DAMAGED DRIVE FROM WRONG POWER SUPPLY

Its not unusual for a customer to plug the wrong power supply cord into a hard drive. Generally when this occurs a user has plugged a laptop charger into a hard drive and damaged the drive. Some laptops have the same connector as a hard drive and if the owner is not careful they can accidently plug a laptop power supply in. A laptop power supply is anywhere around 18.5v, 19v, 20v, and sometimes as much as 21 volts. A harddrive power supply is 12 volts. When a 20 volt charger is connected to a 12 volt hard drive it can immediately blow the electronics causing damage to the pcb. We see about 15% of cases where the electrical damage is so severe it even damages all the electronics inside the HDD. 

Don't panic we can recover data! 

This is actually a common problem we see and we are well use to safely recovering data!

Case Studies:

So I plugged in my laptop charger to my external hard drive and now it seems to be dead. It wont boot and i cant hear any mechanical sound at all when I plug it in. I'm no expert in this type of thing but what have I screwed up? Is it gone for good? Or is as simple as replacing a fuse oir something? I really dont have a clue. Its got a lot of valuable files on it that I really need for work and other things. Along with some confidential information that by law can not be shared with anyone, so I'm not really up sending it off to a shop.



I had my external harddrive plugged into a incorrect power source, and it damage the enclosure, but the hdd was fine. I just bought a new enclosure. maybe you can try removing the hdd and put it into a external enclosure to check if it's still functioning?

Its probably unlikely that moving the drive to another enclosure will help if the hard drive itself has been damaged by the surge. If your lucky its just the usb adapter and you can get data back like this. Otherwise you fried the circuit board in your external. They are usually designed to use between 11.5V and 12.5V DC. The adapter on the hard drive is most likely completely fried. It should have saved the hard drive though. Take your external hard drive enclosure apart and try connecting the internal hard drive to a desktop.

Help! I've plugged a laptop charger into my external storage and now all that's happening is the red ligh flashes and will not open. It's my sons 21st and all, and I mean all, my photos are on it. Have I any options? Most laptop chargers are 19V, while most external drive power supplies are probably 12V or 5V. You can confirm by reading the details on the AC adapters - it will list the respective DC voltages. Plugging low-voltage DC power into a device which expects high-voltage DC power usually results in no harm to the device, it just doesn't power up until it gets the right AC adapter. But plugging high-voltage DC power into a device which expects low-voltage DC power usually fries the electronics.

Best to Call Zero Alpha to get your files back! We have office locations in Brisbane Sydney and Melbourne and can service data recovery anywhere in Australia

What should I do if I plug the wrong power cable in?

If you have plugged the wrong power cable into your hard drive, it can cause damage to your drive and potentially lead to data loss. However, there are some steps you can take to minimize the risk of further damage and to recover your data.

The first thing you should do is to disconnect the power cable immediately to prevent any further damage. You should also turn off the computer or device that the hard drive is connected to.

Once you have disconnected the power cable, you should inspect the hard drive for any signs of damage or overheating. If you notice any physical damage or signs of burning, it is likely that the hard drive has been irreparably damaged.

If the hard drive appears to be undamaged, you may be able to recover your data using data recovery software. However, it is important to note that this is not always possible, and attempting to recover your data on your own can potentially cause further damage to the hard drive. It is best to seek the assistance of a professional data recovery service.

If your hard drive has suffered physical damage, a data recovery service may still be able to recover your data. They will have specialized equipment and expertise to handle damaged hard drives and may be able to repair or replace any damaged components to recover your data.

In conclusion, if you have plugged the wrong power cable into your hard drive, it is important to take immediate action to prevent further damage and to recover your data. Disconnect the power cable, inspect the hard drive for damage, and seek the assistance of a professional data recovery service if necessary.