[VideoRipper]

Great job, Simba, that might be usefull for other members with your
type of drive/firmware

Although I would like to emphasize that playing with the command-line
options of the firmware-updater is at the user's own risk.

Flashing a drive with incorrect/incompatible firmware will kill it.

Greetz,

Peter.

[NAILLMCLEAN]

Hi,

I’m new to this forum.

I have the Barracuda 7200.11 500GB ST3500320AS and surprise surprise I’m having issues. I think I have is the 0 LBA problem, when the drive is plugged in it shows 0mb in the disk management.

I have followed the instructions on the main page and it looked like it was working, i was getting back all the information that i was supposed to, the only difference is that my drive returned 2 lines:

User Partition Format 5% complete, Zone 00, Pass 00, LBA 00004339, ErrCode 00000000
User Partition Format 5% complete, Zone 00, Pass 00, LBA 00008DED, ErrCode 00000080

When i plugged the drive back into the PC nothing has changed!!! Its still showing as 0mb.

Could this be something to do with the drive having two partitions before it bricked?

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

[jaclaz]

NAILLMCLEAN, on 29 March 2010 - 07:22 AM, said:

When i plugged the drive back into the PC nothing has changed!!! Its still showing as 0mb.

Could this be something to do with the drive having two partitions before it bricked?

No, nothing connected on how the drive is partitioned.

Try using this alternate method:
http://www.mapleleaf...agatebrick.html

jaclaz

[drgonzo7]

Just in case anyone else is trying to fix their ES.2 Seagate drives, there is a thread here which explains how to do it, as these drives work in a slightly different way to 7200.11 drives:

http://www.msfn.org/...000000cc-state/

I spent many frustrated hours trying to get the methods in this thread to work on my ES.2 drive only to discover that they don't work! My method for getting to the 'F3 T>' prompt is here, which doesn't involve trying to short two pins! Took me a few goes to get the timing right, but got there in the end, and my drive is back from the dead! Thanks to all those who have contributed to this thread, saved me a very expensive trip to a recovery centre (I ended up using the Nokia CA42 cable hack)

It can be useful for owners of: ST3250310NS, ST3500320NS, ST3750330NS, ST31000340NS

Cheers

Damian

[Sovereign01]

Well, this is looking promising

Quote

F3 T>/2

F3 2>Z

Spin Down Complete
Elapsed Time 0.146 msecs
F3 2>U

Spin Up Complete
Elapsed Time 7.524 secs
F3 2>/1

F3 1>N1

F3 1>/T

F3 T>
F3 T>i4,1,22

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 4% complete, Zone 00, Pass 00, LBA 00004339, ErrCode 000
User Partition Format 4% complete, Zone 00, Pass 00, LBA 00008DED, ErrCode 000
00080, Elapsed Time 0 mins 10 secs
User Partition Format Successful - Elapsed Time 0 mins 10 secs

F3 T>

Now to mount this in my PC and hope for the best

Had a 2nd drive that I did the same with:

Quote

F3 T>/2

F3 2>U

Spin Up Complete
Elapsed Time 9.833 secs
F3 2>/1

F3 1>N1

F3 1>/T

F3 T>
F3 T>i4,1,22

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 5% complete, Zone 00, Pass 00, LBA 00004339, ErrCode 000
User Partition Format 5% complete, Zone 00, Pass 00, LBA 00008DED, ErrCode 000
00080, Elapsed Time 0 mins 10 secs
User Partition Format Successful - Elapsed Time 0 mins 10 secs

F3 T>

This post has been edited by Sovereign01: 29 March 2010 - 10:03 AM

[seloqxt]

mundy5, on 28 March 2010 - 02:41 PM, said:

Consider going through the procedure again.

seloqxt, on 28 March 2010 - 01:02 AM, said:

Seagate Drive : ST3500320AS , Firmware : SD15
Problem: BSY

My 500GB HDD initially had BSY problem. I successfully completed the steps till the point where I have to type "N1" for a SMART erase. But it just hangs there when I enter N1. The cursor keeps blinking and the next prompt doesn't appear, I kept waiting for 20 mins but still the same. What might be wrong?

After this, I tried connecting back the hdd with sata cable to check if it works. This time it is recognized in BIOS, but doesn't show up in My Computer. Opening Device Manager>Disk Management pops up a window as seen in the snap below:
Direct Image Link

When I press OK, it pops up a Dialog Box saying "Incorrect Function".

