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 Post subject: Hubble - SED Cannot write to MOD02. I'm going crazy.
PostPosted: October 26th, 2017, 10:47 
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Joined: November 24th, 2011, 21:48
Posts: 103
Location: Canada
I am completely confused on this one, I think PC3000 has a bug - but after speaking with their technical support (Maxim) I am no closer to a solution.

A client came in with a single platter 2 head Hubble (WD Passport HDD).
This hard drive presented with a mechanical failure.

The heads were replaced by donor obtained from credible website.
PCB was changed to SATA and ROM was written (an actual transfer not a read and write).

Model : WDC WD5000LMVW-11CKRS0
Firmware : 01.01A01
Capacity : 500 GB (976 773 168)

MOD 02 shows this drive as SED type.

Using PC3000 I performed typical block SA (shift) and upload SA DIR and Loader to gain access to SA.
PC3000 only shows Copy 0 available (H0), Copy 1 not accessible.
Head tests confirm that H1 is not working.

Ok, so with H0 functional I should be able to get 50% of the data on the HDD read by building HM as this is a 2 platter model.
A backup of all modules are made (no errors besides 6F which can be ignored), SED is removed (Edit HDD ID), a slow fix is applied. I write MOD02 by ABA Copy 0.

I then change SA regions to both point to Copy 0 and power cycle HDD.
Last I change HM on the HDD from 0>1 to 0>0 to ensure only one SA is being addressed.

Drive becomes ready and then will ID properly in PC3000, I can also browse NTFS structure (not encrypted) on H0 - however PC3000 still reports the HDD is SED locked.
No access to SA (at all). I then repeat the process but this time I read MOD02 using Module Directory. I write "101010" in MOD02 and write to HDD via ABA Copy 0. PC3000 says the module was written OK.
Then I refresh MOD02 and see the changes I made are gone, the "101010" is not present. So, PC3000 is not writing module.

I again repeat the process, this time I use terminal. Same result.

I contacted ACE Labs who state the problem is with H0 not being able to write.

I question this as a heads test shows no write errors, and I can write using H0 to NTFS (client data area) - I tested with the same "101010" in a few sectors R/W by H0.

Am I crazy? To me, PC3000 simply is not writing the module. I could also legitimately have a drive that will not write to SA due to damaged heads, but in 13 years doing DR I've never encountered that.

Code:
Techno mode key
Techno mode key......................... : Ok

RAM:
HDD Info reading........................ : Ok
Heads number............................ : 2
Cyl Count............................... : 256

Zone allocation table................... : Ok
SA SPT.................................. : 1437

ROM:
Read ROM................................ : Ok
ROM Data size........................... : 256 Kb
Flash ROM dir reading................... : Ok (Active)
Flash ROM dir reading (Ext)............. : Ok
Modules directory address............... : 63 324
SA regions address...................... : shifted
Module 02 access........................ : Granted
SA Translator loading................... : Ok
SA defects assigned..................... : 2

ROM Modules:
ROM version............................. : 02.4PN
ROM F/W version......................... : 0002004P
Overlay F/W version..................... : 02.4QN
Servo F/W version....................... : 02.12

Heads configuration..................... : by map
Heads number............................ : 2
Heads number in use..................... : 2
Switched off heads...................... : No
Heads map............................... : 0,1

Service area:
Permanent overlay....................... : Loaded
SA dir reading (ID)..................... : Ok
SA Access............................... : Copy 0

Configuration reading................... : Ok
Master Password......................... : has not been set
User Password........................... : has not been set

Heads test
Cylinder to test........................ : -10
Heads to test........................... : 0
Test every head......................... : without test time limit
Head 0.................................. : Error W : 0;R : 1437


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 Post subject: Re: Hubble - SED Cannot write to MOD02. I'm going crazy.
PostPosted: October 31st, 2017, 9:40 
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Joined: May 20th, 2015, 7:46
Posts: 13
Location: Earth
Hi WebClaw.

It could be incompatible heads!

Find a new head 100% compatible.


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 Post subject: Re: Hubble - SED Cannot write to MOD02. I'm going crazy.
PostPosted: November 10th, 2017, 16:17 
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Joined: November 3rd, 2013, 13:04
Posts: 321
Location: Hungary
Hi!
This is an SA locked drive. If you unlock SA, then you have encrypted data on all sectors. Try unlock SA in module 02 on offset 72D from HEX 03 to HEX 00, corrcet CRC, and upload....then you will have SA access. After you did changes, write original module 02 back, to have correct LBA disc access.
Good luck!


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 Post subject: Re: Hubble - SED Cannot write to MOD02. I'm going crazy.
PostPosted: November 11th, 2017, 2:34 
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Joined: August 15th, 2006, 3:01
Posts: 3464
Location: CDRLabs @ Chandigarh [ India ]
Well,
The Heads You Have Shoved In Are Not Writing To The Modules " Means Their Have Impaired Write Ability " Cos They Are Not 100% Compatible To Your Drive .One Thing You Should Do Is To Shift Heads Back To Original donor Drive And See If Head 1 Still Works " .I am Hopeful it Will Work .Then Search For Another Drive With More Compatiable Heads And You Will Be Able To Solve this Issue .I Have Seen Examples Were You Have SA In Copy 0 Copy 1 Copy 2 And Copy 3 And you Do The Correction You did And Still SED Error Will Come Due To The Fact That Some Heads Were Bad ,Replacing Heads Solved The Issue .Also you Said " Last I change HM on the HDD from 0>1 to 0>0 to ensure only one SA is being addressed. " I Think This Should Have Been " Last I change HM on the HDD from 1>0 to 0>0 to ensure only one SA is being addressed. " .I hope You Are Referring To RAM Headmap .I Know a Trick Since 2 Years Plus Now That Me And All My Students Use To Bypass More Then 90% Of Such Issues And Gain Access To User Data .

_________________
Regards
Amarbir S Dhillon , Chandigarh Data Recovery Labs [India]
Logical,Semi Physical And Physical Data Recovery
Website-> http://www.chandigarhdatarecovery.com


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 Post subject: Re: Hubble - SED Cannot write to MOD02. I'm going crazy.
PostPosted: March 27th, 2018, 17:00 
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Joined: November 24th, 2011, 21:48
Posts: 103
Location: Canada
I thought i would post an update just in case someone read this one day.

I did another heads swap and 100% data was recovered.
Since then i've also encountered 3tb WD HDD's with same issue - heads were compatible to read SA but would not write to SA.

Newer WD drives seem to be more picky - unlike the Zephr / Helious / FB which were pretty forgiving when it came to donors.


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