The Solution for Seagate 7200.11 HDDs

[jaclaz]

Question: is there any hope for this HD after upgrading the firmware? Can it be trusted or should i really just huck this thing in the dumpster and move on?

Please read point #5 of the read-me-first (which you should have ALREADY read ):

There are a few common misconceptions about hard disk drives.

The first one is "they are reliable" (which is normally true) which is wrongly perceived as "they will never break" (which is UTTERLY false).

An accurate statement is for this special case:

A Seagate 7200.11 DEFINITELY suffering from the 320th log entry issue ONLY, once PROPERLY fixed, and once a firmware that CORRECTS the issues has CORRECTLY been deployed to it, has THE SAME reliability AS any other hard disk of the same series/manufacturer.

ANY hard disk, from ANY manufacturer, of ANY series WILL break, sooner or later.

The "general" point is if you are going to take your chances of losing your data WHEN it will break.

The specific points are:

1. we DO NOT actually know if the wrong log entry is the ONLY cause of the problem (anything posted officially by Seagate is either incomplete, misleading or simply false)
   
2. we DO NOT actually know HOW to diagnose the problem (we think this problem can cause two different kind of errors, the LBA0 or the BSY one, but obviously it is b*ll**it, a single problem normally causes a single error - always the same - or a given series of errors - always the same, if you cross-reference this with the different boards, different firmwares and what not the result is "A suffusion of yellow")
   
3. we DO NOT actually know if the fix is appropriate (what we know is that in the very large majority of hard disks showing the LBA0 or a BSY error, by performing a series of actions we are able to "unbrick" them, that's all, just like if your car stops and you change spark plugs and the battery and the carburetor and the coil and the gasoline in the tank and all the filters, and then you say "I fixed it" - without having the faintest idea WHAT was the cause and WHAT solved the problem)
   

However, even assuming that the "cause" has been well diagnosed AND that the "fix" was the right one, the result is NOT a "failproof" drive, at the best is a drive AS reliable AS another of the same manufacturer/series, which, as said, tells you NOTHING about it's actual reliability.

So, in the BEST hypothesis, you SHOULD NOT trust the fixed drive ANY better than you would another one, i.e. DO NOT TRUST it AT ALL.

(of course if you care for your data)

There is ONLY one way to keep data safe, and it is called REDUNDANCY, the three Golden Rules of Backup:

1. Backup
   
2. Backup again
   
3. After considering the philosophy of the above two points, BACKUP AGAIN!
   

jaclaz

[liltrasheur]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

You guys really help a lot!

My band and I were recording our first album when this f****** seagate broke down.

1/4 of our songs were definetely lost until I try this fix!

Thanks again!

(if you want I'll sent you our first record for free as soon as it is finished)

[atc]

Hello again,

today this little usb-ttl-p2303-adapter-thing arrived i had to remove the connectors and put some tape instead.

installed a driver, the adapter is detected as COM4. connection with hyperterminal (38400-8-no-1-no) worked with the loopback test (i can only see the written text in ht when rx and tx connected) but when attaching to the HD, pushing ctrl-z after a while (i also tried ctrl-y because sometimes z and y are switched, depending on keyboard layout) nothing happens. the expected F3 T> prompt just doesnt appear. i somewhere read, reason might be a switched tx and rx, so i switched them but still the same. doh

in the hyperterminals status bar it says there is an connection anyway.

hmmm... any ideas?

[VideoRipper]

i had to remove the connectors and put some tape instead.

As long as you're certain the connection is made, you'll be fine

worked with the loopback test (i can only see the written text in ht when rx and tx connected)

That's a good thing for starters

(i also tried ctrl-y because sometimes z and y are switched, depending on keyboard layout)

With RS-232 communications, the connected device just wants to see a certain key (or

combination of keys); the used keyboard doesn't matter, unless you've "Mechanically"

swapped the keys on the keyboard.

RS232 protocol doesn't know anything about keyboard layouts or pagecodes (like Windows

does): if you see a "Z" when typing one in, for instance, Word it really is a "Z".

The only problem that *might* arise with German keyboards are the "Alt Gr"-key at the

right hand side of the keyboard which can be different than the left "Alt" one, but we

only need the Control-key, so you could use either left or right (I think).

i somewhere read, reason might be a switched tx and rx,

Good thinking!

Dreadful it didn't work

hmmm... any ideas?

Not really, other than the obvious:

• Make sure ALL connections are made: TX, RX and GND
  
• Make sure that the wires are actually making contact with the pins and
  that there are no shorts.
  
• You can safely remove the com-connection at the drive while the drive is
  powered, just to see if a loopback is still working or to swap RX and TX.
  
• Do you have another (spare) Seagate drive to test the connection?
  (Note: older drives work at lower baudrates)
  Maybe just the PCB of your drive is broken?

Greetz,

Peter.

[abnfire]

im getting following error on m0,2,2,,,,,22 or even with 0 LBA using m0,2,2,0,0,0,0,22

DiagError 0000500D

User Partition Format Failed - Elapsed Time 0 mins 00 secs

R/W Sense 00000002, R/W Error 00000084, File Error 00001002

Blk Addr 01080001, Blk Addr Type D0, Cyl 09450000, Hd 00

can anyone help on this please..

[VideoRipper]

And you have a prompt that says:

F3 T>

instead of just:

T>

right?

This fellow, a few pages back, also has the same problem and if you ask me there's

something terribly wrong with either your PCB or your platters (or both).

I don't know of a solution, but if you find one, please share it with us.

Greetz,

Peter.

[halbarad]

Hi all,

I'm new here, my HD just died on me on Saturday and it is a Seagate 7200.11 . I was wondering how can I understand if I am in BSY situation or 0 LBA situation. My BIOS says 1st drive [none] and if I enter this section it says 0 mb. So what is the case?

