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Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118 FW

March 18th, 2015, 16:13

Hi Community,

i have some questions to the experts here about Samsung HD103UJ:

i have flashed by mistake on a Samsung HD103UJ with Firmware 1AA01118 the Firmware update from Dell for the same Modell Type with the Firmware 1AA01113 to 1AA01117
Now the PCB of the 1AA01118 has the Firmware 1AA01117 on it and the drive is not recognized in Bios anymore.
I take the PCB from a other HD103UJ (with 1AA01118) and the drive works like it should.
After this i have take this "downflashed" PCB and tryed it on a Samsung HD103UJ with original Firmware 1AA01117 and there this PCB works also like it should.
Different HD-Tools tell me now this Disk has Firmware 1AA01117 - that should be right! ;)

Now my question to the experts - is it possible to Flash the downgraded PCB on the HD103UJ with Firmware 1AA01117 to Firmware 1AA01118 with Tools like SRT
or other one? If yes, which Hardware and software exatly i need for doing this?

Thanks for your help.

br
Recycling

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

March 18th, 2015, 16:38

You'll need a data recovery tool that can read the ROM from the PCB that works and write it to the messed up PCB. A tool like PC-3000 can do this in a few seconds, but it'll cost you. A data recovery company can easily do it as they will have the tools, but probably will charge more than the cost of the drive.

It might be possible to do it just using a simple terminal adapter, but it's unlikely to be worth the time you'll spend figuring it out.

Or you can buy a ROM programmer and unsolder the chip, read it, unsolder the other chip, write it, resolder it all. Yikes.
Last edited by data-medics on March 18th, 2015, 16:40, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

March 18th, 2015, 16:40

Or, you can just replace the PCB with one from Ebay. That's probably the most cost/time effective method.

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

March 18th, 2015, 17:02

Try reading the "ROM" with the following tool.

SHT - Samsung HDD Tool Free Edition (DEMO) !
http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=149&t=1084

If you can read the ROM, and if you can show me the original update package, I may be able to insert your original ROM image into the update files. Then hopefully you will be able to use the updater to flash the original ROM contents back to the drive.

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

March 19th, 2015, 16:10

Hi - first of all - thanks for your answers.

@fzabkar
Do i need for the Tool "SHT - Samsung HDD Tool Free Edition" for reading the Rom also a TTL - Terminal adapter?
I ask this, becouse the tool can not find my functional HD103UJ with Firmware 1AA01118 on the SATA0/1 port.

Another question - does this tool run under Windows 7 32/64bit 100% or do i need Windows XP for this tools?

@Spildit
Where can i get the Tool SRT? Maybe i can read with this tool and a TTL - Terminal adapter the Rom?
Can you help me to find this? ;)

@data-medics
Thanks also for your hints, but i don't lost any data, so i will not invest money for a new PCB - but i am now interested to the technic of hdd and i will try to repair with the help
of this guys from the forum this HDD/PCB.

Thanks to All!

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

March 23rd, 2015, 16:29

You can obtain the demo version of SHT via this thread:

SHT v3.0.2 New:
http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?t=1199&p=5660

How to connect a terminal cable on a Samsung drive ?
http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php? ... 189&p=2786

Analysis of Samsung F3 firmware update:
http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=679

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

April 10th, 2015, 16:44

Hi,

sorry for my long not respond in the last weeks, but i was sick and i had to order a USB2TTL adaptor.
Now i had time to try with the Tools and SHT v3.0.2 was able to read the Firmware of my Samsung Spinpoint F1 (1AA01118)
I have also read the Firmware from the Samsung Spinpoint F1 (1AA01117).
I have found this thread of fzapkar on tomshardware: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/269 ... j-firmware
where he analyse the upgrade and extract the files.
But now i need an expert, which can integrate the Firmware 1AA01118 into this firmware upgrade of Dell (R220314).

I have uploaded both files for you in this post

Thanks for your Support
Recycling
Attachments
SamsungSPF1.zip
(499.06 KiB) Downloaded 1922 times

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

April 10th, 2015, 20:44

I have confirmed that each of your ROM dumps checksums to 0x0000, so all looks OK.

Code:
C:\>chksum2 -16 *.bin

1AA011~1.BIN:   262144 bytes    checksum16 = 0x0000
1AA011~2.BIN:   262144 bytes    checksum16 = 0x0000

My preferred approach would be to create a bootable floppy or USB flash drive, and then copy only the required files from the update package. I would also use an earlier SFLASH utility, ie one that has been separately packaged, rather than packed into a single EXE.

Copy the following files to the root directory of your USB drive:

http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/HDD/F1 ... _FW_17.EST
http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/HDD/F1 ... lash24.exe

Your initial erroneous update automatically chose the 1AA17AQM.D38 firmware image file. This consists of a FLDR (flash loader?) section at the beginning, with a length of 0xA00 bytes. I have carved out this FLDR, prepended it to your 1aa0118-ROM.bin image, and given this patched file the same name as the 117 file, ie 1AA17AQM.D38. Copy the file .D38 in the attachment to the same location as the two previous files.

I would now reconfigure the SATA controller in your BIOS for compatibility or legacy IDE mode. Install your drive on the first SATA port, and disconnect all other drives.

Boot your flash drive (promote it to the first position in the boot order), and then type the following command at the DOS prompt:

    sflash24 /run:F1_FW_17.EST /auto

My idea is that the updater will apply your 118 code believing it to be 117 code. If the updater doesn't complain and proceeds with the update, then this would suggest that the .D38 file was selected by the script. Otherwise, if the updater complains that a particular file is missing, then you could fool it by renaming your .D38 file accordingly.

