Size=0B after (a not very good) recovery job with my HDD

[Bross]

Hi. I have a Seagate ST31000333AS that was installed in a (not very good) NAS, the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive 1TB. After 3.5 years (more or less) of continous use (rarely it was powered off), it crashed and I wasn't able to access to data (months ago it crashed, but I could recover with ZAR the content and reuse the HDD).

It was kept some years, until I had some money to take it to any place that makes data recovery jobs. I chose the cheapest: it wasn't even a lab, but a repair center where they send HDDs to a third party (some guy, not a lab).

Before I gave it to the recovery guys, the HDD autopowered off when I connected it to MOB (yyyes, seems to be a bad thing)

They said they had to change parts in the HDD, but didn't specify what. They show me the files: all classified in folders by common types (and, of course, nothing about the not-that-common ones). They were most of them duplicated. So, that guy achieved to access data, but did a poor job recovering the files from the file system (you know, I just used ZAR and was excelent, even with some folder structures!)

Now I got some files recovered (some of them corrupt, cut, etc.), but I miss other ones. The HDD now, if I plug it to the MOB, sounds perfect, like everything's ok. But there is a problem: it reports to the MOB that its size is 0 bytes.

I've never done something about repairing HDD that goes beyond software stuff (recovering files from corrupt file systems). So, my question is: how could the size be fixed? Maybe through TTL? Would be "that" easy, or what do you believe about this case? It would be great if I could try to use ZAR by myself again now that the HDD is alive again; but with a 0 bytes size, ZAR refuse to access.

Cheers!

[datahaze]

Reporting a size of zero is often a sign of a translator issue, which can't be fixed without equipment like a PC-3000. If you could get terminal access to the drive without a PC-3000, you might be able to issue the right commands to fix this, maybe somebody on here can give you a short howto on that.

[data-medics]

Let me get this straight....they gave you back your recovered data on the same original drive that failed???

[Bross]

maybe somebody on here can give you a short howto on that.

That would be awesome. But if any can say, at least, about the procedure in general, just to know if it's too dangerous or complicated, would be appreciated. If so, maybe next time I have money again I'll take it to a serious lab.

Let me get this straight....they gave you back your recovered data on the same original drive that failed???

No, they gave me the content in other drive. But I asked for the original one, being aware that not all my data was recovered.

[Bross]

So, no alternative ideas? PC-3000 only to fix the reported size issue?

[helpdisc]

maybe somebody on here can give you a short howto on that.

That would be awesome. But if any can say, at least, about the procedure in general, just to know if it's too dangerous or complicated, would be appreciated. If so, maybe next time I have money again I'll take it to a serious lab.

Let me get this straight....they gave you back your recovered data on the same original drive that failed???

No, they gave me the content in other drive. But I asked for the original one, being aware that not all my data was recovered.

So, to put this in right words.
You had a drive that was failing. You had some bad sectors problems, and recovered data with ZAR.
After that, you continued to work on HDD for some time , and heads died.
Guys changed heads and recovered what they could.

It does not mean that they did a poor job, hdd platters might be damaged. Maybe they did best job it could be done.
Someone with more experience then you can be the judge of that....

[Bross]

Sorry for the delay, I thought I had e-mail notifications enabled and assumed that no one answered these days.

After that, you continued to work on HDD for some time , and heads died.
Guys changed heads and recovered what they could.

It does not mean that they did a poor job, hdd platters might be damaged. Maybe they did best job it could be done.
Someone with more experience then you can be the judge of that....

What I said is that they did a poor job after repairing the hardware issue (with the file system). I'm mad about it because I think that they made a great hardware repairing job and didn't use ZAR (an easy program that any person with an average common computering knowledge can use, and I would be so surprised if they don't know it). I understand that they prefered to use a faster scan program that just search for common types (jpg, mp4, doc, etc.) assuming that I don't want (or I will be enough happy dismissing) to recover not-that-common file types (several music program proyects, wav files, etc., none of them recovered). I didn't expect this, so that's all because I'm mad and made that judgement. If the problem was that for any reason the data in the disc was so messed up that even ZAR can't recover as well than the other program they used, ok. It's allright for me even if it would be more complicated to scan for not-that-common file types and refused: then I made a wrong judgement and I apologize. But I wouldn't know how, ZAR makes a whole scan, it doesn't repair any TOC as far as I know and when I used it recovered, if not everything, almost (with no file corruptions, by the way).

And they returned me back the HDD (with resistance) reporting a size of 0 bytes, so I can't try ZAR (or any other program, I guess) by myself. I just wanted the hardware reparation (not the flie recovering), but I understand that they only offer a complete job.

[Bross]

No new ideas then?

If so, thanks for your help, datahaze! Any new idea will be welcome as well, even if it's been a long time after. I guess this HDD will remain like this for a while (and, anyway, new knowledge about fixing them is welcome)

Cheers!

[Bross]

No new ideas then?

If so, thanks for your help, datahaze! Any new idea will be welcome as well, even if it's been a long time after. I guess this HDD will remain like this for a while (and, anyway, new knowledge about fixing them is welcome)

Cheers!

ST31000333AS is a 7200.11 .

Maybe the drive have a 0-Lba problem (typical) + some bad blocks ...

You might want to try a D-I-Y sollution .... Be aware of the risks first :

http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=1427

You can then read here :

http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=38#p358

If you do manage to make your drive accessible again CLONE IT to another 3rd drive with ddrescue or hddsuperclone. Now run R-Studio, GetDataBack or even your Zero Assumption ZAR data recovery software ON THE CLONE and try to extract the data to another drive ... DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING ON THE DAMAGED DRIVE and don't re-use it again even if you can make it "alive" ...

If the procedure is complicated and you are willing to pay there are several eBay services that deal with 7200.11 drives problems including my own service and a couple more ...

Awesome, Spildit, thanks a lot! I'll take my time to try that (first I have to buy all the TTL stuff and another 1 TB HDD). I'm aware of the risk, so I'll proceed only after reading everything well and if I feel sure enough about it.

One question. I've clearly understood that this solution could be applied in 7200.11 models only. However, do you know how could I try my TTL connection for the first time in a ST31000525SV (Seagate SV35.5) first with some easy command? Just to check that it can send commands and get any result back. I have -if I found it again in my stuff- a bricked unit (SeaTools code B3EFDB5B); but there is no problem if I lose its data, so it would be perfect for tests before any real attempt.

[Bross]

Great, thanks again! I'll post results in the future when I finally got everything and try it. Cheers!