Head Code Maxtor 96147H6

[snowengineer]

hello gurus,

hopefully u could help me with some more informations or hints about the maxtor headcode labelled on their stickers.
i used to have a two drives, one defective and one donor drive.. the difference in the production date is just one day

the defective one wont say hello to bios - probably a firmware system area issue (compared to some other threads here)
so i did a hotplug of the pcb - after the recall the drive is working in the first sight, but - and thats the prob - the content (data) is worse..

now i'd like to know where the adaptive data is stored for that model - for sure not on the pcb, because the "defective" pcb is working well with the donor drive.
and i cant really believe its on the platters, because the drive wont read its own firmware, without the right callibration - or am i wrong?

did maxtor stored some informations close to the preamps inside the drive?
i am not sure if a headstack-exchange would help, because of different adaptives, though that i dont think the mechanics are different..

the failing drive used to have n,z,b,b labelled and the donor one has k,m,c,b on it

some sources (this forum for example) mention that the first two letters have to be equal, others says just the third one - and the rest is telling all 4 letters have to be equal.. but what is right? most maxtor drives i've seen are using similar letters - but i've never seen letters like S, R and others
and imagine, this model uses 6 heads, but just 4 letters for the headcode...?!

would be nice if some guru would share some details about their labelling system for these codes

[jono-ats]

The head stacks on your drives are NOT compatible. There is no reason I can see at this point to even think about a head swap.

Most of the adaptive info on these models resides on the platters.

To get your data, you have to be able to repair firmware or perform a hot swap, which involves transferring some critical modules to the donor.

Pro tools are required.

[BlackST]

And Pro knowledge too.

If you want the drive fixed and data back we can help , either if the drive has been tampered with (but at an extra cost).

[snowengineer]

The head stacks on your drives are NOT compatible.

please tell me why - i dont see a reason why the company should change their components from one day to another and some days later back again..
what exactly stands the head code for? in my eyes, its just a part of configuration..

Most of the adaptive info on these models resides on the platters.

yes, my mistake - i missunderstood adaptive data.. - havent meant the performance informations from track to track

To get your data, you have to be able to repair firmware

i know, but pro tools are beyond the scope
which are the critical modules?

BlackST: italy? thats a bit too far, but u can pm me for an offer..

[beto]

Why do u want to did head swap? to did that u should sure its a head problem analyzing electronic signals, analyzing , waveforms, sound, experience need it.


At u case maybe u dont need to do that if u hdd its reaching readiness, and after u send Read sector command u get by ATA registers answer ERR ABRT, should be SA problem wich its not stored at PCB there are some part of microcode on MCU, but that links to the Tracks called "Engineering zone, System Area, Eng Cyl, etc. , to do that u need tools or know vendor commands access and know the way to move it inside and repair that , wich are very secret´s and not shared and need to know a lof of knowledgment using ATA protocol´s, and programming too , and maybe u dont need head swap the best to attack a problem its know what is happening " synthomph´s" like a "patient" u cannot traplant the "heart" if the problem its a simple "flu"

Regards

[snowengineer]

seems i need to specify it better ..

well again, pro tools are not in the way of possibilities..
i know chances are very high, that just the system/service area is broken in some way..

but the drive lasted for many years, so why should go that area now into nirwana and not in the first years like so many others of this model?
i guessed that the only one chance to get it recovered without protools is a broken head or preamplifier of same channel - that one which is reading the SA

At u case maybe u dont need to do that if u hdd its reaching readiness

it isnt really ready - its just giving the firmware of the electronics back to the pc bios and not the firmware of the drive (which is stored on the platters)
only if i do a hot swap, the drive is going to "work", but without the right data and longer breaks - because different calibration - the structureinformation cannot be so different inside the same series i think..

u need tools or know vendor commands access and know the way to move it inside and repair that , wich are very secret´s and not shared

thats one of the reasons why i am here - thought its a comunity like in the first days of the internet..

so, it would help me more if u tell me things i can do, than telling things i can't
what are the main modules you usually have to reinstall inside the SA when you have to repair the drive with pc3000 for example? maybe i should try a "live" search inside the 48lc1m16ai and copy it to the defective drive

u cannot traplant the "heart" if the problem its a simple "flu"

and if its "just" a flu-like and not a real flu and u do too much activities before its really gone.. bacilli will destroy your heart and u finally need a new one...

anyway, what are maxtor symptoms if the preamp or head is silently gone (no scatches, no sounds) - does the drive still goes into ready state? i guess not, but what are the differences u could mind between lost SA modules and a gone headchannel? any ideas?

havent opened the drives yet, so i cannot verify the different headstacks..

and my last Q for now: what about the tolerances in the head-manufacturing-process - how large are they? if a guru can give me a good link or book advice..

[jono-ats]

seems i need to specify it better ..
thats one of the reasons why i am here - thought its a comunity like in the first days of the internet..

