The purpose of this FAQ is to address a question that pops up on a
regular basis at various storage forums. The usual scenario is that a
hard drive has been overvolted, either as a consequence of a power
supply failure, or as a result of user error. This often results in
the failure of a TVS (Transient Voltage Suppression) diode. In most
instances this diode succeeds in protecting the remaining electronics
from further damage, in which case the solution involves an easy,
no-cost DIY fix.

The information that follows is based almost exclusively on user
feedback and on discussions in various storage and data recovery
forums.

HDD TVS diode FAQ:
http://forums.seagate.com/t5/Barracu.../118908#M25521
http://community.wdc.com/t5/Desktop/...p/250274#M6826

Photo clips of shorted diodes:
http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/HDD/

- Franc Zabkar
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