Seagate HDD not detected in BIOS

[norcalgirl]

Hey there,

I've got a Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 750Gb SATA hard drive.

Model: ST3750330AS
FW: SD35
PN: 9BX156-568
PCB: 100466824 Rev B UJAJ-6

FYI, this originally was a Seagate FreeAgent Pro External HDD, but I removed the outer casings so the drive is essentially the internal one referenced above now. I was using it one day, went away and while I was gone my system decided to help me out and install a TON of those important microsoft updates for me, then it rebooted. When I came back to my laptop later, I was not immediately aware of what had occurred while I was away. I attempted to connect the external drive to access some files and realized it was in perfect paperweight mode. It wouldnt even power up. Since then, Ive tried a few things and am now at kind of a crossroads. I think I have multiple paths I could go down, Im just not sure which one is the best and/or wisest. I was hoping someone out there might be able to steer me in the right direction?

What Ive done so far:
- Confirmed the disk spins fine and no strange sounds coming from it while its running (as far as I can tell anyways)
- Tested on 2 Windows systems, drive is not detected in either BIOS
- Checked the Event Viewer for the time I was away from my pc and found this error logged a 1/2 dozen times over a period of a couple days just before the drive died:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Ftdisk
Event Category: Disk
Event ID: 57
Date: 10/17/2009
Time: 7:30:39 AM
User: N/A
Description: The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur.

Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 01 00 be 00 ......¾.
0008: 02 00 00 00 39 00 04 80 ....9..€
0010: 00 00 00 00 0e 00 00 c0 .......À
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........

Originally, I didnt even think using chkdsk, seatools or data recovery software was an option seeing how no systems will even see the drive, however, due to a post I came across on your site, Im thinking that may not necessarily be the true? Im finding conflicting info whether recovery software will work if the BIOS does not detect the drive. Can somebody confirm this for me? The post said there are some apps that will work even when the drive is not recognized in the BIOS, such as PC3000 or Salvation. However, it also said those apps didnt support that person's disk. Although that post was regarding a Barracuda 500GB and was a year ago. I checked PC3000s web site and it looks like it will work on a Seagate HDD. Im confused.

On to my questions. Pretty much its, where do I go from here? These are the options Ive come up with:
Run chkdsk
Run Seatools
Try Data Recovery software. If so, any recommendations?
Try to find and replace the PCB
Take the drive to a pro. If I absolutely have to I'll just pay the damn $$$, I just want to know that Ive exhausted my other options before shelling out $500-$2500. :-/
Other suggestions/workarounds to access the data are welcome, as well. Im sure theres other options I havent thought of.

Your advice is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks in Advance!

NorCalGirl

[beto]

Hy i would suggest the initial diagnostic´s

Check ATA registers, if reach readiness DRDY DSC , u can did that with a simple but powerfull soft wich works sending ATA commmands like MHDD, check passport Size 0? , translator common problem at F3 architecture BSY , if no check SMART attributes, send recalibration command, did a scan test, and check surface, more tried to get terminal on this hdd, and check answer´s post us here what u get, tried to get sound from that hdd and u can post u here all

Regards

[bamnbamn]

@NorCalGirl

I am going through this same issue with the same HDD. It is a known issue with the Firmware. It's noted on other strings in here. There are some fixes for it but everything I've seen says it is best left to a pro because you could easily brick the HDD.

Hope this helps.

BamnBamn

[norcalgirl]

REALLY?? That is absolutely fascinating. Seagate Tech Support didnt mention anything about a FW update and I havent seen the other strings. Ill have to search for them.

I just checked Seagate's website and found this:

http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/crm/s ... NewLang=en

I used the serial number check utility and it says "No download is available for this serial number." I wonder if thats because Seagate considers this is a FreeAgent Pro? Its still the same drive though. I guess I will have to call them.

So you really, truly have the same EXACT problem? Just wanna make sure it really is. Did you purchase the FreeAgent Pro External? or the Barracuda internal? Did you upgrade the FW yourself? or take it to a pro? Do I need to take it to a DR specialist or a computer repair store? If you did have someone else do it, can you tell me how much it cost?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but youve given me new hope.

Thank you sooo much for the tip!

Looking forward to your reply,

NorCalGirl

[Russwinters]

It's SD35 firmware so it is highly possible.

While I do not recommend the DIY for this, you can build an RS-232 adapter and locate the correct commands to enter, etc. You can find it all on this forum, just need to search for it.

hint: 7200.11 firmware issue


I'm located in SoCal if you need a pro to take a look at it, just PM if you have any questions.


Regards,

[norcalgirl]

FYI: Russwinters, PM is not working. I musta said a bad word or something So, Im taking this convo back to the forum post. Ive included the last couple messages for background in case anyone else has any additional input.

Thanks!

=========================================================================

Huh, very interesting.

I just got off the phone with Seagate Tech Support. They told me the ext FreeAgents (internal Barracuda drives, but sold as an external) do not need the FW update. And for the most part it only applied to one particular batch of 7200.11s that came from a specific warehouse. At least, thats what the guy i spoke to claimed. Just an FYI, not saying anyone is or isnt telling the truth here.