Later I tried patching up the firmware update from seagate. Even though the drive detect software from seagate doesn't recognize the HDD, however running the firmware patch during start up detects it, and Says: "Model Matched, Firmware not matched" even though the patch is the correct one: http://seagate.custk...sp?DocId=207951

Yes, I tried the whole process of BSY fix by inserting card spinning down removing card and spinning up HDD etc around 10 times, but every time in the next step where I press N1 at F3 1> prompt, it just halts there with blinking cursor, the next prompt doesn't appear. I've tried searching about this SMART erase with N1 command, but unfortunately not much information is available. Any clue to what might be wrong? Thanks.

This post has been edited by seloqxt: 29 March 2010 - 12:59 PM

[VideoRipper]

seloqxt, on 29 March 2010 - 12:54 PM, said:

I've tried searching about this SMART erase with N1 command, but unfortunately not much information is available.

Indeed, information is very sparse about the commands

This is what the manual says:

Quote

Nxx SMART Serial Port Control

xx – Level 1 N Subcommand
= 1 – Create Smart Sector.
= 2 – Update SMART Attributes ( same as SMART D3h option in interface )
= 3 – Do Smart Firmware Upgrade
= 5 – Dump SMART attribute data
= 6 – Dump SMART threshold data
= 7 – Dump G-List
= 8 – Dump Critical Event Log
= 9 – Dump P-List
= A – Dump two hour Health Log
= B – Run DST Short Test
= C – Run DST Long Test

Does the board react (do you get the debug prompt back) when you press CTR+Z again?

Quote

^Z Restart the Diagnostic Monitor.

(I know... it's just a wild guess...)

[mundy5]

seloqxt, on 29 March 2010 - 12:54 PM, said:

Yes, I tried the whole process of BSY fix by inserting card spinning down removing card and spinning up HDD etc around 10 times, but every time in the next step where I press N1 at F3 1> prompt, it just halts there with blinking cursor, the next prompt doesn't appear. I've tried searching about this SMART erase with N1 command, but unfortunately not much information is available. Any clue to what might be wrong? Thanks.

If it isn't working even though you have gone through the procedure exactly as it is listed here, then the only conclusion I can come up with is that you have a different issue or more issues than just the bsy problem listed here.

This post has been edited by mundy5: 29 March 2010 - 02:21 PM

[bigleg]

[quote name='bigleg' date='29 March 2010 - 09:06 PM' timestamp='1269918409' post='915741']
[quote name='VideoRipper' date='25 March 2010 - 06:21 PM' timestamp='1269562905' post='915159']
[quote name='bigleg' date='25 March 2010 - 04:35 AM' timestamp='1269488108' post='915026']but I still get the "Unable to Open COM2.[/quote]
That worries me a bit

Normally, a COM-port is only opened when an application (like HyperTerminal) or a service
(like MS ActiveSync or the Nokia Suite) is actively using it; if you would only install
the drivers without any program (or service) using it, you *should* be able to open that
port like any other ("real") COM-port, no matter where the USB-device was made...

Are you sure it's using COM2, since with most desktops, these are already integrated onto
the motherboard and any external attached (USB)-ports get additional numbers (COM3..COMxx).

Please check the settings in the computer's BIOS whether any on-board COM-ports are enabled
or not and play with these settings.

Good luck,

Peter.
[/quote]


It was the wrong type of CA-42 cable. Got another one and it opens correctly in HyperTerm. At first, connecting the blue and red wires gave me the characters I was typing (looking good!), but now for some reason, I get gibberish at 38400 baud and higher. 19200 baud and lower, it's fine. Ugh, time for another cable?

Does anyone know how to figure out which wires are which using a multimeter? Is it possible that connecting the wrong wires together during testing screwed up the cable?

Is anyone out there willing to send me a cable they know works? I'll happily pay for shipping both ways.

This post has been edited by bigleg: 29 March 2010 - 09:43 PM

[jaclaz]

bigleg, on 29 March 2010 - 09:09 PM, said:

It was the wrong type of CA-42 cable. Got another one and it opens correctly in HyperTerm. At first, connecting the blue and red wires gave me the characters I was typing (looking good!), but now for some reason, I get gibberish at 38400 baud and higher. 19200 baud and lower, it's fine. Ugh, time for another cable?

