Can u replace IDE connector pins on hdd ?

[e-z-e]

one of the damn things snapped. is it possible for an average computer store to fix this or to replace the whole back to the hdd if neccessary? its only 20 gb, but i'd hate to lose it now.

asked someone on irc and they said mad soldering skills would be needed. what does this process entail.

thanks fellas,
e-z-e

[jeex]

damn.. i think you're pretty much boned on this one..

i dobut any local shop would be able to fix the drive..

i was just taking a look at an old corrupted 8gb harddrive.

if i were to replace the whole ide connector port, then it might work. but its connected to the board on the bottom.. looks like i'd have to replace the whole thing, from an identical harddrive.

the only way i'd even consider doing it for a 20gb drive is if it had some really important data on it..

and in that case, what i'd do is pull the rouge pin all the way out and try jamming one from an old harddrive in there just so i could get the data off it..

all in all, i'd say you're fucked.

[e-z-e]

PHUCK!

[Bob W]

You would have to replace the whole connector block. So the problem is first locating a source to buy the block and of course the time and labor to open up the drive to get to the PC board to replace it. I could do it myself but it's not worth it unless there is some data that absolutely needs to be recovered.

[ZippyP.]

Seems to me that someone handy with a soldering iron could jumper from the PC board directly to the wire on the cable, but just for the one that is broken. Some delicate soldering and some figuring for the correct wire on the ribbon cable would be required. Know anyone handy that way? A reaonably proficient computer/electronics tech should be able to handle it.
Good luck finding someone to take it on!

[e-z-e]

heh since i still got this PC under warranty i might just get a new 20 gig from dell... this one didn't come w. my dell pc but do u think they will care if i got a new WD from them and sent them this broke ass IBM back? ... do they actually even look at what is returned to them?

[defense]

heh since i still got this PC under warranty i might just get a new 20 gig from dell... this one didn't come w. my dell pc but do u think they will care if i got a new WD from them and sent them this broke ass IBM back? ... do they actually even look at what is returned to them?

Funny you say that because although I have a custom built PC, my cousin actually has a Dell and I was over there the other day trying to figure out for a while trying to figure out what was causing his computer to not be able to boot up. After disconnecting device after device, and power and power supply from each device, it was apparent that the "one" 256 MB memory chip had gone bad. I called DELL and they just asked me to run a couple more tests for them..like holding the "power" BUTTON on the front of the pc down for 7 seconds, and then trying it..but when it was all said and done..they said they would ship my cousin a new 256 MB memory stick and it would be there within 48 hours! They didn't ask what kind of memory it was or whether it was original memory, and they just asked to have the old memory returned. My cousin got this computer from Dell over 3 years ago, so I was shocked at that type of customer service, without questions.

Although memory is cheaper then hard drives, if the principal with DELL is the same, they won't ask you any questions before they send the new HD out, however, I have no clue what will happen after they get the surprise of a different HD back. My hunch is they won't do much, because what can they do once they send you the new HD anyway?

If your computer is new, maybe they'll add it to your monthly bill if you pay monthly, but if you don't owe them any money..you just got yourself a free HD. Curious to see how this unfolds..report back after you get a new HD and you send DELL back the other one.

[gmatov]

E-Z-E,
I can't speak for Dell, but, a short while back, I had a machine in for repair, about 15 months old, and when I called the HDD maker, they advised me that the serial # showed it to be an OEM, with a 1 year warranty, or maybe even 90 day, I forget. The point is, they do record serial #s, and if you do get them to send you a new one, good for you. They may tell you tuff , buddy, shoulda bought a boxed version. In this case, the owner had bought an extended warranty with the people who cover the machines after the shopping net sells them and they did cover the drive, as well as the board, which was also bad. The board did not have a serial, but they did ask for the serial from the disk drive. They did replace both, in a trans-shipment, and the girl got her machine back in less than a week, no cost for parts.
"Mad" soldering skills would not be necessary, if you can get to the rest of the broken pin. I just looked at 4 older drives, 2 Seagates, a WD Quantum and a plain WD. One has solder bumps on the board, to which you "could", carefully solder a jumper, strip the corresponding wire in the ribbon cable, and, maybe, get your data off. Hell, it might even run forever. The others have leads from the IDE connector to the board. Go to your local Radio Shack and get some IC test clips, little, spring loaded hooks.. Since these drives, mine, have 2 sets of leads on the visible side of the board, you can use a continuity meter to find the right lead, clip onto it, and, again, solder the wire from it to the correct wire in the ribbon cable. It'll cost you a couple bucks for the clips, but not much..
I play with this kind of stuff. I don't do it as a business, but if you want to send it to me, with return postage, I'll see if I can get at least the data off it and burned to CD, and send it back. Of course, you have to figure 5 bucks or more each way, and a 20 is a pretty low class drive these days, so, unless the data is irreplaceable, mebbe you ought to just pitch it.
George