ST2000DM001 CC4H won't read anything, heads good. Need FW

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Hello,

I have this ST2000DM001 with firmware CC4H. It came in with BSY issue without clicking, terminal output showed it was constantly trying to reallocate sectors. The tools I have at my disposal are an older PC3000 UDMA (which will not do this much good), and a MRT Ultra.

I was able to use the "Virtual Start" feature of MRT to patch ROM and initialize the drive using loader. It went ready and was able to read user data. I used congen commands to disable background reading and idle activities, to make reading of data faster. About 20% of user data was read, then one head failed (constantly skipping sectors and making clicking sounds every once in a while). It went on like this for a while, then the drive refused to read anything anymore. There was no increase in clicking or thrashing sounds. Drive is quiet, just won't read anything.

I have replaced heads at this point. Drive sounds normal, no clicking sounds at all. I am still not able to read anything off it, no SA access, no ID. I am still able to use the loader to get the drive to show up ready, but it goes BSY on anything else I try after it initializes.

I have backup of ROM, LDR, modules and CP files. I do not have backup of sysfiles (it locked up when I tried to backup them), SA ABA or service tracks. I did not clear any defect lists or recalculate translator. I have terminal access.

Code:

Boot 0x40M
Spin Up
RECOV Servo Op=0100 Resp=0005
TCC-0025[0x000065B4][0x00006A20][0x00006E8C]
Trans.

---Mrt Loader---
LockCode:0x691CF689
LockKey:Recv Loader....Redy

Rst 0x40M
MC Internal LPC Process
Spin Up
TCC-0025
RECOV Servo Op=0900 Resp=0005
MCMainPOR: EXCEPTION: SIM aborted prior to MCMT read
MCMainPOR: EXCEPTION: POR Failed General
MCMainPOR: Feature Disabled...

This is the current bootup process with MRT loader. If I remember right, I was still getting this message before, when I could read data.

And this happens if I flash original ROM back, without loader, which is the same state the drive came in before doing any work on it, it stays BSY and goes on and on like this:

Code:

Starting LBA of RW Request=0000000000087E38  Length=000001A0
ProcessRWError -Read-   at LBA 0000000000087E38  Sense Code=43110081

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 0 Status 0

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 1 Status 0

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 2 Status 0
Starting LBA of RW Request=0000000000087E3C  Length=0000019C
ProcessRWError -Read-   at LBA 0000000000087E3C  Sense Code=43110081

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 0 Status 0

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 1 Status 0

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 2 Status 0
Starting LBA of RW Request=0000000000087E40  Length=00000198
ProcessRWError -Read-   at LBA 0000000000087E40  Sense Code=43110081

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 0 Status 0

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 1 Status 0

Total AC8, Head AA0, Tail 28 Retry 2 Status 0
Starting LBA of RW Request=0000000000087E44  Length=00000194
ProcessRWError -Read-   at LBA 0000000000087E44  Sense Code=43110081


[Th3_uN1Qu3]

I forgot to mention, i DO have a backup of sysfile 93 but that is all.

[Masterclass]

i DO have a backup of sysfile 93 but that is all.

This is undoubtedly the most important file

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Sysfile 93 is the only one I tried to modify (hence why the backup), but it provided no further speed increase compared to just congen commands. When I tried to backup the other sysfiles, I think it copied 3 other ones then the drive hung up, and I skipped backing them up since I had already gotten access to user data and the drive responded OK to resets, and started on the data recovery itself. In hindsight, this was a bad idea. I rarely have firmware failures during a DR job, heads dying being far more common, but there's the odd one where things like this happen.

I'm still not able to do anything with this drive now...

[Alikhan]

you can disable the head one by one through modification of head quantity in ROM, then continue virtual start and test if you can read data with a specific head being disabled