Thanks for the help!

Elena

[VideoRipper]

You actually don't want to know

Just get yourself a (USB =>) RS232 => TTL convertor, follow the procedure

for fixing the BSY-error first, see if the drive is working again and if not, perform

a partition regeneration (= LBA0 fix).

Don't forget to read (and fully understand) what is written by Jaclaz in this

excellent READ ME FIRST-topic

Greetz,

Peter.

Edited July 12, 2010 by VideoRipper

[abnfire]

And you have a prompt that says:

F3 T>

instead of just:

T>

right?

This fellow, a few pages back, also has the same problem and if you ask me there's

something terribly wrong with either your PCB or your platters (or both).

I don't know of a solution, but if you find one, please share it with us.

Greetz,

Peter.

in all articles it says F3 T> rather then just T>. so im kind of confuse

[halbarad]

You actually don't want to know

Just get yourself a (USB =>) RS232 => TTL convertor, follow the procedure

for fixing the BSY-error first, see if the drive is working again and if not, perform

a partition regeneration (= LBA0 fix).

Don't forget to read (and fully understand) what is written by Jaclaz in this

excellent READ ME FIRST-topic

Greetz,

Peter.

I was thinking about starting with LBA0 fix first since it seems easier as I don't have a Torx 6 and stuff ... any reason in particular why I should start with BSY first?

[VideoRipper]

in all articles it says F3 T> rather then just T>. so im kind of confuse

Oops sorry, my bad...

I had to check my own un-brick log and you're absolutely right:

LED:000000CC FAddr:0024A051
LED:000000CC FAddr:0024A051
F3 T>/2

F3 2>Z

Spin Down Complete
Elapsed Time 0.146 msecs
F3 2>U

Spin Up Complete
Elapsed Time 6.824 secs
F3 2>/1

F3 1>N1

F3 1>
F3 T>m0,2,2,,,,,22
Max Wr Retries = 00, Max Rd Retries = 00, Max ECC T-Level = 14, Max Certify Rewr
ite Retries = 00C8

User Partition Format Successful - Elapsed Time 0 mins 00 secs

F3 T>

Nevertheless, that "DiagError 0000500D" should not be there when the drive's electronics

and mechanics are in order, so my guess is you've got bigger problems on your hands.

Greetz,

Peter.

[VideoRipper]

I was thinking about starting with LBA0 fix first

There's no sense in that, since you have a BSY-error to start with

Earlier you wrote:

My BIOS says 1st drive [none]

Which means that your computer isn't even recognizing your drive.

Your PC first needs to recognize a drive, before it's able to determine its size.

I'm not saying you don't have an LBA0-problem (though you don't need to have that problem),

but it's not seen at the moment, which is a BSY-error, so you'll have to fix that first.

since it seems easier as I don't have a Torx 6 and stuff ...

How did you want to perform a rescue operation without the proper "Stuff"?

A Torx 6 should be the least of your problems (you could always use a small flathead screw-

driver in a worst case).

You're going to need an (USB =>) RS232 => TTL-convertor for both fixes and by the sounds of

it, you don't have that one either (and those things can't normally be found at the hardware-

store, while T6 screwdrivers can)...

So get geared up properly first before even attempting to start this procedure or you might

as well just bin the drive beforehand.

Greetz,

Peter.

[abnfire]

in all articles it says F3 T> rather then just T>. so im kind of confuse

Oops sorry, my bad...

I had to check my own un-brick log and you're absolutely right:

LED:000000CC FAddr:0024A051
LED:000000CC FAddr:0024A051
F3 T>/2

F3 2>Z

Spin Down Complete
Elapsed Time 0.146 msecs
F3 2>U

Spin Up Complete
Elapsed Time 6.824 secs
F3 2>/1

F3 1>N1

F3 1>
F3 T>m0,2,2,,,,,22
Max Wr Retries = 00, Max Rd Retries = 00, Max ECC T-Level = 14, Max Certify Rewr
ite Retries = 00C8

User Partition Format Successful - Elapsed Time 0 mins 00 secs

F3 T>

Nevertheless, that "DiagError 0000500D" should not be there when the drive's electronics

and mechanics are in order, so my guess is you've got bigger problems on your hands.

Greetz,

Peter.

yesterday it was not working, but today it worked.. it now shows 500gb on bios and on windows it shows two partitions, but ask to format them, when you try to open them. anyway i tried running data recovery software and its recovering files as raw files with file000.gif, file001 and so on..

after few attempts the hard drive didnt show anymore.. so i restarted and then it showed again, only in one partition it shows complete free avalible to use drive, which head my very important files and when i click to open it, it opens fine and shows empty..

any idea on how to fix it or get it around?

btw it runs fine on bios.

[VideoRipper]

any idea on how to fix it or get it around?

Unfortunately not

But the symptoms does remind me of the drive in this thread, which has

similar problems (though no real fix for it there either)

Greetz,

Peter.

Edited July 13, 2010 by VideoRipper

[jaclaz]

I was thinking about starting with LBA0 fix first since it seems easier as I don't have a Torx 6 and stuff ... any reason in particular why I should start with BSY first?

A man goes to the Doctor....

Doctor: you have a rally bad pneumonia, you need to take these antibiotics thrice a day for one week.

Patient: I'd prefer to take an aspirin once.

Now seriously, if your drive is sometimes detected (even improperly) and sometimes not, your drive is NOT affected by ANY of the TWO problems this thread is about:

1. BSY
   
2. LBA0
   

so it is actually pointless to apply to it the (hopefully) cures for them.

If you read attentively the read-me-first:

you should be able to see in point #1 that this is pretty miuch a "non-target" of this thread.

jaclaz