Sony RDR-HXD560 HDD ERROR

[JohnW2]

Hi there,

I know it's a pretty ancient machine, but my RDR-HXD560 was working fine until a few days ago, since when any attempt to switch it on eventually results in an "HDD ERROR" message on the display.

I went into Service Mode (which works fine) and attempted to reformat the hard drive, but simply got the 'NG' ('no good', I believe - the opposite of 'OK'!) message. The same when I again tried to format after re-writing drive ID.

I have tried replacing the hard drive with a new identical one (WD800JD), but with essentially the same results. After writing the disk ID, I still just get the 'NG' message when I try to format the new disk. I've also tried changing the drive's SATA lead (which I gather have a reputation for somehow 'failing'), 'just in case', but that makes no difference.

I've run out of ideas, and am hence getting close to the stage of deciding that it's probably not worth spending much more time/effort on this old machine. However, if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be very pleased to hear them. Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions.

Kind Regards, John

[DB83]

Not a suggestion. More of a thought.

Did you have a electrical ie Lightning storm recently ?. Quite a bit of the UK has had these this week. Could well have blown some of the circuitry.

[JohnW2]

Thanks for your interest. Yes, a very valid thought - but, unlike much of the UK, we have escaped the recent lightning, so I don't think that can be the explanation. Much of the electronics is obviously still OK, since it can happily display all of the Service Mode stuff on TV screen and, in that mode, responds normally to the remote. It can also do the (Service Mode) 'Performance Check' (which takes forever, about 30 mins of incrementing numbers on the machine's display!), eventually just reporting "Completed".

Kind Regards, John

[DB83]

Ok. But since you have taken the cover off the change the HDD I would still, if possible, look around the circuitry, especially the part that is connecting to the HDD to check for any oddities or even a blown fuse.

[JohnW2]

Needless to say, I've already done that, and there's nothing visibly wrong anywhere. Without a service manual (anyone know where I can get one - I've searched high and low), there's not really much more than I can do.

Kind Regards, John

[orsetto]

The RDR-HXD560 (indeed, all the HXDx60 series as opposed to the more common HX models) is a bit of an odd duck, which is why the service manual is impossible to track down. The HXD-560 is neither fish nor fowl: it is a transitional unit caught between the last "purely Sony" chassis (x25 and earlier) and the Frankensteined "Pioneer + Sony" chassis (x50 thru x90). Externally it doesn't really fit either generation, the instruction book indicates it has the earlier Sony-specific user interface, but also the Pio/Sony Freeview (DTV?) tuner.

Since you have nothing to lose at this point, I'd suggest you download the service manuals for both model series that bracket this HXD560: the earlier x25 and the later x50/x70. Careful comparison of the two manuals against the service displays your 560 throws on the TV should reveal which manual is more applicable.:

http://elektrotanya.com/sony_rdr-hx520,525,720,722,725,727,920,925_sm.pdf/download.html

http://elektrotanya.com/sony_rdr-hx750.pdf/download.html

http://elektrotanya.com/sony_rdr-hxd-870,970,1070.pdf/download.html

But I suspect the service manuals won't help much: if the unit is giving the same HDD Error despite changing drives and SATA cables, you likely have a motherboard that developed an intermittent fault. I have a similar Pioneer model with a similar issue that has defied diagnosis for two years: it will operate an HDD for short periods of time, perhaps as long as a day, but then displays an HDD Error which refuses to clear no matter how many times the service routines are performed. Just as randomly, it will start operating normally for awhile until it faults again hours later. This syndrome persists even after swapping thru multiple HDDs (all of which work perfectly when installed in other recorders).

Several techs on UK Sony forums have suggested this behavior is triggered by decayed solder traces, a problem that can't readily be DIY diagnosed or repaired. Once the unit is afflicted by this, its pretty much a goner unless you have access to an experienced tech willing to expend the necessary time/effort on it. Short of having one for a relative who owes you a favor, such a repair is seldom done because it isn't cost effective (as you surmised).

(A few years ago, many UK Sonys were bricked by a defective firmware update distributed over FreeView. The symptoms were similar to yours: stuck on HDD Err or wouldn't boot past the Welcome screen. The solution was to clear the update history stored in service mode. I assume you've tried this, but if not it couldn't hurt.)

[JohnW2]

Orsetto, many thanks for your interest and for your comprehensive response and your insights.

Of the manuals, the one for the HXD870/970/1070 is, in terms of Service Mode, the closest for the HXD560 - in that a 'service remote' is not required and the description of the various Service Mode screens/options correspond to what I have on the HXD560. However, it does not tell me much that I don't already know. The HXDx70 manual does describe a lot of apparently extra diagnostics can can be done with a 'service remote', but I don't know whether that would even work with the HXD560, so it's probably not worth trying to acquire such a remote.

I did not realise that the 'Clear History' option actually erased updates - I thought it was just a historical list of what updates had been applied. However, exercising that option does not, unfortunately, make any difference to my problem.

Your own experiences certainly do sound fairly similar to mine - other than that I have not yet experienced any 'intermittent working'. It never sticks on the Welcome screen. Sometimes it fiddles around for a while and then eventually displays 'Power Off' and switches itself off, but usually it goes from 'Welcome' to 'Load', in the usually way, and then after variable intervals, eventually to 'HDD Err'.

It sounds as if you are probably right that I am suffering from a hardware fault, which may or may not be due to the 'decayed solder traces' to which you refer. None of the people I know who have the knowledge and facilities for investigating that owe me enough favours to justify the considerable amount of time/effort that would very probably be involved - so I may have come to the end of the line! I suppose I could attempt to find a secondhand motherboard, but I'm not convinced it would be worth the effort (and quite probably wasted cost), would it?

Kind Regards, John