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Alright, so I was going to install Source Film Maker but I didn't have any space, so I decided to connect an HDD via an USB converter(image below). I shut down the machine, turned the PSU off, and connected via a Molex connector & the USB converter. I turned back on the PSU, no sparks or anything, everything normal, but when I turned on the machine, I heard some sizzing(lol?) and sparks flying and a little flame, but the PC was running fine.

I pressed the power button instead pulling out the plug (I panicked) so it continued to short circuit for about 10 seconds. There's a very little part on the HDD that become ash, it's near the Molex connector and the circuit is a little black as well. I'm afraid that I will damage the HDD more so I didn't hook up the HDD after all. Do you think it's the PSU(came default with Cooler Master Elite 430, 500W) or it's the HDD(Samsung SP1203N)?

P.S: I've attached the HDD same way before(like 3 months ago), and it worked.

HDD burn: https://i.stack.imgur.com/2sgxT.jpg

USB connector: https://i.stack.imgur.com/rmAy5.jpg

Sorry for the bad image quality, taken with my phone.

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  • photo is too blurry to tell. LOOKS like a smt capasitor, which MAY be replaceable with a lot of caution
    – Journeyman Geek ♦
    Oct 7, 2012 at 9:11
  • I'm gonna try to take a photo with my another camera if I can find it...(btw, I am 12 so if I can't recover data, my parents will kill me...) EDIT: nope.avi, my sister has taken my camera because she is on a vacation...
    – user163558
    Oct 7, 2012 at 9:17
  • Honestly? its not going to be easy. Chances are you will need an adult with VERY steady hands, nerves of steel, and some idea of what he's doing if its the best case scenario, and its just a blown capasitor, and nothing else.
    – Journeyman Geek ♦
    Oct 7, 2012 at 9:21
  • My brother is a computer engineer, and I think he can fix it(although he does not have nerves of steel.. :D) because he has done a lot of soldering and boardy-stuff.. I'll keep my hope up since he will be here in a week or so.
    – user163558
    Oct 7, 2012 at 9:22
  • Although can I still do something to just get data from the HDD?
    – user163558
    Oct 7, 2012 at 9:23

1 Answer 1

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SMT components can be re-soldered but like everyone else says, you need eyes of a hawk, nerves of steel, and hands of a surgeon. You must be careful to put in the exact same rating of component that has burned out, or you risk this happening again.

If you really need the data back, you can pay (usually quite a lot) to a recovery shop to do that for you.

Or what we've done in the past is to mount a working interface board from the exact same make and model of drive out of another machine. You can see the interface between that board and the drive hardware is a little flat connector toward the spindle, that can be unplugged in order to swap in the good board.

Good luck!

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  • Yep, I have done this a few times. You basically need to get a board that is as close to that revision number as possible.
    – Rory Alsop
    Oct 7, 2012 at 9:47
  • Thanks! I'm gonna ask my brother, if he can't do it, it's probably going to a recovery shop...
    – user163558
    Oct 7, 2012 at 9:53
  • The problem with these "swap the controller board" recoveries is that the controller board is often tied to the specific characteristics of the drive. This is tuned at build time and embedded into the controller firmware. So not only do you need a close match on the controller board, you also need a drive that is similar enough to get away with it. One of the expenses with recovery shops is that they (1) have to locate similar boards (2) try them out (3) attempt to transfer firmware if not lucky (this is all I could glean from a guy at one of these shops unwilling to disclose IP)
    – Paul
    Oct 9, 2012 at 12:49
  • The "swap the controller board" trick doesn't work so well with modern HDDs.
    – Renan
    Oct 9, 2012 at 12:49

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