WD 2500JB hard drive board replacement - Western Digital Caviar WD2500JB Special Edition 250 GB Hard Drive

Try each of these methods step by step if solved in any step get backup ASAP
the good news is: if the LED is ON you may have a chance

1.Use Minimal cord, detach all other USB's, check your power2.Turn off power options3.Try Restarting your system4.Carefully Try system restore3.Download & update Firmware software from WD website4.You may need to Install SmartWare_Windows_Upgrader first5.In any step if the hard drive was recognized back up your data immediately6.if none of above You will need experts having PC3000 to get your data back
the bad news is that: if the LED is OFF or PC3000 doesn't recognize your hard drive you may need a new exactly the same hard drive with the same SN to replace it's board to get your data back.

unlike other brands which use laptop hard drives, that can be plugged into a PC directly, WD uses it's own board with access services on the hard and if the board is damaged you may have a serious problem.


this is a problem I have been through.
unfortunately the "lovely WD my passport" is Totally Not Reliable and you can not count on it.

Does the drive make any sounds, even a spinning up sound? Are you using it in an external case or just inside your computer?
Also, is this a drive you've been using and you have data on it, or is it a new drive?

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One or two ways to go about this, one would be to find a used hard drive from maybe a site like ebay, the other would be to call Western Digital directly to see if you can purchase the board from them.

if the external hard disk drive powers on, perhaps replacing the USB cable could help ?

i had WD extrenal, and it crapped out on me -- i had so much vital information that i lost . i finally discovered that the power modeul inside the housing that encases the drive was bad.. i coul not get the PC board replaced.

i hope you can resolve this with new USB cable.

have you tried another computer -- see if that PC recognises the WD external drive

let me know how it works out for you

> stopped working toady (froggy? today?)

It "died" -- either the electronic circuit-board "under" the "spinning" part of the disk-drive has short-circuited, or the motor that spins the recording surfaces has quit.

You've tried it on another computer -- so you've done all that you can.

Any 500GB disk-drive is likely to still be under the W.D. warranty.
Open the enclosure, and get the model-number and serial-number from the label on the disk-drive.
Then, access the W.D. web-site, and click "check warranty status", and enter that information.
If the warranty is valid, W.D. will replace the device, at minimal cost to you.

If the warranty has expired, W.D. has a "Customer Loyalty" program -- purchase a new W.D. device from the W.D. web-site, and you qualify for a good discount on your purchase.

Or, remove the disk-drive from the enclosure, buy a replacement, compatible, disk-drive, and "transplant" it into the enclosure, to create a working external storage device.

Chalk your story up as many, choose a more better external solution or pay the data loos department big bucks.

I hear your cry and the drive inside the password has a embedded mini usb to sata controller board thus in order for thisto get going again is to replace that board or the drive as a whole. Unlike the WD mybook witch has a doughter card witch does come off the standard sata drive witch then the drive can be made whole again by putting it into a computer or another case, your issue is just the reverse.

The only way to recover your data is a data recovery center or find another controller board for the drive (Good luck).

So you two solutions are on the table, Thanks for using fixya.com do not shoot the messenger pelase do leave a postive ratings for the experts that assited you today.

Btw, I’m available to help over the phone in case u need at https://www.6ya.com/expert/edwy_1a56970cf1ea4620

Almost any UNIVERSAL power adaptor will do providing it covers two important things

First is voltage eg 12 V 12 Volts etc.

Second is current rating eg 500mA 1.2A 2 AMP etc

The second is as important as the first. you can exceed the number but NEVER go less eg a 500mA supply can be replaced by a 750mA one.
In fact it may outlast the drive itself.

You should be able to take out the 3.5 drive that is inside and move it to a new enclosure (does not have to be WD) Tiger Direct has them. You can find them at BestBuy or online for less than $40

When remove the drive do this steps properly first when you want remove the drive remove safley than remive it