How to dump HDD firmware?

[rofldmao]

Hello guys.
Sorry for my english. It isn't perfect because I'm German.

I have two WD2500BEVS-22UST0 HDDs. One of them is defective. I think it's the firmware because Linux says it is an 2,2TB HDD. It have only 250 GB. Windows can't initialize it.
The other one works 100% perfect.

Is there a chance to dump the firmware of the working HDD and install it on the defective HDD?

Thank you for your help.

P.S.: There is an option for the tool hdparm for Linux called --fwdownload. But i didn't find anything how to use this or what it does.

[BlackST]

Unluckily HDDs are not cell phones or BIOS. Sorry.

[Vulcan]

Is there a chance to dump the firmware of the working HDD and install it on the defective HDD?

No - there is no standard ATA command for a user to read the firmware "out of" a drive.

There is an option for the tool hdparm for Linux called --fwdownload. But i didn't find anything how to use this or what it does.

That is for downloading a new firmware "into" a drive - there is a standard ATA command for doing that part.

IMHO a professional diagnosis is needed for that drive, if you want the data recovered from it.

[rofldmao]

I know that a HDD is not a cell phone. But i didn't know that you can dump the firmware of a cellphone .

I found out that there are tools like Atola Insight and PC3000 which can do what I want. But these tools are too expensive for me at the fact that i want to use it only one time. (for more then 10.000x the price would be ok for me )

Furthermore i have read this tipic. It says that you can dump the firmware and install firmware on a HDD but you must lern very much. The problem thereby is that there are not very much informations.

Is there another way to fix my problem?

@Vulcan: intereting thx!!! I found here the firmware backup from Atola Insight for my drive. May it work with hdparm --fwdownload? And how do I use this command exactly?

[Vulcan]

You're guessing at a solution (f/w change) without knowing the cause of the problem. Bad idea IMHO

If you care about the data, and if you don't want to cause more problems by your guesses, then get a pro involved to diagnose the true cause. The incorrect capacity shown is a symptom - not a cause.

There is much more involved in HDD f/w than just the code that gets downloaded... We've seen previous examples on this board where people do a f/w upgrade (as a guess, without getting a proper diagnosis) on a drive with a problem and that causes even bigger problems

[rofldmao]

The data on the HDD is not important for me. I have backups .

I only want to learn a little bit about HDDs and perhaps i can get the HDD to work again.
Furthermore it's a pity to threw the good HDD away without trying to repair it.

[BlackST]

Specialized tools are only the tip of the iceberg...

[Samo]

I only want to learn a little bit about HDDs and perhaps i can get the HDD to work again.

Then start reading a lot

Furthermore it's a pity to threw the good HDD away without trying to repair it.

If it is good then no need to repair it IMHO. You need to do proper diagnostics before you begin to repair it.
HDDs are not like DVD/CD its "BIOS" is unique, and is called firmware. It can not be moved from one drive to another. Only some marts which are common can be moved, but they require specialized tools.

[Vulcan]

Specialized tools are only the tip of the iceberg...

Indeed If only tools were needed, then we could all become surgeons by walking into an operating theatre and picking up a scalpel

[rofldmao]

So, I've read a little bit. And I wanted to test the HDD wis MHDD.
I built the drive in my Notebook. It's the only HDD in it.
Then I started MHDD with the following command: mhdd.exe /ENABLEPRIMARY.

But if i push F2 to scan the HDD MHDD shows me only the message "The Drive is not ready".

Where is the problem? Is MHDD not compatible with Notebook-Chipsets?
What else can i try?

Thanks

[BlackST]

Try to read the manual, for example. Mhdd doesn't work on Xp / Vista or 7.

[rofldmao]

Oh Sorry, I have forgotten to say that i startet MHDD with a DOS-Bootdisk.
I thought that's clear because its the only HDD in my Notebook

I've read the manual already. But perhaps i should read it a second time to understand it better.

[BlackST]

what do you expect from Mhdd ?

[rofldmao]

Ok, so I think I have to tell you first a little bit of the history of the drive.
A friend of mine gave it to me because he edited the HDD with hddhackr. He wantet to use it in his XBOX 360 and faild.

In this topic I've read that you can make the drive work again with MHDD, hddhackr and the undo.bin
But without MHDD having access to the HDD it is heavy to try if it works.

[BlackST]

No doubt. It is one of the side effects of eating too much 'Internet' where one bullshit / solution fits all. Depending on the amount and quality of tinkering done , it can be solved - but with the right tools (thousands of Eur worth). Don't know if you are doing something wrong with MHDD , but if drive FW get damaged whatever the cause the drive doesn't answer anymore. Good luck.

[rofldmao]

OK, I see, my friend should better by a new one.
Thank you for your help.

[zerocoolorez]

LOL naechtes mal auf deutsch fragen vieleicht kann ja jemand antworten

[lcoughey]

If you only wish to repair the drive, I suggest using a very special tool designed by the manufacturer. It is called RMA. You go to their website, enter your drive's serial number, if it qualifies, they'll give you an RMA number. You ship your bad drive to them and they ship a working drive to you. The only cost is shipping to the RMA centre.