BTW, I suspect that the script file (F1_FW_17.EST) contains commands like ...

    if model = x, then file = 1AA17AQM.Dnn

Best of luck, but please don't hold me responsible if the procedure bricks your PCB. In any case you now have a ROM backup.
Attachments
118_1AA17AQM.zip
(251.11 KiB) Downloaded 1993 times

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

April 11th, 2015, 14:25

Hi,

first of all thanks to fzabkar! Great Job my harddisk is online again.

I have done it like you wrote, used on of my Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 and replaced the PCB to the downgraded HDD.
Then i flashed with sflash24 on this PCB the Firmware 1AA01118 - after this i changed this PCB back to my downgraded HDD
and viola, the disk spins up and the data are there and readable.

Thanks all guys for helping me, to recover this HDD.

BR
Recycling

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

May 29th, 2016, 15:40

Good afternoon. I need your help. I have the same proyulema. After doing all of the above described actions error appears:
Port BaseAddr=01f1/03f6 IRQ=14
Error : Drive does not exist.

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

May 29th, 2016, 17:12

Does your target drive appear in BIOS? What is its port address?

I believe that SFLASH is looking for your drive on one of the standard ISA ports (0x1F0 or 0x170). If so, and if your drive is on a different port, then perhaps you could explicitly specify the actual port address with the PORT1 and PORT2 parameters.

Code:
SFLASH Ver  SF4.24  SAMSUNG (C)1998-2004
  --HDD MicroCode Download/Patch Tool (For 16bit DOS)
  --Usage:  SFLASH <Parameter>[filename] [Parameter]
    /DETECT                             - To detect port drive on
    /P:xx                               - Port Loaction Drive On
        :PM - Primary Master (Default)  :SM - Secondary Master
        :PS - Primary Slave             :SS - Secondary Slave
    /AUTO                               - Auto detect all drives when run script

    /AUTOLOOP                           - Go loop of auto detecting drives when run script
    /RUN:<filename>                     - Run Script
    /PORT1:aaaa /PORT2:bbbb             - Set native port HEX base address
  --Example:
    A:\SFLASH /DETECT                  :To detect port the drive on
    A:\SFLASH /RUN:SCRIPT.EST          :Run Script to PM
    A:\SFLASH /RUN:SCRIPT.EST /AUTO    :Auto detect all drives and Run Script

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

May 29th, 2016, 23:43

fzabkar wrote:Does your target drive appear in BIOS? What is its port address?

I believe that SFLASH is looking for your drive on one of the standard ISA ports (0x1F0 or 0x170). If so, and if your drive is on a different port, then perhaps you could explicitly specify the actual port address with the PORT1 and PORT2 parameters.

in bios defined as HD753LJ how to see the port do not know, I do not really understand this ((((

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

May 30th, 2016, 15:42

@Levit_1, what was the original firmware version and model of your drive?

I am assuming that you applied the Dell update alluded to in that Tom's Hardware thread and caused your drive to now identify itself as a HD753LJ. Is that correct?

What are you trying to do now?

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

May 31st, 2016, 5:54

yes it is true, originally Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118 FW applied the update Dell is now the disc is defined as HD753LJ

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

May 31st, 2016, 5:55

if there is a native firmware, and you can return home. But I do not.

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

May 31st, 2016, 15:55

It seems strange that the OP's drive was no longer recognised in BIOS after the firmware downgrade, yet yours still identifies itself, albeit incorrectly. Something is different ...

I would first read the ROM with SHT and obtain a terminal log. That would help us to understand what is happening.

As for the IDE port address, a tool such as MHDD or HDAT2 should be able to tell you.

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

June 12th, 2016, 0:16

{0} [samsung hd753ls (1aa01117)] found an primary master
error: command fail

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

June 12th, 2016, 0:17

Spildit wrote:I can fix this with full SHT but you would have to ship the drive to me (Portugal) and pay shipping costs....
with our new easy to buy prices)))

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

June 12th, 2016, 0:19

can anyone have the native firmware (118)

Re: Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01117 FW vs. Samsung HD103UJ 1AA01118

March 23rd, 2020, 17:43

Hi,

This is just a quick record to explain how I saved my HD103UJ (original firmware 1AA01118), accidentally flashed with firmware 1AA01117 of a Dell package and renamed to HD753LJ, thanks to the amazing work of fzabkar (amongst others).

Cross-posting to https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads ... re.648542/ (previously mentioned in this thread) because both threads helped me to revive my drive.

First of all, thanks to the original poster and the fantastic work of fzabkar!

Most helpful replies were:

Steps:
  • Created a MS-DOS bootable USB key with https://rufus.ie/
  • Copied the patched firmware from this reply
  • Followed this recommendation:
    I would now reconfigure the SATA controller in your BIOS for compatibility or legacy IDE mode. Install your drive on the first SATA port, and disconnect all other drives.
  • Note: I tried the "sflash24" method from this reply but it did not work in my case
  • So I tried the "sf.exe" method from here (I replaced "HD751LJ" with "SAMSUNG")
    Code:
    sf.exe -f 1aa17aqm.d38 -s -x -b -v -a 20 -i SAMSUNG
  • Note: I downloaded "sf.exe" from another topic
  • The command was stuck on "Sending binary downloads", so I decided to power off / power after a while and to my surprise the firmware was successfully patched!

I did a lot of trials before getting it to work. If someone is in the situation, I will be glad to help and give further information.
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