Yes.

bigleg, on 29 March 2010 - 09:09 PM, said:

Does anyone know how to figure out which wires are which using a multimeter? Is it possible that connecting the wrong wires together during testing screwed up the cable?

No.

JFYI, about the foolishness of using CA-42 cables:
http://www.msfn.org/...post__p__873389
http://www.msfn.org/...post__p__876981
http://www.msfn.org/...post__p__882517
http://www.msfn.org/...post__p__898989
http://www.msfn.org/...post__p__905153

(you can use SOME hammers to open a can, but not ALL hammers will do and anyway usually can-openers work better)

The CATCH22 is:
if you know how to check if a Nokia cable is a good one, you don't need one, and you can either build an interface yourself or are wise enough to buy a proper interface.

jaclaz

[seloqxt]

VideoRipper, on 29 March 2010 - 01:10 PM, said:

Does the board react (do you get the debug prompt back) when you press CTR+Z again?

No, I don't get the debug prompt back after the hangup, I have to disconnect the terminal and back in to make Ctrl+z work.

[Zeemi]

Hey Guys,
my drive isn't detected by the bios anymore.

And i still have this. (Only the adapter/cable at "Accessories").
Aurel Rs232-TTL

Will this work? Sorry for not having any better datasheet.

Greetings,
Zeemi

This post has been edited by Zeemi: 30 March 2010 - 09:35 AM

[jaclaz]

Zeemi, on 30 March 2010 - 09:35 AM, said:

Hey Guys,
my drive isn't detected by the bios anymore.

And i still have this. (Only the adapter/cable at "Accessories").
Aurel Rs232-TTL

Will this work? Sorry for not having any better datasheet.

Greetings,
Zeemi

NO , I don't think it will work.

That module has 0-5V TTL levels (TTL-CMOS):
http://www.aurelwire...0200625G_mu.pdf

You want one with 3.3v TTL levels (TTL), reference:
http://www.interface..._threshold.html

jaclaz

[VideoRipper]

The voltage levels *shouldn't* be a problem; I resurrected my drive with
a standard MAX232 (=5V TTL) driver and it worked as planned.
(BTW: I don't know who proved that one needs a 3.3V TTL driver; I don't
have an oscilloscope anymore to check that statement myself...)

Greetz,

Peter.

This post has been edited by VideoRipper: 30 March 2010 - 10:54 AM

[Sovereign01]

Well, looks like it works, thanks guys!

Quick question- does this prevent the issue recurring with the fixed drives, or do they still need the firmware 'update' from Seagate, or should I just copy the data off and get rid of the entire drive?

[VideoRipper]

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.

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.

This post has been edited by VideoRipper: 30 March 2010 - 12:59 PM

[jaclaz]

VideoRipper, on 30 March 2010 - 10:51 AM, said:

(BTW: I don't know who proved that one needs a 3.3V TTL driver; I don't

Now you know:
http://www.msfn.org/...=128807&st=2338

The point is that, even if the interface "understands" TTL/CMOS (which I doubt), a 3.3V will work anyway, whilst a 4.8V will be understood as a "suffusion of yellow".
I don't think anyone has actually documented the EXACT signals level the HD actually "understands", though.

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 30 March 2010 - 01:29 PM

[VideoRipper]

Not really evidence, but thanks Jaclaz

My theory was that you can find out the correct needed TTL-level by measuring
the levels on the TX-line of the drive (with an oscilloscope, a multimeter would
be too slow); if it sends you 3.3V it must expect 3.3V as well.

Ah well... in my experience 5V TTL works just as well and it helped me out

Greetz,

Peter.

[jaclaz]

VideoRipper, on 30 March 2010 - 06:03 PM, said:

Not really evidence, but thanks Jaclaz

The matter is really confusing.

Let's try not to confuse further ideas, let's assume that there is no such thing as 5V TTL, but rather that there is:

• TTL/CMOS which is 5V
  
• TTL which is 3.3V

http://www.interface..._threshold.html

The fact that the chip used is a MAX232 doesn't necessarily imply that the output will be at TTL/CMOS levels, see here for a series of examples:
http://www.panuworld...bles/basics.htm
http://www.panuworld.../cables/old.htm
http://www.panuworld...cables/fbus.htm

The Nokia cables use TTL 3.3v, and NOT 5V.

