WD20NMVW-11ED7S0

This Western Digital WD20NMVW-11ED7S0 hard drive (S/N WX81A1640HJE) is part of the PCLab donor inventory, kept for data recovery work. It belongs to the Shrek family: drives in the same family are usually compatible with each other for head transplants, though the exact firmware revision still has to be checked case by case. Its board carries the number 2060-771959, which matters when the failure is electronic and the PCB has to be swapped — the ROM must be transferred from the original board.

Donor drives are used when a drive fails mechanically: seized spindle, damaged heads or a burnt board. The work is done in a clean room, and picking the right donor is what decides whether the data comes back. If your Western Digital WD20NMVW-11ED7S0 is clicking, beeping or is no longer detected, do not open it — talk to the lab first.