It isn't as nearly as complicated or scary as they are making out... if you manage to recover the wallet.dat, you really just need to install Bitcoin Core, put a copy of your old wallet.dat in the data directory, then run Bitcoin Core and let it sync. Then you'll see the transaction history and current balance of the wallet file... and you'll be able to decide what you next move is from that point.
Yes, things will be more complicated if the wallet file is corrupted... but it sounds like the damage was to the drive controller and not to the physical platters etc, so theoretically the data should still be "OK" (assuming there hasn't been any 'bit rot').
Don't mind them... they're getting a little cynical in their old age
Seriously tho, there have been numerous threads in recent times of people seeking assistance to crack wallet.dat passwords... it happens every time there is a surge in Bitcoin price. Lot's of people think they're onto a big score buying wallet.dat's from scammers and thinking they're going to get rich.
This instance looks nothing like that... but instead is just a "i think i might have had some BTC on a broken hdd" type thread. I hope it works out for you. Please keep us informed of your progress after you get the PCB fixed.
Thanks!
So a little update. Managed to get the drive going. The PCB/Bios swap was a success and the thing sprung to life. When first going through it all I can see is the data on there which was storage/backup but I know for sure I used it as a main drive before purchasing my first SSD. I've used R-Studio and it's picked up a lot of files from the old partition.
Question is, where would the bitcoin mining or wallet software be installed? Is there a normal directory like program files?
