I Test the DFL tool for WD and here what i found about

First , here is a general look for it's functions and advantages

1- this is the start menu



it all you to get details about the drive and auto detect it in normal or kernel mod and to load overlay with 011 module

2- the main menu of the program .to start dealing with the drive



3- the fist menu is common



A- you can use ATA command here to force the drive to power up even if you are in kernel mode with the 3 jumpers

B- logical scan and it allow you to add bad tracks to p-list



C-security to view and erase password
D- to resolve the slow problem in hdd with pcb 701640

E-user Define ATA command to type commands by your self
F- firmware test and Edit " edit modules and tracks and Rom and ram and ABA in hex
G- bad block scanning in the drive
H- NHPA to set max
I- load overlay with 011 module
J- Track split to module allow you to get the modules from the tracks this one is new

4- Rom operation



A- Read and write Rom and it's modules
B- head map edit and depop allow you to depop head even in new Marvell and it works fine
c-recover the original 47 from the SA
D-Rom deep test . can test the structure of the rom file to let you know before re-flashing it
E-Head adaptive parameter tuning " microjog "
F- Regenerate rom for L- shape pcb and royal
G- directory Start address allow you to Chang the Start address in the new wd drives that come with " no Device error"

5- Fw menu



allow you to
A- read & write modules and tracks and SA region very fast actually than any usb Box work with WD i ever test ,specially about tracks
B- regenerate the ATA if it damage from the SA " i like it "
C- format SA , alow you to format the hole SA and rewrite it again
D- regenerate 02 module
E- Kill zone " split your data aria to about 20 part you can delete any part of them " i like it "
F- Read write test , it's here areal test for the head

6- format menu



to format the drive with p or g list or with both or with out

7-Arco



and its here along story and actually very Active and online " i like it"

8- Self scan

it's real professional here and active view and it's script is very simple and you can use the factory info to arrange it or do it your self

9- Defects meu

A- G , P , T & SA list to show and merge and erase
B- smart , with clear and other options " i like it"
C- translator clear and regeneration


Disadvantages

1- the manual is useless , can not explain any thing
2- some error message may you face
3- logic scan need to improve
4- the path of your firmware not saved so you must go manually every time
5- regenerate p-list you must make anew folder for it
6- the tabes you open can't close like scan tab or module tab
actually the Vendor is co-operate and promise for updates with all the above

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Tawfeek Mokhtar
http://alsafwapc.net
Alsafwa Data Recovery Egypt

This is for SURE NOT A BEGINNER TOOL to start with really
you need to know what you are doing otherwise single mistake and Boom all gone

reminds me with the Russian Seagate tool as well, both are the same

it helps a lot the experts on the field specially WD Experts.

to cut it short, its like the Saw Tool, one single mistake and you might loose your hand/fingers.

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Kuwait Data Recovery - UNIX GTC
The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. By: Albert Einstein

Tawfeek

This thing looks very "similar" to SD's product at least the "hardware interface box" of course the software doesn't look the same. Is this some clone of SD with new software and of course it sounds like they continued the same path with useless manual's like SD produces from what I read in your review. By the way thanks for the review its nice to get this type of information from an experienced recovery person that has actually "tested" the tool. Also wonder what the "cost" is since the website wants to just send you a quote I don't appreciate that if your going to sell a product list you pricing like most all other vendors do or at least the ones I deal with.

Jim

hi tawfeek
i have this tools its not tool for expert only no
any begineer can do his work on it but it need one thing support about functions and how to solve by new method

yes in your disadvantage list there is some notice right except
2- some error message may you face if you added drive for usb2.0 on winxp sp3 you will not see any error message

also if you loading wrong overlay not matching you will force will power off usb and open again to clear buffer table that found on box itself

there is some notice you must know it befor using this box if you know it you will not see error message again

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Kuwait Data Recovery - UNIX GTC
The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. By: Albert Einstein

Great, MORE cheapo firmware software for Joe Public to buy to DIY his drive.

Its bad enough people buying Salvation tools (recommended on this forum by someone) and expecting it to perform miracles at the touch of a button. Sure, caveats and disclaimers are made, but desperate users do not listen to this and expect the tool to instantly fix their drive.

