socket condition. I do have some tools that can unsolder the socket and replace with new (or transfer from another board).

 

[cscs3]

If it's just a USB port resolder, you might want to try some of those soldering services on Carousell. You can't transplant the board without transplanting the BIOS chip (if I'm not wrong).

You are right. Modern hard disk required you to transfer the bios chip as board id is tie to the disk media.

 

[cscs3]

Forgot to mention this. External USB3 disk connector is made to be backward compatible to USB2.

So if you damaged the longer side of the connector. Is not the end of story. Find a old micro USB2 cable and plug to the shorter side and use the external disk as USB2 devices.

 

[Godeau]

for a second, i actually thought that ts was hurling expletives at some repair shop

 

[Entry Level PC]

Moral of the Story
Always backup to at least 2x Copies

 

[alamakazim]

Picture lah

By the way it can be multi layer PCB

 

[Entry Level PC]

usually best bet is use the PCB from the same model and batch.

 

[blackie83]

Need to go clean room those for data recovery. at least c 2k++.

 

[limpingsim98]

usually best bet is use the PCB from the same model and batch.

You cannot do that like what usually someone old hard disk. Need to transfer the BIOS chip to complete the replacement.

 

[Entry Level PC]

You cannot do that like what usually someone old hard disk. Need to transfer the BIOS chip to complete the replacement.

So jialat?
Need to unsolder existing bios chip and port solder the bios chip over as well?

 

[brucee55]

I'm looking for a place that can repair PCBs. I have an external WD HDD where the USB port is soldered on the PCB. It broke off and I'd need to be re-attached (still have all parts). It doesn't have to be a permanent solution, I just want to recover some files.
Transplanting a PCB from another HDD doesn't work, I tried.
Does someone has a recommendation for a shop that repairs PCBs? Going for professional data recovery places is way too expensive (and not really necessary, I just want someone who can solder way better than me).

There are ROM on the PCB board, replacing another PCB board from HDD won't work. If you need professional data recovery services, please feel free to contact us.

 

[SNAG]

Nope, that's why I am never going near another WD HDD Drive. WD HDD Drives DON'T have a SATA interface inside. You need to solder PINS to connect to a SATA interface.

May be easier to solder the SATA port. That being said, bypassing WD Smartware is a real pain in the ass. So even if you can connect the drive, you still need to decrypt the hardware based encryption.

Agree - to add this is only for their 2.5" HDDs. The 3.5" HDDs are still normal disks connected to PCB boards (via SATA/power connectors).

 

[wtfh4x]

Nope, that's why I am never going near another WD HDD Drive. WD HDD Drives DON'T have a SATA interface inside. You need to solder PINS to connect to a SATA interface.

Toshiba as well. Doesn't even save that much money, price-wise they're like $0 to $2 less than competing brands.

Unfortunately a lot of people dunno about what goes on inside the external drive and then end up like this.

It seems like only Seagate and those smaller brands like ADATA who don't manufacture their own internal HDDs still use SATA to USB boards, since they have to buy regular HDDs and put them in cases.