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The Solution for Seagate 7200.11 HDDs


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Hello, I have a maxtor HD 500GB, firmware MX15 that died one week before, one night I suspend my vista OS ok, the next day I try to power up the pc and it rebooted (surprise to me) and the HD has not recognized anymore

I buyed another disk and replaced boards from one to another thinking that my board died, I read that this is dangerous, I see that I put the boards on the original disks and on the new disk not appears to be damaged (and I think the old not be damaged too)

now today I see that too much people have my same problem and posted on this forum and see the solution, my question is if I can follow the instructions to the seagate guide with my 500gb from thailand - maxtor disk (mx15 firmware) without any additional instruction, I have a nokia phone and a ca-42 cable (I will try to use this) when I leave work I will see if I can revive this

I have 20 years of data that has passed from disks to disks and this is the first time that see that a disk don't be recognized by the bios :( I have another WD disk that is 1 year more older witout problems and thinked that the data are more safe on this new one :( I only hope that my disk revive I have too much data here :( please respond this to see if I can do the instructions on the guides (http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=128906 for spanish version) thanks!!!!

in spanish:

hola, tengo un maxtor 500gb firmware mx15, dejo de reconocerse en la bios hace unos dias, intente intercambiarlo de placas con un disco nuevo que compre sin saber que eso no era posible y puede dañarlo, volvi a dejar todo como estaba y el disco nuevo parece seguir funcionando, por lo que espero que el viejo no lo haya roto.

mi pregunta es si puedo hacer lo que dice la guia en http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=128906 para mi disco maxtor pues no se si es para los seagate el orden de comandos que le tiran, usare un cable ca42 que tengo de un nokia, si es igual maxtor que seagate la guia por favor confirmenlo que al salir del trabajo estare haciendo las pruebas esperando que mi disco reviva pues tengo mucha informacion (fotos de mi hijo desde su nacimiento, trabajos, etc) muy importantes para mi y me quiero matar si no lo recupero :( gracias desde ya

estoy desesperado por que funcione :( gracias a todos

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My HDD :

Model : ST3500620AS

Firmware : sd15

My computer crashes during BIOS loading and nothing responds but the harddisk keeps running. Click sound is heard once the HDD is restarted and thereafter it becomes quiet with only motor sound , so I guess I have the BSY problem. :angry:

1:

I plan to use a USB to RS232 converter and RS232 Serial Port To TTL Converter Module MAX3232, pls tell me if the following h/w are OK.

0b07_1.JPG

and

1701641_s1_i1_1122.jpg

Confusion In procedure : :blink:

2:

In post #Post #1343, the step 3 says the HDD motor should automatically shutdown, but my HDD motor keeps running. So how to shut it down. After reading post #1 ,I thought the commands in step 4 (spin down) were used to shut it down.so this's a bit confusing.

3:

After removing the PCB from HDA, the connection to HDD motor should be left as it is, right ?

I'm a n00b so kindly bear with me if i ask any silly questions

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My HDD :

Model : ST3500620AS

Firmware : sd15

My computer crashes during BIOS loading and nothing responds but the harddisk keeps running. Click sound is heard once the HDD is restarted and thereafter it becomes quiet with only motor sound , so I guess I have the BSY problem. :angry:

1:

I plan to use a USB to RS232 converter and RS232 Serial Port To TTL Converter Module MAX3232, pls tell me if the following h/w are OK.

0b07_1.JPG

and

1701641_s1_i1_1122.jpg

Confusion In procedure : :blink:

2:

In post #Post #1343, the step 3 says the HDD motor should automatically shutdown, but my HDD motor keeps running. So how to shut it down. After reading post #1 ,I thought the commands in step 4 (spin down) were used to shut it down.so this's a bit confusing.

3:

After removing the PCB from HDA, the connection to HDD motor should be left as it is, right ?

I'm a n00b so kindly bear with me if i ask any silly questions

The TTL converter works, you need power it from 3V bateries or from +5V floppy connector.

You never have to get out the PCB with power on. This is dangerous.

