FAQs and Testing Procedure

FAQs

Is the firmware transfer absolutely necessary? Can't I just send a picture of the drive label?

For most drives made after 2008, the firmware transfer IS necessary unfortunately. You can take our word for it or take a look at the detailed explanation here.

Do not Hot Plug your drive

Hot plugging means connecting SATA or power cables to the drive (or removing cables from the drive) when the power is on. Do NOT hot plug your drives even if your computer supports it, it is a dangerous operation.

What to do when you can't find the correct board for your hard drive

If you can not find the correct model, please send us an email at info@pcbsolution.com, or try using our step by step matching guide by clicking here.

Regarding certain external hard drive enclosures/connectors

Certain external hard drive enclosures/connectors need to be CONNECTED to your computer's usb port before your hard drive starts to spin. Other enclosures only support low power 2.5'' drives, so make sure the enclosure you are using is good enough for your hard drive. For old IDE drives, some enclosures/connectors only accept one hard drive jumper setting, such as Master mode. Please remember to set your hard drive to the correct jumper setting!

What is the large rectangular chip and why does it look slightly different from mine?

This chip is the RAM/memory chip. The writing on the chip is different because there are many manufacturers that make this chip, but this does NOT affect compatibility. Common manufacturers of these chips are: Samsung, Hynix, and Winbond.

Testing Procedure

All our products undergo a full test prior to shipment. Our standard testing/packaging procedure is as follows:
1) A visual inspection to make sure there are no cosmetic flaws
2) The PCB is attached to a working hard drive and powered on
3) The first test is to make sure the computer can detect the hard drive
4) The second test is the read test, where we open a random file stored on the hard drive
5) The final test is the write test, a file is copied onto the test hard drive
6) If the hard drive passes all tests, the PCB is deemed working
7) The PCB is thoroughly cleaned with industrial strength alcohol and packaged in anti-static bag + protective box
8) Item is placed in bubble envelope and shipped to you