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The Solution for Seagate 7200.11 HDDs


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It's a known firmware issue, so you will get the same problems after another

320 log entries if you stick to the SD15 firmware. :angry:

I think you should get rid of the drive, if possible:

  • Backup the drive (at least the most important stuff)
  • Download and burn SeaTools for DOS to a CD-R
  • Reboot your PC from the CD-ROM (with the drive attached)
  • Do a short- and a long-DST test
    --------------- SeaTools for DOS v2.17 ---------------

    Device 0 is Seagate Device ST3500320AS 9QM22HVN On Intel ICH5
    Max Native Address 976773167
    Device is 48 Bit Addressed - Number of LBAs 976773167 ( 500.108 GB )
    This drive supports Security Features
    SMART Is Supported And ENABLED
    SMART Has NOT Been Tripped
    DST Is Supported
    Logging Feature Set Is Supported
    POH 5994 Current Temp 23

    Started Short DST 2/12/2010 @ 11:37.4
    DST -- FAILED - Read Element LBA = 0
    Your SeaTools Test Code: A7E7D56A
    Short DST FAILED 2/12/2010 @ 11:37.16


  • When you get an error-code like above (A7E7D56A), write it down and
    create an RMA at Seagate to have it swapped using the error-code.
  • If you don't get an error-code (which I doubt) and you want to keep on
    using the drive, do the firmware update.
    ...but I do think you *should* swap it either way...

Greetz,

Peter.

I used seatools on all 3 affected drives, all 3 PASSED the Seatools test :wacko: So I didn't get any error codes. According to the Seagate page:

Self-Service SeaTools Test Codes

A SeaTools Test Code is important when returning a Seagate product under warranty. The SeaTools Test Code proves that the drive has failed diagnostic tests performed by SeaTools.

Seagate understands that there are several legitimate reasons why you might not have a SeaTools Test Code. Please review the following suggestions and if you still need a Self-Service test Code, copy the 8-digit code from the one of the choices below and paste it in to the SeaTools Test Code field on the RMA form.

If SeaTools shows a drive test FAIL and did not show a Fail Info icon and SeaTools Test Code, then you will need to download and install the current version of the software. Click here to go to the SeaTools home page.

Please be cautious using these Self-Service SeaTools Test Codes. Seagate reserves the right to return a good drive back to its owner and to charge for all associated shipping costs.

Code Issue

C5C898A2 Dead drive

CA99C4AC SeaTools could not detect my drive

659DC7AE Failed other diagnostic tools, I'm confident it is a bad drive.

6C9AC2A4 Serial number not detected, SeaTools did fail the drive

6FD1A1AE RAID system blocked SeaTools from testing the drive

9B96C8A7 Apple system cannot run SeaTools*

669CC6A4 No test system available to run SeaTools.

9C9692A5 I lost the SeaTools Test Code

C5CB9DAA Poor performance

979866A7 Noisy - SeaTools passes all tests

9CC891A1 Wrong Firmware - SeaTools passes all tests

* In most cases, Seagate drives in Apple systems are covered by Apple. If you have an Apple system with an Intel compatible processor, you might be able to run SeaTools for DOS from its bootable CD-ROM.

Looks like I'll be supplying this one: 9CC891A1 Wrong Firmware - SeaTools passes all tests :)

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Hello guys: as you can see on my post #2709 (page 136), i triple checked everything so to be sure not to messed up the hdd.

i did everything with the help of 3 friends, who were standing next to me, doubling checking each and every command i had to enter into Hyperterminal.

as shown on the pic i attached on my post, i didnt have an error after i did all what is suggested here, which i followed in every step.

I did all the stuff using a CA-42 modified cable with absolutely no problems at all.

i did everything using an external USB/S(ATA) adapter like the one shown in previous pages, with its own energy etc etc etc

So, i put the Seagate drive "fixed" after all the solution explained here. At first, it shows as USB device. After a few seconds, it says "SB500AS" (or something similar, cant remember exactly) detected. Great i tought. I went to My Pc. Drive is shown with its exact partition name (in this case, it was drive G: Backup).

