WD Blue Hard Drive Teardown

Written By: Wieli
Published: 08/04/23
  • Comments: 11

WD Blue Hard Drive Teardown

Published: 08/04/23

Teardown

Introduction

Western digital Hard drive tear down

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    • Pre-disassembly

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    • Remove four screws and circuit board lifts out

    What screwdriver tip fits the screws?

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Motor contacts

    • Head contacts

    Excellent. Love the highlights. They help a lot.

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Remove 6 perimeter screws

    • Remove screw from under sticker

    • Lift cover off

    Maybe rotate 1st photo 180 degrees so the orientation matches photo 2. Also in photo 1 highlight the location of the hidden screw.

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Inside of hard drive

    • Desiccant packet removed from lower right corner

    • Inside of cover

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    • Head in dock

    • Head on disk

    • Dock removed

    What size driver tip is used to remove the screw?

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Head before bridge removed

    • Remove two screws

    • Lift bridge away

    Highlight screw location in photo 1. Provide driver tip used to remove screws.

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Stops to limit head travel

    • Red coil over magnet cause the head to rotate

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    • Contact block installed

    • Remove two screws, contact block is now loose but connected to head by a ribbon cable

    Add driver tip size. Highlight ribbon cable as it blends in with body.

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Disk installed

    • Remove 3 screws holding down collar

    • Remove collar

    Highlight the screw faces please. The screw faces blend in with the collar.

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Lift disk out of case

    • Collar after removal

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    • Head installed, simply lift head out of case

    • Remove head

    • Case without head

    May want to identify the platter motor in photo 3

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Removed head

    • Contacts for data and head control

    • Head interface to disk

    Photo 3 is a great photo. Well done!

    Jim Fogle -

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    • Remove magnet

    • Remove stop for head on disk

    • Remove head docked stop

    What is the purpose of the black strip below where the head use to be?

    Jim Fogle -

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    • All components arranged

Author

Wieli

Member since: 09/01/23

1503 Reputation

One comment

Well done Wieli! Your photographs are very clear and well lighted. Should you decide to edit the guide may I suggest (1) you add what screwdriver tips you used to remove screws and (2) at step 10, highlight the three screws. The screw tips blend in with the collar.

Jim Fogle -