Beeping Seagate Freeagent Goflex (video) - Can this be fixed?

[busyhd]

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfUWdDy-0Rc

 

The HD shown in the video is a Seagate Freeagent GoFlex portable (photo), model STAA1000101 (FreePlay 1000GB).

 

It had the busy problem, similar to the 7200.11 drives. I tried the known solution using the serial port, but after a few tries, it stoped spinning and started beeping.

 

I am *sure* that I used the correct cable and connections (except for switching Rx/Tx one time, which AFAIK wouldn't cause this kind of damage).

 

Questions:

 

- Is this beep a known signal? What does it mean?

- Would replacing the PCB, with a BIOS transfer to the new board, possibly fix it? I know it's hard to tell, but if it has any chance of being fixed, I'll do it, since I'm out of options.

 

Thanks in advance.

[jaclaz]

It is not beeping , it is chirping .

 

Sounds a lot like it cannot spin up and produces that chirp instead.

 

Of course there is NO way to exchange the PCB (unless you also desolder and re-solder, transferring it) the chip containing the firmware.

 

The reasons why a disk won't spin up (besides an actual electronic component hardware damage) can be *any* among:

1. sticky bearing
2. stuck head
3. bad contact between PCB and motor <- this can happen if the PCB was removed and not refitted with tightened screws or if contacts are dirt/not clean

In practice, all you can do is to remove the PCB, clean contacts/check "spring effect" of them and reassemble tightening correctly the screws. (which may work if situation is #3 above).

If it is #2, there is *nothing* you can do.

If it is #1 there are some cases where, holding the disk vertically (and using some very light percussive maintenance) the motor can just make it to spin up.

 

jaclaz

[busyhd]

I finally took the courage to open the disk and it was with the head stuck. I moved it as described on multiple YouTube videos and now it's spinning again. It still has the BUSY problem as before, but I can't find a solution for that