I clic on the icon, in a second, te drive simple dissapears. I go to Device Manager, the drive is seen with its correct name.

I re-connect the USB drive, shown again, but this time as "Logical Drive". I try to format, and in one second, icon dissapears again. I try to look in the management hdd sector, hdd is not recongized anymore.

After that, i put the hdd in my Pc. I power on the machine. Drive is seen on BIOS half of the times i power on my machine. In a randomly basis, i can see it on My Pc, but every single time i try to acces to it, so i can backup its content, the icon simple dissapears. I have done that even in safe mode.

So, half of the time, BIOS has detected the harddrive, but i cant acces to it properly.

so, i did again all the procedure here. Same result: drive is seen sometimes on BIOS, and once in Windows loaded, i see it on My Pc, i see the icon, now its always "Logical Drive". I try to format it, but when i clic "format" the icon dissapears again.

Im really desperate at this time. I have so so so many important stuff on it....i feel im somehow cursed or something....

I didnt do anything more than just follow strictly the directions which were given here. In the pic i attached, its clear that no mistake and no error happened during the procedure.

I can hear the hdd when i power on the machine, i can hear the head, i dont have any strange noise, not any clak clak clak noise, nothing "strange". To me it seems to be the "normal" noise of the drive. Im not an expert on this subject, but i think at this time i can "listen" when a hdd is not behaving as it should....

This all thing is driving me crazy. Im very depressed and dissapointed for all this. I even took the drive to a sepcialist here who is well known for recovery data, but he is stuck as well. We have chat over the phone and exchanged information, and he tells me exactly the same: he can access randomly to the drive on the BIOS, he may see the drive under My Pc, with the exact name, if he put the drive in a USB case, he is able to see it properly with hte correct name but that just lasts a few seconds, like me etc etc etc etc etc etc

he told me that he would try with another exact logic but he wsasnt 100% about what would happen..

Please, i need some advice...do i have another thing "broken" on this HDD?? I dont think so, since i havent done anything else rather than follow all the advice given here...synthoms were like the ones described here... powered on the machine one day ust to find out the seagate was no recognized by BIOS...and that was the beginning of this truly nightmare to me...

I didnt do anything else to the drive. I always treated it wit ha lot of care and all that...i didnt trhow it to the wall if you know what i mean...

:(((((

Shall i give up and resign??

someboy out there who might know a way of recovering all the data and then i will throw away this hdd that is giving me a lot of headaches?? PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! i beg you guys here

Please, please, please, any advice,any hint, any idea i beg you guys.... much apreciatted

I just want to recover almost 460GB of crucial data for me...almost all my "digital" life, as well as university thesis and other personal stuff, is in that bloody hdd....

:(((

Sebastian

Edited by Gavilan
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I don't think you should try to make a backup from within Windows if the drive

is not responding as it should (BTW. Why would you want to format it?) :unsure:

You'd better make an image of it (with Ghost or similar lower-level application)

once you get it seen in the BIOS; you might even want to image it a couple of

times, just to be sure (maybe you can re-construct your precious data from a

multiple of images if one was not enough).

What error-code did SeaTools for DOS give you?

Another possible problem you might be facing: I don't know how carefull you were

while performing the unbricking and how well the PCB was constructed, but you might

want to check all solderpoints (especially at the connectors) for cracks and bad

contacts.

Have you tried other SATA-data and -power cables?

Just some thoughts :whistle:

Good luck,

Peter.

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Hi everyone, my hdd seems to be in bsy state, so i want to try the procedure explained here, but there is a problem (i am from macedonia and i can't find rs232 to ttl converter). i try to build one, and i only found MAX232N, now i am searching the circuit for that chip.. it seams to be different than MAX232 or MAX232A.. any help (circuit, pcb, components) would be helpfull. I found some circuit but I am not sure about it so i will need confirmation so i start building it.. thank you

there is pictures for both MAX232 and MAX232N chips, i just need that the one for MAX232N will be ok for the procedure

my hdd is segate (barracuda 7200.11 500 gb) i've by it 12-2008...post-289136-127180509591_thumb.jpg post-289136-127180511317_thumb.jpg

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and i only found MAX232N, now i am searching the circuit for that chip..