Twice in two days this week, we have received drives that have been totally ruined by Salvation tools (or to be more precise by the random button pressing of newbies desperate to get their data back but scrimping on the cost). And it's only Wednesday!

Both drives spin ok and ID, but as completely different serial number. The WD even ID's as a competely different model. Of course no LBAs are accessible as we have to assume that unique adaptive modules have been rewritten. When asked what modules they have changed, they do not know. And of course no backup of the original mods.

We expect more and more DIY failures as more and more of this crap s/w surfaces.

The worse thing about these tools (apart from the flakey programming) is the extremely poor manuals. Ann (poehere) has written some good Salvation manuals but the average DIYer is way too mean to buy them and makes do with the shite supplied by SD.

Just my 2 cents

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PC Image Data Recovery
http://www.pcimage.co.uk

New!! HDD-PCB.COM for all your PCB and donor HDD requirements!

Side (joke) note :

Mankind should be happy as all this (availability of tools and abundance of reckless people) may have the positive effects of "sanitizing" porn and warez by destroying the ... "containers"

Seriously :

It is definitely not for "average joe".

This software is produced without knowing how drives really work, that's where Savage Data goes wrong too........

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All went well until I plugged the drive in.

welcome all

i think anyone can judging about the soft after see all things related to soft like videos and manual and ask any users of soft

is it different or still same as sd only check customers that bought the soft and they will say all things if soft can do or not

but in my opinion really you can do many things with this soft different for repair and at least save your data back to 70% of your problems

cut zone for all new royl
cut heads 0 or 1
clear password for all old pcb and 1640 also

read all tracks if dir module damaged and extract all modules again from track and write again
and more
only read more about the soft then judging good or bad

I'm guessing it's mix of PC3K and WD TRex internals but developed with limited protection (for example: when rebuilding ROM user has to make sure that modules 102-109 are "correct", program doesn't do it apparently) and with zero understanding of how parts of the program supposed to communicate (program supports only "Marvell-compatible" drives but shows menu with selection of most of WD drives, including old "non-Marvell" ones, like Spartan or Centurion)


repeating the ad doesn't make it truthful
Also you mixing up repair and data recovery - these are two quite different processes


this is a repair process doesn't get any data from a drive thus this is not needed, generally. It is much easier to send drive to RMA

available for free

won't work if SA translator is not empty (most of the new drives)

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SAN, NAS, RAID, Server, and HDD Data Recovery.

hi friend

1-rebuild rom in dfl only add reading modules 106&104 to regen new rom modules

102-109 except 108 to regen module 4f for matching overlay and 0d to check fw version

2- for marvel we considered all marvel and new royl same only we consider old marvel L board you can choose marvel for old marvel Lboard and all ide
and choose marvel sata for new royl models and if your model not detected in the soft you can choose it manually from the menu choose custom family


3-
for recovery 70% of your data back not means recovery data
i mean can protect your data from loss

4-cut heads or cut zone for repair only and many cities warranty 11 months only
and rma not repairing hdd in my city only replace it with new if you in warranty period what customers can do after warranty

5-clear password for new royl pcb 1640 available free i am not see where but when if by script no problem add your script in ata commands menu

6-if your sa translator is not empty no problem to choose quick format sa in 30 sec and building sa translator and also sa defect list again then write all modules extracted from tracks

I think repairing and data recovery in WD should be the helper of each other,especaily to ROYL series,and should be consider at the same time.Before you make a judgment to this tool,need to know more about wd.That's really a good tool for wd fw level repair and recovery.

if modules say NOT_INIT will the program check for it?


how?


who needs an old repaired drive which already died once?


in order to write modules extracted from tracks you need to read tracks first and the tracks' reading might be quite challenging if SA translator is not empty

It seems to me that you have very limited knowledge about WD drives even that you advertising a product which supposed to work with WD drives on deep level

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SAN, NAS, RAID, Server, and HDD Data Recovery.

how it should help and why especially in ROYL series?

I would probably say before you develop a tool you should know more about WD

comparing to what?

