The Solution for Seagate 7200.11 HDDs

[a8nsli]

I believe my steps are correct, please correct me if I'm wrong.

These are my steps:

1 - Remove or separator in the top 3 contacts the controller.

2 - connect rx, tx and mass

3 - connect SATA power

4 - open hyperterminal

5 - Configure Connection COM10, 38400, 8, nothing, 1, none

6 - Ctrl + z

7-T responds F3>

8-type 2

9 And from that step always responds

LED: 000000CC FAddr: 0025BF67

LED: 000000CC FAddr: 0025BF67

Greetings and thanks for the help.

[VideoRipper]

Hmmm, indeed the steps look alright (I guess you only mixed up the order when posting).

Luckily I saved my log of HyperTerminal when unbricking my drive and this is what it looked like:

• Disconnected PCB from drive
  
• Connected COM-convertor and
  
• Applied power to PCB:
  

  LED:000000CC FAddr:0024A051LED:000000CC FAddr:0024A051F3 T>/2
  F3 2>Z
  Spin Down CompleteElapsed Time 0.146 msecs

• With the power still applied to the PCB, I attached the PCB back onto the drive.
• Spin up motor again:

  F3 2>U
  Spin Up CompleteElapsed Time 6.824 secsF3 2>/1
  F3 1>N1
  F3 1>F3 T>m0,2,2,,,,,22Max Wr Retries = 00, Max Rd Retries = 00, Max ECC T-Level = 14, Max Certify Rewrite Retries = 00C8
  User Partition Format Successful - Elapsed Time 0 mins 00 secs
  F3 T>

• After this, I could access my drive again (over SATA)

As can be seen, my error-message at the beginning was different.

Mine:

LED:000000CC FAddr:0024A051

Yours:

LED: 000000CC FAddr: 0025BF67

So... that might be the problem in your case?

These are my steps:

[...]

7-T responds F3>

8-type 2

The fact your PCB responds to CTRL+Z is a good thing, but to enter Level 2 diagnostics you'll have to press:

/2

(Slash 2) not just

2

Are you sure you've typed the slash ("/") before the "2"?

Greetz,

Peter.

[jaclaz]

I would reiterate that there are two "school of thoughts", one that insulates Head contacts and the other one that insulates motor contacts.

If with one set of contacts don't work, use the other one.

jaclaz

[VideoRipper]

To be honest: I only followed the initial roadmap by Gradius2 and entirely

removed the PCB from the drive (so both heads, actuator as platter-motor

contacts were isolated), but you'll have to make sure when re-fixing the PCB,

you don't short circuit anything (and fry it)!

I just did it for peace of mind: I didn't like the idea the heads would move

over the non-rotating platters at drive startup.

(FYI: the heads hover over the platters by the thin layer of air that is

generated by its rotational force)

Greetz,

Peter.

[thecola]

Thank you!!

It worked for me!

I'm soooooooooo happy.

[VideoRipper]

That's great thecola, congrats!

Now first:

• Backup the most important data on the drive
  
• Perform a "Short DST" and "Long DST"-check using SeaTools for DOS
  • If you get an error-message: get the drive swapped
    
  • When there are NO errors: Update the drive's firmware to SD1A

Greetz,

Peter.

Edited March 14, 2010 by VideoRipper

[jaclaz]

That's great thecola, congrats!

Now first:

• Backup the most important data on the drive
  
• Perform a "Short DST" and "Long DST"-check using SeaTools for DOS
  • If you get an error-message: get the drive swapped
    
  • When there are NO errors: Update the drive's firmware to SD1A

Greetz,

Peter.

IMHO, WRONG.

Correct sequence:

• Backup the most important data on the drive
  
• Verify that the backup is functional contains everything of value to you
  
• Find a way to have the drive swapped anyway
  

Let the guys at Seagate take the responsibility of re-certifying the (existing) drive or giving you a refurbished one.

jaclaz

[stuffer]

Hey all,

I have a "friend" from these boards coming over tomorrow with a bricked drive. I will get him to film the process and I'll post a video. It should make things much clearer to everyone as to the "power on/off", when and how long etc.

If you are unsure of what you are doing, STOP NOW and wait. It will be worth it.

Check back around 7PM MST Wednesday Jan 21st.

