WD600UE - Any suggestions welcome

[pcimage]

Hi

Here's the story...

Got a WD600UE drive in for recovery (already been to another DR company, apparently they got 4 files off and charged the client £300 for the priviledge)

When I got it, it clicked and spun down.

Looked at head map in ROM, set for 1,2,3 (strange no H0)

Enabled H0 and disabled the rest.

Drive spins up and comes DRDY DSC, but seen as 80Gb WD800UE (serial correct).

Enabled H1 - OK

Enabled H2 -OK

Enable H3 - Clicked and spin down.

So I assume H3 is bad.

(I checked that the drive uses all 4, by reading P-List and seeing that errors are noted on all 4)

I change heads and enable all....

Now spins up and DRDY OK, still seen as 80Gb WD800UE though

I examine drive with sector editor, and every one is "00" all the way!!!!!!

Any ideas?

I suspect the drive has been nobbled?

Cheers

Sean

[Doomer]

drive probably was downgrade to 60Gb by cutting one had (Head 0)
When you enabled head0 you saw the old SA what was on the drive before cutting (I saw it several times on WD)
Disable Head0 and Head3 and try to start drive again, probably you will see 60Gb model name

[beto]

Hello sean

Doomer its right now i was checking another cases on WD 3.5" where the hdd doesnt have the H0 enabled . on the head map and its knocking WD400LB so i enabled HEAD 0 only and the HDD reach DRDY DSC, i can get all Modules, but P LIST, was incorrect, was the P LIST before maybe factory on the recertified process im think cut the head, and even all sectors show´s 00h

Best Regards

Sinceraly

Alberto

[pcimage]

Doomer, Alberto....

Thanks, I think we are getting somewhere.

I put the original heads back in, and enabled H1 only. And it came up as 60Gb OK,was able to read mods correctly.

So the 60Gb must have started out as an 80Gb, and been cut?

I guess I'm now looking for an 80Gb donor, as the 60gb donor I have is a 4 head model?

Thanks for the tip.

Sean

[Doomer]

60 GB is originally 3 heads model but it could be 4 heads model if it was cut from 80GB model
Anyway you need 4-head-donor-drive
To check number of heads on your donor drive you can view into the heads map

[pcimage]

Update:

80Gb donor sourced.

Heads fitted, imaging now!

Many thanks for the input guys. Most appeciated.

Merry Christmas!