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SAN, NAS, RAID, Server, and HDD Data Recovery.

i think you means rebuild rom for new pcb 1640
the soft until now not support regen rom for pcb 1640 and there is another idea can search about get rom from rom image 109 but not finished yet

in order to write modules extracted from tracks you need to read tracks first and the tracks' reading might be quite challenging if SA translator is not empty

2- i can't see any difference between us in this read track and extracting modules and dfl can read track and rebuild your sa translator again i dont have any problem in that even if sa translator are not empty and better to us to see the tool online by teamviewer befor you judging

and if my knowledge limited no problem i will learn from you to get more experience in repairing wd

why only 1640?
How about 1642, 1672, 1698, 1702, 1714 etc. ?
So as I said before - there is no protection


yes, that's the problem isn't it, that you don't see any difference
if drive has defects in SA translator, the tracks will have "holes" with no data in places where SA defects are hidden, thus splitting tracks to modules might produce incorrect results
As for rebuilding SA translator, yes you could do that, there is one tiny problem, you can do that if drive is initialized and can see module 35 but if drive already initialized why would you need to rebuild SA translator?

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SAN, NAS, RAID, Server, and HDD Data Recovery.

i said more about rebuild sa translator coz the soft has functions to do arco for write new fw file and do arco to repairing only and if my driver has sa defect hidden will be difficult
so we erase all firmware zone and rebuild original 35 30 then write new fw file except 35 from new fw and do arco to get success rate

Some clarification MAYBE will help people, mainly to avoid false illusions and misleading (sometimes there's no worse deaf than who doesn't want to hear, but that's life )

1) THIS kind of tools CAN be used for "data recovery" when data recovery IS possible and the cause of failure is on SA or need to make a working PCB in case of destruction of the old one (assuming SA is fine or you can manage to get it somehow).

2) THIS kind of tools ARE USEFUL for REPAIR FOR REUSE (refurb) assuming YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO and HOW TO DO.
Main target seem to be specific areas where WD drives have the major market share and at same time people demand for repaired drives at low cost due to their economies.
(IN MY OPINION, however, refurbishment should be carried differently , VERY differently if there are quality requirements !!)

One thing is sure : people land here (and elsewhere) whining for their lost data when in 90-99% of case the drives are dropped or simply failed then (thanks internet and its idiot advice) tinkered to death (to be polite...) : this kind of tools have a cost that is a fraction of the "reference" PC3000 , but it is a false illusion to buy it and with some click of the mouse get back data.
A lot of technical background and know how (about how WD work) are required to work properly and safely.
And if the goal is "get data from this drive" , the cost of the tool/s alone IS comparable to professional data recovery service, if we include TCO, loss of profit due to the time to get the tools, master it and do the job (good luck.... ) it's much better to refer to a pro without all this hassle and leaving the "dirty job" (and responsibilities) to him.

What probably Tawfeek wanted to do right from the start was a review of the tool capabilities according to HIS experience, nothing more nothing less : "DFL for WD judgment"
People who know their stuff can make an idea/opinion of what the tool can do, what cannot and what can be difficult to do with it, the rest is pure speculation and debate.
Personally I have used a lot of tools and - by experience - I know what can be the best IN THE CASE I HAVE AT HAND, some are good, other are better, other have limitations or you have to do a workaround to do something but you can always do it, etc.

PERIOD.

Agree with you here, and whatever i highlighted in RED is what i refer actually, for some case (easy BZ or 00CC) problems i do use my SD-SG (basic terminal commands) and you are done,

In Another word, you do not Drive your Ferrari for 1 mile long, most probably you WALK or use your Spare car (SD) for such case.

but this DFL is Good Again, but not for the newbies (Beginners) you need to know what you are doing, otherwise Pushing Butt. will not fix your drive back.

Saw tool again.

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Kuwait Data Recovery - UNIX GTC
The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. By: Albert Einstein

in my opinion if you can't repair and know how refurbishing go on in WD . you will get it hardly to get the Data. i see that DFL can do some things easy . even PC3k make in hardly. and alot of functions actually make the recovery more possible. and in other hand no one in recovery depend on one tool.

_________________
Tawfeek Mokhtar
http://alsafwapc.net
Alsafwa Data Recovery Egypt