Stick around. This is a community. Not everyone is in perfect harmony, just like any other "real" community. And the days when we used to leave our houses unlocked have been long gone . . .

You've already been given useful information about your bad hard drive. And now you expect a complete (free) tutorial on data recovery from total strangers? Wow, I guess I need to set my own expectations a bit higher . . .

1. Why did Maxtor swap heads one day to the next? How are we supposed to know -- we are not Maxtor. But this sort of thing does happen a lot, with Western Digital too.

2. What are the head tolerances? This info is most likely confidential from the manufacturers. You need to ask them; they do not readily share this type of info with 3rd parties.

3. Why did the drive fail now after many years? Because of wear and entropy.

4. Swapping heads when it is not the problem will not get your data back. Bad idea.

5. The most important module for smart hot swap with Maxtor is the summary table (33h) if you are able to regenerate the translator. If you can't regenerate the translator, you'll need ULIST, RZTBL, ATPDL, & ATPOL.

6. A bad preamp causes a Maxtor to click repeatedly.

I haver shared with you answers to your questions. Perhaps -- in the spirit of community that you referenced -- you would be kind enough to share with us how this info is going to help you to recover your data, and what specific steps you will take to accomplish that goal?

[BlackST]

Ah Jono... what a good soul you are

[snowengineer]

Ah Jono... what a good soul you are

Speech is silver, but silence is golden.

[snowengineer]

And the days when we used to leave our houses unlocked have been long gone . . .

have they ever been unlocked? okay, u r american, right?

(free) tutorial on data recovery from total strangers?

Talk is cheap - and i dont agree with your statement in this point

1. Why did Maxtor swap heads one day to the next? we are not Maxtor. But this sort of thing does happen a lot, with Western Digital too.

and they changed back some days later again? and they changed everything else except one thing? seems u know what the 4 letters are standing for.. would be nice if u can tell me more

2. What are the head tolerances? This info is most likely confidential from the manufacturers. You need to ask them; they do not readily share this type of info with 3rd parties.

for our unknow readers: if u are from ex.maxtor, now seagate - please leave me message

3. Why did the drive fail now after many years? Because of wear and entropy.

the typicall SA-firmware error for this model was meant.. most drives gone back in the first months, but maybe u got many more of them over the time

4. Swapping heads when it is not the problem will not get your data back. Bad idea.

as u have noticed, i wasnt sure if its just a problem of firmware - i am here to get more informations.. dont blame me for it

5. The most important module for smart hot swap with Maxtor is the summary table (33h) if you are able to regenerate the translator. If you can't regenerate the translator, you'll need ULIST, RZTBL, ATPDL, & ATPOL.

thanx for that info, will take a look for them

6. A bad preamp causes a Maxtor to click repeatedly.

always? no matter which headchannel is gone? i saw a briefing in the net, where they had to rebuild one head after they rebuilt the System Area

in the spirit of community that you referenced

to mock about others is definately not the spirt of the old communities
anyway, let me ask one more question:

if you have two identically drives.. same headstack, same date of production - are the structures on the platters totally different? no matter if there are some faults - i mean, after a hotswap of the main pcb with a fully loaded firmware.. shouldnt i am able to read some sectors without problems? for example it seems that tables like RAM Zone Table are organized on the higher lba oriented level..

[jono-ats]

Answer my question, and I'll try to answer yours. Fair enough?

[snowengineer]

the following ones?

how this info is going to help you to recover your data, and what specific steps you will take to accomplish that goal?

inventiveness is a thing which only comes when humans are studying the details.. and what else could i do, others than asking things here?

but maybe i'd had better chosen drive technology as my board entry point..

[jono-ats]

Yes, that's the question . . .

[snowengineer]

my answer didnt satisfy you?

say it, if u r unable or unwilling to answer..

anyway, i found a good resource to study tolerances of manufacturing now (a book of course) - seems not to be a general secret..

[jono-ats]

You didn't answer the question, or even try.

I think it's fair to ask what you plan to do with the technical information that you are asking me for.

You seem to have an odd sense of entitlement, and want to play games, neither of which I have time for or interest in.

Good luck with your recovery.

[snowengineer]

i thought i did.. then i'll try to explain it more accurately: i'm like a kitten, i like to know whats happening and what exactly goes wrong inside the drive..

for sure its not a game.. but maybe u know everything better..or u just have these pro tools horizon - who knows..

and i was wondering why there is no recovery routine inside the drive itself.. there should be at least one copy of the drives firmware stored at some other place (and/or platters). and it should try to repair the damaged one if the hash is wrong..

[Aprozolam]

jono-ats...I know this post is much later than the event however I found it compelling and could not resist a comment.

It is only imaginable that one sees them-self as a GOD when they too once did not know everything. The world awaits for you next amazing share and are forever in your debt.