Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Well, not everywhere, in fact, probably only one fatal drop! A few hours ago, I bumped over a bottle of water and it splashed onto my computer. Based on how full the bottle still was when I grabbed it, how much landed in a pencil cup in front of my machine, and how much was on my desk, I think only a single drop got through a vent hole in the face panel. Unfortunately, it apparently landed on the controller board for my master storage disk. A short while later, I heard a soft whine like a motor spooling down at the same time I was trying to save an online .pdf. Everything locked up, so I shut down and took out the drive. I inspected the drive, but found nothing. I re-installed it, but my computer doesn't see it. It doesn't show up in the Device Manager, Explorer, or even the BIOS. So, the question is, is it completely dead? Any thoughts on how to give it the Lazarus ability? I found a few drives on Ebay, (for a Controller Board swap), but before I do that I'd like to try to get this one going again. Right now, I just don't have the cash to buy much.

Everything I could find:

Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9
80GB ATA/133 HDD
Code: YAR41BWO N,G,G,A
SN: Y24N6DME
6Y080PO422211
LBA: 160086528
Mfg Date: 30SEPT2003
MAADYDWQ
F8FYA
21093LNJHM ER

(On Controller Board)
301599100
Calypso III
ML 94V-0
E211079 3603

(Under Controller Board)
3920 *MHKAVGBXB33866*


Thank you.<ckd>
 
Sounds bad. Maybe contact Maxtor and see what they suggest. It would be great if someone gave you a matching drive with a bad platter.
 
Do your best physical inspection to see if you can find out where the water hit. That being done place it in a dry warm location and let it sit for a day or so. Are you sure the water didn't hit the motherboards IDE controller rather than the drive?
I hate PCS with vents on the top of the machine, horrible idea just because of things like this.
 
A few extra notes: Maxtor is part of Seagate now and they have never been able to help me on other things. I'll try them anyway. The motherboard IDE controller is OK, as far as I can tell. I couldn't be here at the forum if it were damaged since it's the same computer. I've tried heating it in my oven at about 100°F. Tried freezing it in double Ziploc bags. About two-three hours each. Nothing. So if anyone has any tips, hints, criticisms, or just plain advice, bring it on! I really would like to recover this drive, at least until I can get another drive and transfer my files. To all, thanks for trying.<ckd>
 
Assuming it was pure water, try drying it out in a warm place (ie body temp or so) for 24+ hours (like Sceadwian said).

If it had anything in the water, you might try washing the pcb with pure water then drying for 24 hours, if you are game! Since the harddrive shell itself should be sealed airtight with gaskets it's unlikely the water got in the mechanicals.
 
Baking it was probably a good idea, though I don't think I would have done it, I don't understand the point of trying to freeze it though aside from screwing it up worse from the condensation when it was removed to a warm room.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top