While I've dealt with a lot of SMPS failures in PCs, only two have
damaged more than the powersupply itself, and neither of them damaged
the HD to the point of non-usability.  I still replaced the HDs, but I
was able to copy them completely after the smps failed.

At any rate...

I'm assuming you've already hooked the HD to another system to verify
that it doesn't operate.  If not, go ahead and do that.  Chances are
good it's just fine.

If not, then you can replace the controller board with another one, but
be advised that a HD can go through several revisions in the same part
number.  It's usually important to make sure the revisions are the same,
especially the circuit board revisions.

If the data is really important to you there are companies which will do
this for you.  They usually have hundreds of controller boards for
different hard drives, and if one matches and works then they usually
only charge about $500 to move the data to CDs or other media.  If it
doesn't work, they can (for a much larger fee) use a clean room to
dissassemble the drive and try reading the data directly from the platters.

-Adam

Alan Gorham wrote:

>Has anybody had any experience with the SMPS on their PC exploding?
>
>This has happened to me and it seems to have fried most of the PC.
>
>The most valuable/least easily replacable part of the system is my hard-drive.
>Although I've kept back-ups of most of the important data, it would be nice to
>think I could rescue my
>existing drive.
>
>Three questions
>
>1. What damage would a massive spike (such as that caused by a SMPS going bang)
>do to a HDD?
>     Dead controller board, dead drive platters or both?
>
>2. If it's just the controller board that has gone, then could I swap it with a
>known working board form an identical HDD?
>
>3. Anyone got a spare working Fujitsu MPE3084 that they would part with?
>
>Alan
>Embedded Systems Engineer
>Microtima Ltd
>Ouseburn Mews
>3-7 Stepney Bank
>Newcastle upon Tyne
>NE1 2PW
>
>Tel: 0191 2304411
>Fax: 0191 2304422
>
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