Thanks,

Fatlip

[VideoRipper]

IMHO, WRONG.

[...]

Let the guys at Seagate take the responsibility of re-certifying the (existing) drive or giving you a refurbished one.

Hehehehe, you could be right there, of course

My drive was faulty (gave an error-message in SeaTools) and I expect others to get the same

result, but you'll have to enter the error message (given by SeaTools) when issuing an RMA.

Knowing how the company Seagate thinks and works (after having found out the hard way myself),

my guess is they will not swap a "Non-faulty" drive under warranty...

Greetz,

Peter.

[jaclaz]

My drive was faulty (gave an error-message in SeaTools) and I expect others to get the same

result, but you'll have to enter the error message (given by SeaTools) when issuing an RMA.

Knowing how the company Seagate thinks and works (after having found out the hard way myself),

my guess is they will not swap a "Non-faulty" drive under warranty...

Good , start a new thread titled "Good excuses for having the stupid people at Seagate exchange drives", post in it the error you had.

Hopefully a few more members with the error will have saved their RMA "cause" and will post there and we can soon have a database of such nonsense errors to feed the Seagate people with.

jaclaz

[mundy5]

Hey all,

I have a "friend" from these boards coming over tomorrow with a bricked drive. I will get him to film the process and I'll post a video. It should make things much clearer to everyone as to the "power on/off", when and how long etc.

If you are unsure of what you are doing, STOP NOW and wait. It will be worth it.

Check back around 7PM MST Wednesday Jan 21st.

Thanks,

Fatlip

There are already videos on youtube. don't put more time into this unnecessarily

[jengitsme]

I made the test with Seatools and gave me two error codes.

One for short DST: A3EAD262

One for long DST: A3EAD252

I have written an email to Seagate.

Which way did you used to the hd replacement? The one on the website? Where did you wrote down the error codes?

At first glance it worked without any problems (even didn't update the firmware), but mundy5

advised me to do a "Short DST" test with SeaTools for DOS...

...which failed misserably

--------------- 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

...but a "Long DST" test would run (only it took over an hour and a half)

--------------- 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 Long Test  2/12/2010 @ 11:38.8
Your SeaTools Test Code: A7E7D55A
DST -- FAILED - Read Element LBA = 963648851
Short DST FAILED  2/12/2010 @ 13:20.9
[ 963580219   --         Repaired ][ 963581115   --      Repaired ]
[ 963582011   --         Repaired ][ 963628659   --      Repaired ]
[ 963629555   --         Repaired ][ 963631507   --      Repaired ]
 // JUST A LONG LIST OF REPAIRS HERE //
[ 963993720   --         Repaired ][ 963994614   --      Repaired ]
[ 963994615   --         Repaired ][ 963994616   --      Repaired ]
[ 963995510   --         Repaired ][ 963995511   --      Repaired ]
DST -- FAILED - Read Element LBA = 964028566
Short DST FAILED  2/12/2010 @ 13:21.0
Long Test PASSED After Repair  2/12/2010 @ 13:21.0

I then filled in an RMA, giving the test-code returned by SeaTools ("A7E7D56A")

and I had to ship the drive back to Seagate (after I had done the full wipe)

A couple of days later they return the other drive pictured in my previous post.

So check the drive first with SeaTools for DOS: if it does give you an error test-code

return it to Seagate, if not: I think it's safe to say it's okay (and then you could do

the firmware update if you wish).

Please be aware that SeaTools for DOS does not support all types of SATA chipsets; it

refused to see my drive when connected to a Promise controler (as I soon found out).

Greetz,

Peter.

[mundy5]

I made the test with Seatools and gave me two error codes.

One for short DST: A3EAD262

One for long DST: A3EAD252

I have written an email to Seagate.

Which way did you used to the hd replacement? The one on the website? Where did you wrote down the error codes?

They will ask you when you begin the process of a warranty return on the website. One of the fields is the SeaTools Test code.

[jaclaz]

There are already videos on youtube. don't put more time into this unnecessarily

Please READ the date when Fatlip made the announcement stuffer senselessly quoted...

jaclaz

[stuffer]

Well, I thought I had this figured out. But can't type anything into the terminal. I am using two AA batteries for the power. So with this I had to run a ground wire from the RS242 to the Ground on the HDD. I must be mising something in the instructions.