As far as I know the MAX232N is exactly the same as the other versions, so you

can use the exact same schematic for it:

post-277568-127189711022_thumb.gif

Greetz,

Peter.

Edited by VideoRipper
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I don't think you should try to make a backup from within Windows if the drive

is not responding as it should (BTW. Why would you want to format it?) :unsure:

You'd better make an image of it (with Ghost or similar lower-level application)

once you get it seen in the BIOS; you might even want to image it a couple of

times, just to be sure (maybe you can re-construct your precious data from a

multiple of images if one was not enough).

What error-code did SeaTools for DOS give you?

Another possible problem you might be facing: I don't know how carefull you were

while performing the unbricking and how well the PCB was constructed, but you might

want to check all solderpoints (especially at the connectors) for cracks and bad

contacts.

Have you tried other SATA-data and -power cables?

Just some thoughts :whistle:

Good luck,

Peter.

Peter: first, huge thank you for being so kind and taking the time to reply to me and try to help me on this...

You are completely sure: i was trying to do a backup from inside Windows... (i put format it as an example, i didint do it actually (nor i could because icon would dissapear in few seconds from my desktop)

im afraid its too late to use Ghost or similar: drive is no longer even recognized by BIOS (if i put the drive, the machine can stay in some kind of "freeze" mode for about 2 minutes, afte that Windows boots normally of course without the Seagate being recognized...)

So, no chance of using Ghost, didint even have time to use SeaTools

Tried at least 4 SATA cables...and 2 different USB/S(ATA) adapters...same synthom all the time: drive seen randomly, then icon dissapears from Device Manager/and/or from BIOS and/or from Windows...dont have at least a couple of minutes of the drive seen/recognized so i can backup data to another drive... sounds strange uh?

I triple checked everything...nothing burnt or "out of place"...everyuthing seems normal to me... i even hear the spinning of the drive, with no #"strange" noise...

I guess its a Game Over for me.... sigh...had so so valuable data... it seems nobody is able to recover data (at this thime of course i dont care about the hdd, i just want to recover the data), since it would seem like some kind of "firmware mess up" or something like that, because of the drive being detected randomly by BIOS/Windows... and i know part of the firmware is on the plates...so if i cant see the drive...i cant access to the info on the plates?? Or maybe somebody knows hot to acces to the data even if something is "wrong " in the firmware located in the plates???? Please!! any light on this!!!!

thanks

Sebastian

Edited by Gavilan
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I have a Seagate ST3500620AS OEM drive with firmware DE12, it comes from a Dell that is not seeing the drive in BIOS.

Has anyone tried these methods with a drive like this? Seems really tricky doing this, first time.

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So question guys. Before I purchase the equipment and follow the nice guide on the front page, do you figure that an ST3500320AS that causes the whole PC not to post would be a busy error? Any PC I plop it into is made to freeze on the initial screen that advertises the motherboard. Was just wondering if it was some other issue before I drop the cash to try and fix it via the busy fix method. Thanks in advance!

Edited by TheAleg
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(if i put the drive, the machine can stay in some kind of "freeze" mode for about 2 minutes, afte that Windows boots normally of course without the Seagate being recognized...)

Maybe it's worth a try to un-brick it a second time? :unsure:

(You obviously can't make things worse by trying...)

I have a Seagate ST3500620AS OEM drive with firmware DE12, it comes from a Dell that is not seeing the drive in BIOS

The BSY- and LBA0-fix *should* work on all Seagate 7200.11 drives, in essence what these

fixes do is re-initializing the SMART-table (as if it was new), but whether you will be

succesfull is unknown, since I haven't seen this DE12 firmware in this topic yet.

