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How can I access Service Area (SA)?
http://forum.hddguru.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=31484
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Author:  alphajatin [ June 28th, 2015, 17:36 ]
Post subject:  How can I access Service Area (SA)?

Hello Leute,

I want to get access to the Service Area of hard disk, I have

Seatgate (ST 3120026AS), (ST380815AS) , (ST3500418AS),
WD 2500KS-00MJB0 and
Samsung HD103SI


at my disposal for this experiment.

Any tips/ pointers will be highly appreciated :)

Author:  HaQue [ June 28th, 2015, 18:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

You only need to post in 1 section. Posting 6 of the same post will not win you any favours!

Author:  lcoughey [ June 28th, 2015, 19:23 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

How much money do you want to spend?

Author:  Dmitri [ June 29th, 2015, 5:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

alphajatin wrote:
I want to get access to the Service Area of hard disk

What exactly you are looking to do?

Author:  alphajatin [ June 29th, 2015, 17:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

Dmitri wrote:
alphajatin wrote:
I want to get access to the Service Area of hard disk

What exactly you are looking to do?



I read a research paper about Service Area present on the PCB of a hard drive and it sparked my interest. I have collected all the spare hard drives from my friends to experiment, I consulted one of the professor about it and his reply was "Try to get the firmware -> Look for the Vendor Specific Commands (VSC) -> Use the VSC to get access.

I am a student and I can't afford PC 3000 U devices :'(

P.S. He is the one who referred me this site, maybe he is a member and looking carefully at this question.

Author:  pcimage [ June 30th, 2015, 4:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

Service area (SA) is not on the PCB.

Author:  alphajatin [ June 30th, 2015, 14:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

pcimage wrote:
Service area (SA) is not on the PCB.



OMG! I have trying to reverse engineer firmware for the VSC to get access to the SA. if its not on the PCB then where is it?

And how can I access it? :roll:

Author:  northwind [ July 2nd, 2015, 5:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

It's on the platters.

Author:  pcimage [ July 2nd, 2015, 16:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

northwind wrote:
It's on the platters.



:idea: Bingo! :-)

Author:  CodeAsm [ July 19th, 2015, 14:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

Im very new to this forum so forgive my ignorance or incorrect information. (experts, please reply with correct answers or hints in the right direction)

If im correct you should either get the VSC (wich sound very logical to use to find those service areas)
from the firmware or software tools made for your specific hard-drives. these can be very vendor specific.

Firmware can be obtain in a few simple ways, some even cheap or free.
Getting the commands to actually work from one of the three ways to communicate with the harddrive is another story.

First firmware, either get the official or unofficial firmware update/repair tool and look in the binary for the firmware (try "reverse engineering").
Use a programmer or cheap adapter and try reading the onboard flashroms. BUT, not always do these romchips contain the full firmware, sometimes not at all.
Jtag, could be expensive, but can be build aswell for "free"... learn the jtag commands and try speaking to the devices on the pcb, one might be able to get the firmware.. maybe access the service area it self !!

Commands, well, you got either the firmware or some commands... connect to the harddrive and start talking to it.
Maybe use jtag, or a serial com on the RX and TX lines. There might be some ATA commands wich you can combine but this part I dont know much about.

base line is, is hardware hacking new, this would be a hard road. Software reverse engineering should also not scare you if nobody is sharing the easy parts here (Service or master commands, if they are locked behind "paywalls", reverse engineer them :D )

Author:  mr_spokk [ August 3rd, 2015, 15:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

northwind wrote:
It's on the platters.

Not on all drives :-)

Author:  guru [ August 3rd, 2015, 17:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

Toshiba

Author:  jermy [ August 3rd, 2015, 17:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

guru wrote:
Toshiba

G-List, password, SMART (and a few other non-critical modules) is on the service area on disk surface

Author:  northwind [ August 4th, 2015, 8:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

I thought we were talking about OP's drives, ie. Seagate, Samsung and WD.

Author:  HaQue [ August 4th, 2015, 23:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: How can I access Service Area (SA)?

seems a massive deficit in prerequisite experience/research.

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