You have to unmount the pcb, power it, do steps, put the pcb over hdd and spin up the motor.

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You never have to get out the PCB with power on. This is dangerous.

You have to unmount the pcb, power it, do steps, put the pcb over hdd and spin up the motor.

Thanks , but what about this ?

In post #Post #1343, the step 3 says the HDD motor should automatically shutdown, but my HDD motor keeps running even after BIOS/PC hangs, so how to shut it down ? After reading post #1 ,I thought the commands in step 4 (spin down) were used to shut it down.so this's a bit confusing.

To think this problem occured after 7 months, i've must been terribbly unlucky....:(

Edited by newprouser
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Guest Dexter_prog

Hey guys, sorry for asking what might be a stupid question. My father bought a new computer some months ago. One of these damned HDD were installed in it (Seagate 7200.11 500gb). The first time we tried his new comp it all worked fine, after some weeks it started being really laggy and slow. Then the HDD started making noises. We sent they HDD to the store where we bought it and they changed it for another one. This one failed too before even working fine. Again, changed it for another one. This last one seemed to have done it, except that yesterday, for no reason, the computer stopped booting. I mean, I could get past POST, but couldn't get to windows and after 1 attempt the HDD would no longer be recognized in BIOS. Every time I power off the computer and power it on again the HDD is recognized but won't get past the windows loading screen and then, after I reboot it is not recognized.

This lead me to this site, were I see that the HDD's problem might be that BSY error. After reading the guide, which seems to be very effective, I am afraid I can't do that. First of all because the computer is new (hence it's still under warranty), second: I don't fully trust myself to do all that stuff (I have a basic/intermediate knowledge of computer hardware and I feel I will f*** it up if I attempt to do it), third: I don't quite have the time to do that (medicine student here) nor the tools (it's kind of hard to find all those things needed in a s***ty country like Argentina). So here's the stupid question: Is there any easier way to fix it? As there probably aren't easier ways, what do you think I should do? Keep asking the store to change my HDD until I get one of the ones that work?

This is very annoying, I am never buying anything else from Seagate and I would, of course, never recommend their products to any of the people I know.

Edited by Dexter_prog
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1000 thanks to those that have contributed to this forum....harddrive has been revived successfully!! I used a CA-42 cable and got a prompt in no time at all. Had to do the m0,2,2,,,,,22 command twice. First time it hung, powered off/on drive, entered command again and bingo.

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Very informative, good stuff!

A couple of questions about the CA-42 cable (apologies if they have already been answered):

- does it have to be a genuine Nokia cable, would a generic cable work?

- power will come from the USB port hence no need to hook up a battery, correct?

I'm still not quite sure how to affix the RX/TX wires to the pins on the HD (other than soldering), is there a standard 4-pin header that can just plug into it (what is it called)?

TIA.

Edited by user
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- does it have to be a genuine Nokia cable, would a generic cable work?

Yes, it work, I used a compatible cable.

- power will come from the USB port hence no need to hook up a battery, correct?

No battery, only molex (hd power connector) and nokia usb cable.

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Hey guys, sorry for asking what might be a stupid question. My father bought a new computer some months ago. One of these damned HDD were installed in it (Seagate 7200.11 500gb). The first time we tried his new comp it all worked fine, after some weeks it started being really laggy and slow. Then the HDD started making noises. We sent they HDD to the store where we bought it and they changed it for another one. This one failed too before even working fine. Again, changed it for another one. This last one seemed to have done it, except that yesterday, for no reason, the computer stopped booting. I mean, I could get past POST, but couldn't get to windows and after 1 attempt the HDD would no longer be recognized in BIOS. Every time I power off the computer and power it on again the HDD is recognized but won't get past the windows loading screen and then, after I reboot it is not recognized.