Whatever you do: you always unbrick your drive at your own risk, even if it is a SD15 one. :rolleyes:

do you figure that an ST3500320AS that causes the whole PC not to post would be a busy error?

Yep, those are the tale-tell signs of a BSY-problem. :yes:

If you don't want to (or can) unbrick it yourself, there might be some folks around

in your neighbourhood that might want to give a hand ;)

Greetz,

Peter.

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do you figure that an ST3500320AS that causes the whole PC not to post would be a busy error?

Yep, those are the tale-tell signs of a BSY-problem. :yes:

If you don't want to (or can) unbrick it yourself, there might be some folks around

in your neighbourhood that might want to give a hand ;)

Greetz,

Peter.

Alrighty, time to give the fix a try then. Thanks!

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@Gavillan

Please remember that a number of guys have reported that by using a *thick* separator to insulate contacts they managed to bend them or dirty them or whatever in such a way that the contacts weren't good after, you should try completely disassembling the PCB from the disk and thoroughfully clean all contacts on both the PCB and the hard disk, possibly using some abrasive rubber and/or a specific cleaning compound, then re-assemble the whole thing and tighten the screws firmly.

Also visually inspect with a magnifying glass (and a LOT of patience) the PCB, there could be a cold or cracked soldering somewhere.

BOTH the above problems would lead to symptoms like you describe.

Cleaning the contacts on the SATA data cable too is advised.

jaclaz

Edited by jaclaz
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Hello my friends.

I'm new in this kind of community.

Almost the same as Mr Sebastian - GAVILAN.

Had follow all the instructions and had received exactly all the answers back.

So, at the end, I expected that my HDD was alive again.

But unfortunately no.

Now, when I plug my HDD by the USB addapter, it is not recognized by the Windows Explorer.

It appears at the Disk Mannager as an not alocated drive ... just as it was a new one.

Then I tried to use recovery programs to read the contents of the sectors, but, at all of them everything appears as if it was with error.

I'm just thinking that I probably have some board damage too.

Somebody would have some idea ?

Thanks

CAPILLÉ

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Then I tried to use recovery programs to read the contents of the sectors, but, at all of them everything appears as if it was with error.

Which programs?

How?

The scope of this thread is to have the device accessible (with correct capacity) both in BIOS and Disk Manager, if you can see it in disk manager, the "fix" worked, though it is very possible that something during the procedure (or something else) has wiped your MBR and partition table or however damaged the filesystem structure.

Try TESTDISK on it:

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

Start a new thread if you need help.

jaclaz

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Just a quick question guys. Someone I talked to over here that had this problem with his 7200.11 disk, went out and bought another one, working. Maybe the

new one even had a newer firmware. Switched the PCB on the disks and got the disk working. Is this possible here too, or did he have a non-working PCB?

Would that method work, or does the problem lie elsewhere?

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No... he (most) probably had a defective PCB, since the firmware is actually

stored on the harddrive (platters), like I tried to illustrate in this post:

Effectively this is what happens, when a normal working drive is powered up:

  1. Power applied to PCB
  2. PCB does a quick electronics self-test, puts its interface in BSY-mode 'till
    it's finished with starting up (step 5) and turns on splindle-motor
  3. On-board controler reads firmware from platters (note here: opposed to
    other devices, the firmware and certain data-tables are actually stored
    on the platters, not on the PCB)
  4. Firmware is initialized and executed
  5. PCB releases interfaces (turns off BSY-status) and drive is ready for
    use over the (S)ATA interface

Because of a bug, after 320 log-entries the firmware hangs on step 4 and

never turns off the BSY-status, leaving you with a bricked drive.

By temporarly disconnecting the PCB from the drive, the on-board controler

will never be able to load the firmware (and thus will never be able to hang)

and will enter debug-mode, so you will be able to access the controler via

the debug-port over TTL-RS232.

Apart from that, there's also a (great) risk in swapping PCB's between drives,

even if they are the exact same model and type; changes in the drive's hardware

are known between manufacturing batches, so your milage may vary.

Greetz,

Peter.

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