The tech was almost positive my issue is the PCB, which is one of the original possibilities of what I thought could be wrong with it. I wanted to avoid paying for prof svcs if at all possible, but i dont think I wanna DIY on a PCB. I dont have a backup of the data on my "backup", so I dont wanna play around with it too much.

=================================================================

Are you certain the drive spins up?

It should be easy to tell

=================================================================

Im pretty sure it spins up. The problem is the system I put it in has a really loud fan. But I put hand on the drive and can feel a vibration. Also, mainly for s&%#s and giggles, I ran a DR software on it (GetDataBack). There were 3 steps 1) choose the drive, 2) choose the file system 3) copy the files you want to keep. The software actually DID see the drive as a seperate one from the main drive. However, when I got to the 2nd screen to choose the file system, it was blank. No choices. I ran the same software on my laptop to make sure there wasnt a problem with it, and it showed NTFS as a choice, just like it should. So... theres no file system on the drive anymore?!?! LOL! jk I imagine its something else just making it appear that way. That also leads me to think the drive is spinning up, but I still cant be 100% positive.

Is there another way to verify? I cant think of many options without the drive showing up in BIOS.

[harddrivespecialist]

Try MHDD. You can download it from this forum.
Report your results here.

[norcalgirl]

Fantastic! I just found the link. Ill give it a shot but it may not be till morning.

Can anyone tell me what the results will mean in terms of my next step? I have plans to take the drive in tomorrow morning for an free evaluation. Im wondering if I should stick with that plan or if theres any reason to postpone doing that?

Could the MHDD results provide info that its something different? Possibly something easier to fix?

And who do I need to talk to about why I cant send PMs?

Thanks!

[drc]

If it is the BUSY / 0 LBA problem then you could probably find a forum member here willing to get you back on track for a very reasonable price. And it definitely sounds like that is the problem you are having.

[norcalgirl]

Ahhh! I see! Very nice!

Well, heres to hoping!

Thanks!

[Russwinters]

If MHDD is actually able to scan the drive, then it can't be the firmware issue.

If it is able to Identify the drive then the chances of a PCB failure is low



Regards,

[norcalgirl]

Okay, so I finally got a chance to run MHDD. Im not sure if I was doing something wrong, but I was not able to access the drive. It is a SATA drive, but I noticed the log keeps saying Changing mode to: IDE. I couldnt find any way to switch it back to SATA.

Did I do something wrong?

Im including the logfile, however I cant imagine its going to be much help.

Attachments

MHDD_102809.LOG

(1.57 KiB) Downloaded 959 times

[harddrivespecialist]

Very likely a firmware issue.

[Russwinters]

I agree with Harddrivespecialist, firmware is most likely the issue.

[fzabkar]

Try this fix:

http://sites.google.com/site/seagatefix/

[norcalgirl]

I apologize, but I dont understand.

I thought the guy at Seagate told me the exts already had the FW update on them. Maybe I misheard/misinterpreted him?

Okay, is there anyway to verify for sure thats what it is? What happens if the FW is updated with the wrong package? I would imagine it would not be good.

So, I just found this page:

http://www.pebhmong.com/forum/index.php ... c=138739.0

But the important part is this:

Basically, the bug in the firmware causes the microcontroller to be stuck in an infinite loop at the busy state.

I forgot to mention in my post with the MHDD results that I DID notice the BUSY flag was on, but couldnt figure out why if the drive wasnt being recognized. Everything makes so much sense now... And I hate to say it for fear of jinxing things, but the world seems so much brighter, too.

[norcalgirl]

Thanks for the link fzakbar

But, um... yeah, i pretty sure thats not something i wanna attempt on my own. Im gonna have to check with my nerdclan to see if they have the knowledge/equipment to support this one. Id be open to alternate suggestions, as well. Feel free to send me a PM, if you want. Otherwise, this drive will be going back to Seagate for repair. At least its free.

[hddmania]

If you need your data, make sure they perform the recovery not just the replacement RMA.

When you RMA it, they will send you the same capacity drive but not the exact one that you sent in.

[norcalgirl]

Im Baa-a-aaa-aa-k!

Hi All,

After a tug-of-war with Seagate trying to get them to do the firmware upgrade on my drive they were steadfast in saying they will only qualify those that are on their list of affected drives. Lucky for me I live in the Valley of Silicon, so I took my drive to a local DRS. They did a free evaluation and have told me the PCB needs to be replaced. Of course, they want to charge me an arm-a-leg-AND-a-few-toes(!) to repair it. Being currently unemployed, I thought I would return here to see if I have any other options. From what Ive read, finding the right PCB can be like finding a needle in a haystack.

How feasible is it to do this type of repair myself?

Thanks in advance!

[drc]

They did a free evaluation and have told me the PCB needs to be replaced.

This is 99% likely to be completely wrong. And any "data recovery" place that is not aware of the 7200.11 problem at this point is not worth the cost of shipping and/or gasoline to get the drive there.