This lead me to this site, were I see that the HDD's problem might be that BSY error. After reading the guide, which seems to be very effective, I am afraid I can't do that. First of all because the computer is new (hence it's still under warranty), second: I don't fully trust myself to do all that stuff (I have a basic/intermediate knowledge of computer hardware and I feel I will f*** it up if I attempt to do it), third: I don't quite have the time to do that (medicine student here) nor the tools (it's kind of hard to find all those things needed in a s***ty country like Argentina). So here's the stupid question: Is there any easier way to fix it? As there probably aren't easier ways, what do you think I should do? Keep asking the store to change my HDD until I get one of the ones that work?

This is very annoying, I am never buying anything else from Seagate and I would, of course, never recommend their products to any of the people I know.

hello, I from Bs As, Argentina, yesterday I recovered my disc with the guide on http://www.overclock.net/hard-drives-stora...e-fix-pics.html

I do it with help of my father that known what to do with wires and solders :)

I do the method because I desesperate because too much data with no backup (photos, works, etc, 20 years of them and I have 28y)

I recommend that if you have important data try to do the method mentioned here (PM me if need some help, it's not to hard), if you not have valuable data, send the hd to the store and request a new one (if the disc is a seagate or maxtor 7200.11 and the firmware say sd15 or mx15 inmediatly after any other stuff with the new hd do a firmware update with a cd that can be burned downloading a .iso file from seagate).

good luck

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Very informative, good stuff!

A couple of questions about the CA-42 cable (apologies if they have already been answered):

- does it have to be a genuine Nokia cable, would a generic cable work?

- power will come from the USB port hence no need to hook up a battery, correct?

I'm still not quite sure how to affix the RX/TX wires to the pins on the HD (other than soldering), is there a standard 4-pin header that can just plug into it (what is it called)?

TIA.

for plug the wires to the pins on the HD my father use a old connector (audio from audio board to cd drive), the plug not enter on the hd pins, and have to remove from the plug the single female pins and put the pins on the hd sepparated with sticks (those that used to clean tooth that I not sure how is the name, I speak in spanish and those are called "escarbadientes" :) ) in middle of them (or those female pins can touch one to another)

I attached 2 pics to see the plug that disassembled to put on the hd pins, sorry for me bad english

I used a dcu15 cable that solded to the mentioned plug.

post-244207-1242575016_thumb.jpg

post-244207-1242575031_thumb.jpg

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well I reply to posts before post here that I do the method to revive my disk and this works :)

thanks to all the people that helped to fix this f***ing mess from seagate.

I recovered all my data from a maxtor 500gb disk with firmware mx15 from thailand with a dcu 15 cable and the help of my father that have technical skills :P

I buy a disk same as the one with firmware problems before read about the problem with 7200.11 from disks from thailand.

I upgraded the new disk (not broken yet) from mx15 to mx1a sucefully, then with norton ghost cloned the recovered disk to the new one (nothing lost on none of 3 partitions), then I tried to upgrade the old disk from mx15 to mx1a firmware and now the old disk is recognized from bios, but it doesn't start anymore, the bios say that it not have smart compatibility and I tested some hd tools like victoria, etc and say that cannot recognize the disk.

I have to do the BSY method again to revive my disk ? anyone have this error before upgrade? thanks 4 the help!

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Picked up a CA-42 cable from an ebay seller, it comes with a CD, is it necessary to install any drivers from the CD?

Also, is it necessary to turn on the computer? Or just plug the power connector into the drive without switching on the PC?

Many thanks!

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Before you can use the cable, you have to install the driver, once installed, when you open hyperterminal it have to show a new com port available (can be com2, com3, com7, com9, etc)

The PC is used to send data to the hard disk throw the serial cable, on the process of apply the method to revive the hd, it never had to be plugged on the sata connector, read the manual method and see when you have to power on (plug the power to the hd) and power it off.

you can use the power from the pc to power up the hd, if use the same pc that send the data via hyperterminal, the pc have to be power on while you plug and unplug the power connector on the hd.

sorry for me bad english :)

Picked up a CA-42 cable from an ebay seller, it comes with a CD, is it necessary to install any drivers from the CD?

Also, is it necessary to turn on the computer? Or just plug the power connector into the drive without switching on the PC?

Many thanks!

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