Pavilion 6620 HDD Fail

[David Lightfoot]

My HDD in my HP Pavilion 6620 has failed (black hole in philips MCU chip). The drive is a Quantum Fireball LCT10. I have been asking around and this seems to be a standard fault with these drives.

Is this a standard HP spare part, as it's fitted to their machines. It's only just over 1 year old and I can't get a spare part anywhere.

I have backed the data up but as usual there is always something, and I would like to get my old e-mails off it (which weren't).

Thanks

David

[Fran_2]

David, My HDD just burned out also. I have a Pavilion 4535 and had a Quanturm Fireball CX 3.5 Series. I had just installed a 2nd harddrive 2 months before this happen so I didn't lose anything. But now My CD burner don't work and a host of other problems. My computer is 2yrs old. Hope we get help.

[Kevin Noble]

I have a Pavilion 6640C with the same burnt hole in the Philips chip. Has anybody been able to replace the circuit board on these drives and get them to work and recover data.

[David Lightfoot]

The only way I have found to get this fixed is to buy an identical drive on an auction site ie Ebay, and swop the boards.

You do get an extra drive you don't want, but you at least get your data off.

[Guerau Cabrera]

Hi, I've seen this problem for years. The first HDD we bought was a Quantum Fireball CX 3.5 series SN 832292624XXXX and it lasted around 2 years till the Philips chip burnt out. The second HDD was exactly the same and also lasted 2 years. In the meantime, another PC had the QFireball lct10 and the Philips chip burnt out this morning, also lasted around 2 years. I want to know if the controller board for the CX and the lct10 are the same or not? (They look pretty much the same.)

Thanks anyone.

[David Lightfoot_1]

I found a solution to the problem which was the same as was suggested in other replies that is: Buy a faulty or working HDD on e-bay, swop the boards over and get the data off, then swop the boards back and use the new HDD just purchased as your main HDD. I also found another faulty HDD on e-bay with a non blown chip on and swopped the chip onto the busted drive. I then ended up with 2 working drives in my PC ( the 2nd now being a full backup of the first, just in case it happens again!!).

[Simon Trobe]

This isnt a problem with the HP product but with the hard drive itself. basically, the fireball LCT10 was made very quickly and this problem is on hdd that were relesed to buy from the likes of pc world.
i have one and have had nothing but problems with the fireballs. i recommend seagate or western digital.

[Gill Fyers]

I've bought a non-working HDD with no apparent physical damage to the Philips chip. Please can someone tell me exactly how to get the chip off to see if that will work on my failed HDD?

[David Lightfoot_1]

The only real way is to use a proper IC rework system found in most electronics companies (look for a friend who works in one!).
Alternatively with a fine tip soldering iron and solder wick desolder each side at a time. If you are not careful you will overheat the IC and blow it with the heat.
Just remember you only get one chance, so don't start unless you are confident. Practice on the other ICs on the duff board before the one that matters!