I have the same problem with a SEAGATE Barracuda LP Green 2000GB with the next specs: Model: ST2000DL003 P/N (Part Number): 9VT166-301 F/W (Firmware): CC32 Date: 12286 Site: WU DOM (Date of manufacture): 01/2012 PCB (Printed Circuit Board): 100617465 REV B XP SP3 has been working in it perfectly for 3 months since I bought it and then it went off and appeared when starting again "Disk boot failure: insert system disk..." message. Whilst sound of spinning is OK (it seems even like engaging the platters correctly) it is not detected in BIOS nor in Disk Management, connected to an external USB case or elsewhere. Changing PCB with another exactly the same is useless, so I´d like to do the hyperterminal stuff if possible to recover the disk and the valuable data it contains. I have read that in 7200.11 models there is a standard procedure which implies short circuiting some pins and entering commands in hyperterminal from another computer an a serial-ttl device which works with 3,3 V tensions, but for other mothels (like 7200.12 1,5 TB I think) there is no need to short anything but only to enter (other) certain commands. For this Model ST2000DL003 2 TB I have read the briefly explained process with hyperterminal commands posted by jaclaz and apparently working (although with slow data access) for Seuss1. I´d like to know from these or others if the method really works, and a more step by step description of it with pics of the full process. If there is no solution by now, I´d like to know too, for viniikala in the first message says the hyperterminal can´t access this specific model of hard disk, and that the communication through TX/RX lines must be done with 5 V instead of 3,3 V (with a usb-ttl instead of a serial-ttl I guess). Please someone who´s been successful answer with the solution, a lot of us in the ditch now will be so thankful, and for all of you who´re reading this because you´ve happened to be in my case, I can only say: don´t throw away the disk and have faith, and above all: Have a good day.