BlouBul

Did you test them on another board?

mgr700, Read the recommended guide by Carter-in-Canada (link in Read-me first) http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/143880-seagate-barracuda-720011-read-me-first/

Hi jaclaz, The info is mostly there, I just tried to clarify some points that Tulex wasn't clear about. 1. "Is the new firmware good (there were problems with some versions that have killed drives)" From the Read-me-First It is not clear that SD1A fixed the problem (although I did include the warning- there I could have referred to Read-me-First). 2. "If I get some error during testing, is it enough for RMA?" that is implied but not clear (although the link to VideoRipper's post said he did it successfully) Edit: Sorry, I see Carter's recommended guide covers firmware updates.

Yes, you will then be given a code which can be used for RMA. http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?locale=en-US&name=Test_with_SeaTools_and_Submit_Return&vgnextoid=0df7edc52f0fc010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

Hi Tulex, Great to hear!!! . First test with Seatools, If you get error, you can return under warrantee to get replacement (RMA). Then you can update the firmware if all tested good. SD1A is stable and should not give problems (although firmware updates are allways risky - make sure to run your computer through a UPS when you do the upgrade and use computer with good PSU for that!!!). Make sure your data is backed up elsewhere if something go wrong.

Hi Tulex, The powering down step is optional (sometimes it is needed other times not) you can try to skip this step or power down the whole computer and restart before continuing. The fact that your hdd doesn't trip your computer when connected from the start is a good sign. The fact that it trips when you put live power on is not. Hopefully you do not do that during normal operation. It can be a cable problem (it shorts when you handle it to connect it to the hdd with live power) Did you try it with a different cable/computer? What exactly is the original problem? If it is BSY/LB0 I think you can try the fix by keeping the power on from the beginning like you suggested. You also mentioned in one of your previous posts you did not properly identify grnd. Is that sorted now?

Hi Tulex, We need a bit more info. Please tell us exactly what you did. Just putting power to a hdd not connected to anything (except a CA-42) should not cause your system to shut down. Did you correctly identify your wires? Did you do a loopback test? Does it also shut down without the CA-42 if you connect power? Give me all your connections. Please give as much info as possible. Then I will try to help.

Hi Tulex, I will ask the same question as VideoRipper asked bmoroschan. I hope the Sata data cable is not connected when you plug the SATA power in... That will most definately cause your system to crash.

You're welcome Make another one, just in case (at least two backups is recommended) Yes it should. Do both the short and long test using Seagate Seatools to make sure nothing else is wrong. Read also point 5 in Read-Me-First. -Blou

I noticed that if you do a loopback test and let ground touch the other two, you get garbage on the screen. That was the reason I thought something was touching when you connected your well insulated ground connection to the hdd. If you are 100% sure none of your connections are touching, I won't even think of suggesting trying to see if it works without ground connected (especially since this method is already deprecated...), but that is rumoured to sometimes work. Maybe Jaclaz has a better idea. There is always the recommended method which might give the same result if ground is touching one of the other two...

Thats strange Did you put some insulation tape around the pins to prevent them touching each other?

Hi Annoyedman That means the cable is working That means the two wires that is your Rx and Tx were identified correctly and your comminications line are setup correctly Your pic looks right. Remember Rx of the cable goes to Tx of the hdd and Tx of the cable goes to Rx of the hdd. Anyway, if you got those two wrong it is safe to change them. Good luck and let us know what happened.

@MAH. Good Now you can just do a loopback test to ensure everything is setup correctly before you connect it to the HDD. If that is successful, the hard part is over. The rest is just Monkey See, Monkey do.

MAH, As I have been trying to explain several times to you, you are looking at the wrong end of the cable. Do not look at the USB end that is connected to the computer as they are all different due to different manufacturers. The other end of the cable which normally connects to the Nokia phone has 6 pins which is standard as they have to be in sequence. Did you look at the link provided?

@ MAH: The fact that your cable was installed as another com port probably means you got a working cable. If you look at the link provided and the picture of the Nokia end of the cable, you will see six pins that can be connected to the phone. They are numbered 3-8. I really do not understand where you get pin 12???

@ michaelc: Yes that is much easier as the pins are standard on the Nokia side. Due to the different manufacturers, you can't tell from the USB side if it is not marked (as in your case).

@michaelc. it is easier from the other side. The link in my post #3125 gives quite a good explanation how to do it.

@ VideoRipper: Firmware SD25 is affected and can be corrected with this procedure @MAH: Pin12??? You should use pin 6,7&8 see link in my post earlier on the page. If your computer sees the cable without anything connected to it and install drivers for it, there is a very good chance the cable will work, otherwise try another cable or the recommended method.

@ Annoyedman It is a pleasure, I hope it works. I used it for the same reason.

Annoyedman, if you are determined to go the non-recommended route, you can get pinouts here: http://buffalo.nas-central.org/wiki/Use_a_Nokia_Serial_Cable_on_an_ARM9_Linkstation If you want to be sure your cable works, check that your computer picks it up without anything connected to it, before you decapitate the cable, then you can exchange it for a working one if it does not work.

Hi Gag, The way I see it (Jaclaz,VideoRipper and Carter can correct me if I am wrong), the cable is just there to send short commands to your HDD in very basic language. It is not communicating all the time, but only send and receive short command bursts each time you press enter. If a Rx or Tx connection comes loose, you will immediately see it on your screen (no loopback, thus you will not see what you are typing)then you can reconnect it and make sure you re-type the full command (if your screen missed something due to no loopback) If grnd comes loose, same thing, there is lots of reports of people who didn't ground it, and redo it with grounding and not bricked their drive. Best is obviously to not loose contact, but as ong as you do not touch the wires during the process you should be OK. BlouBul

Thanks Jaclaz, I sort of have the bad habit of normally not reading the Disclaimer sections in too much detail. I did the "Short DST" AND "Long DST" tests using Seagate's Seatools and my drive passed both, which probably meant my ASSUMPTION was correct. I was just wondering if there were any way to RMA it to be sure (except waiting for it to brick again by not installing firmware update and waiting 1-2 years)? Blou

What do I tell Seagate if I want to return it? Allthough my drive is still under warrenty till 2014, I now have a perfectly working Hdd which is not on their list of affected drives. Do I tell them I performed open heart disk surgery on the drive to fix it? They might throw up their hands in horror when they hear that since they do not officially condone this method as far as I understand it. I am anyway quite confident that the drive won't be any worse than a swapped one after I upgraded the firmware (my next task).

Thanks Gradius, Jaclaz, VideoRipper ETC, Etc, etc for this extremely good guide. Got my 500 GB Seagate back to working order. Can confirm that CA-55 does not work even if salesman tells you it is the same as CA-42. Although the cellphone end looks the same, the usb side is smaller. I used a DKU-5 which worked first time (thanks to among others the previous 2991 posts!). Just to add my own two cents worth: If you want to use a cell phone adapter like CA-42 or DKU-5(yes, I know you do not recommend that ), make sure it has the longer USB side that a little PC board will fit in there. See http://buffalo.nas-central.org/wiki/Use_a_Nokia_Serial_Cable_on_an_ARM9_Linkstation . -Blou Bul