This is how I understand the issue (not necessarily right ).

Case #1:
Disk using TTL
Adapter using TTL
Everything "speaks" the same language, and everything is OK.

Case #2:
Disk using TTL/CMOS
Adapter using TTL/CMOS
Everything "speaks" the same language, and everything is OK.

Case #3:
Disk using TTL/CMOS
Adapter using TTL
If the drive is working with TTL/CMOS levels, it will understand anyway the 3.3v signals sent to it's receiver through the 3.3v TTL adapter TX line, and will send back to the adapter a 5V one, that the adapter's receiver may:

• "flatten" to 3.3V max and understand
  
• get it at 5V and don't understand it

Case #4:
Disk using TTL
Adapter using TTL/CMOS
If the drive is working with TTL levels, when the TTL/CMOS sends a 5V signal, hard disk's receiver may:

• "flatten" to 3.3V max and understand
  
• get it at 5V and don't understand it

The hard disk's transmitter will send a 3.3V signal that the TTL adapter will understand anyway.

Case #5:
As often happens with "standards", they are mainly b***sh** and noone actually respects them so a given adaprter works with the hard disk and another one doesn't, and noone knows until he actually tries it.

Without knowing the specifications for the Seagate disk, we are in this situation:

• TTL interfaces (3.3V) will work ALWAYS if they can "flatten" the hypothetical higher level signal from the hard disk
  
• TTL/CMOS interfaces may or may not work

Anyone is free to choose an adapter and trying it, of course.

If ANYWHERE (meaning either on the hard disk side or on the adapter's side) there are the two pulling down 2.7v or 3v zener diodes (or some other "peak pulling down" circuit):
http://www.msfn.org/...=128807&st=2645
anything will do, as anything between hard disk and adapter will be within TTL levels.

The number of people that (after having been very lucky and found the "right" Nokia cable or bought a bunch of them before finding the right one) had success with the Nokia cable make me think that we are in case #1 (or in #5 ), though it is very possible that those that had problems with the original "auto-switching" adapter simply had "something else" going wrong, but I find it unprobable that a "good" adapter as the one originally used has this kind of problems:
http://www.sparkfun....products_id=449

Quote

RS232 Shifter SMD

sku: PRT-00449

Description: The smallest and easiest to use serial conversion circuit on the market! This board has one purpose in life - to convert RS232 to TTL and vice versa (TX and RX). This will allow a microcontroller to communicate with a computer. Shifter SMD is powered from the target application and can run at any voltage! That's right - power the board at 5V and the unit will convert RS232 to 5V TTL. Power the board at 2.8V and the Shifter board will convert RS232 to 2.8V CMOS TTL. Includes two indicator LEDs for TX and RX. Runs from 300bps up to 115200bps.

Please note how the terms appear reversed from what the reference shows:
http://www.interface..._threshold.html
from other sources, it seems to me like this latter is accurate and the peeps at sparkfun completely missed the point.

However, the mistery remains...., the good news are that there shouldn't be any harm done if the hard disk gets a "full" 5V signal level, so, at the most it won't work, but there should be no risk in trying it.

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 31 March 2010 - 06:01 AM

[Gram]

Hi,
New here, found this site when looking up the "not recognised" 7200.11 problem. I have checked on the Seagate page, and while my drive is listed by model and serial number, my disk firmware is LC11, rather than the AD/SD group. I see in Gradius's post (19 Jan 2009) that the Seagate site says -

"**Note: If your drive has CC or LC firmware, your drive is not affected and no further action is required. Attempting to flash the firmware of a drive with CC or LC firmware will result in rendering your drive inoperable"

I cannot see this note on Seagate's site now (have they discovered otherwise?), and on 22 Jan 2009 (post #142) SPOOX repaired his drive - which had firmware LC15.
I am reading page by page and have got to page 37 - but can anyone tell me (sooner) if LC11 drives can be fixed this way? The problem does appear to be the BSY fault; the drive had been working perfectly normally until just one day on booting up, the drive was not recognised in BIOS. It has been tested in other computers; still not recognised.

If it can be revived, is there any updated LC firmware - and if so, would it be worth upgrading anyway?

Thanks in advance for any advice and help,

Gram