Power Surge Killed Your Hard Drive?
Your Data Is Probably Fine.
Lightning strike, power outage, or surge protector failure? The good news: power surges usually only damage the electronics, not your data. The platters inside hold your files magnetically—electricity doesn't erase them. With proper PCB repair and ROM transfer, we recover data from surge-damaged drives every day.
85% success rate on electrical damage. Free evaluation. No data = no charge.
What a Power Surge Does to Your Hard Drive
Understanding the damage helps you understand why recovery is usually possible:
TVS Diodes (Best Case)
Protection circuits that sacrifice themselves to protect other components. If only these failed, repair is simple and cheap.
Motor Controller
Chip that spins the platters. If damaged, drive won't spin. Can be repaired with donor PCB + ROM transfer.
Main Controller
Brain of the drive. Damage here means drive won't communicate. Requires PCB swap with careful ROM/adaptives transfer.
Preamp (Worst Case)
Located inside the drive on the head assembly. Surge can travel through and damage it. Requires head swap in clean bench.
The Key Point
In 85%+ of power surge cases, the platters and data are completely unaffected. We just need to give the drive working electronics so it can read that data again. This is fundamentally different from mechanical failure where the read/write heads are damaged.
Why You Can't Just Swap the PCB Yourself
This is the most common DIY mistake with surge-damaged drives. Here's why it fails:
The ROM/Adaptives Problem
Modern hard drives (2003+) store unique calibration data on the PCB:
- •ROM chip: Contains firmware unique to that specific drive
- •Adaptives: Head calibration data specific to those platters
- •SMART data: Historical data the drive needs to operate
A PCB from an “identical” drive won't have the right calibration for YOUR drive's specific platters and heads.
What Happens If You Just Swap:
- ✕Drive not detected at all
- ✕Shows wrong capacity (0GB, 32MB, 8MB)
- ✕Clicking (wrong head calibration)
- ✕Spins but hangs during access
Worse: repeated attempts with wrong PCBs can corrupt firmware on the platters themselves.
What Professional Recovery Does
We use PC-3000 tools to read the ROM/adaptives from your original (damaged) PCB and write them to a donor PCB. If the ROM chip itself is damaged, we can sometimes recover the data from backup areas on the platters. This requires $15,000+ in specialized equipment and training.
Power Surge Recovery Process
Damage Assessment
Inspect PCB for blown components. Check TVS diodes, motor controller, main MCU, and preamp circuit.
ROM Extraction
Read calibration data from original PCB (or platter service area if ROM damaged).
PCB Repair/Swap
Either repair components or transfer ROM/adaptives to matching donor PCB.
Image & Recover
Once drive communicates, forensic imaging extracts all data to healthy media.
Power Surge Recovery Pricing
Cost depends on what components failed:
TVS Diode Only
Simple component replacement, drive works after
PCB Swap + ROM Transfer
Motor controller or main MCU damaged, donor PCB needed
Preamp Damage (Head Swap)
Surge traveled to head assembly, clean bench work required
Free evaluation determines exactly what failed. No data recovered = no charge.
Power Surge Recovery FAQ
My surge protector failed - is my data gone?
Probably not. Surge protectors failing is common, but the surge usually only damages the drive's electronics (PCB), not the platters where your data lives. The magnetic patterns on the platters aren't affected by electrical surges in most cases.
The drive smells burnt - is it still recoverable?
Often yes. A burning smell indicates component failure on the PCB, which is actually a good sign - it means the surge was absorbed by the electronics rather than reaching the platters. We can replace the damaged PCB and recover the data.
Should I try powering on the drive to check?
No. If components are shorted, powering on can cause additional damage. If the TVS diodes blew, they may have exposed other components to danger. Let a professional assess it first.
I bought an identical PCB online - can I swap it?
Not without ROM transfer. Even 'identical' PCBs have different calibration data. You need PC-3000 or similar tools to read the ROM from your original PCB and write it to the donor. A straight swap will fail.
Power surge damage? We can help.
Free evaluation. Most electrical damage is recoverable. No data = no charge.