How to find hardware configuration via serial number

Question

I need to know the model number for the hard drive in my powerbook. The powerbook won't power on at the moment. Is there any way I can look up the serial number and find out what hardware was installed in it? It is a 100 GB drive and the computer was custom ordered.
Thanks!

Answer 1

HD: My guess is that unless you are truly expert and have a comprehensive set of specialized miniature tools at your disposal, there is almost no chance that you will succeed in what you propose to do. I suggest that before you tackle the mechanical parts inside your failed drive, you consider swapping the controller board on the outside of it. A failure of that board can render a drive just as inert as a mechanical failure inside it, without disturbing the data stored on the platters at all. A failure of the internal mechanicals, if that's what has occurred, is more likely to have irretrievably destroyed some or all of your data, so that you couldn't recover it even if you were successful in the extremely delicate task of removing the platters and placing them in a new case. If there has been no mechanical failure, replacing a failed controller board with a good one may restore all your data to accessibility without jeopardizing its integrity at all in the process. Changing the board would be a much less intrusive and far safer first step toward recovering your data than tearing down the drive's mechanicals, and it might prove to be all you need to do.