+2 for lcoughey

But it won't be $100 I can tell you that.

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Please read the Donor Drives web page.

It is clearly stated that whenever possible the "ROM" on a replacement PCB will be reprogrammed with the ROM from the donor. In those cases where this is not possible, such as is the case in this thread, the ROM will be rebuilt, if possible, from the information in the original HDD.

It is not a firmware bug (such as the 7200.11 BSY bug), it is physical fault in the firmware chip. It is no different than the case where the embedded ROM in a WD Marvell MCU is inaccessible. Nobody would call that a bug.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

I have read it, I'm not blind nor stupid.

It says "if possible"

It is not. Moving the ROM will not help, nor is the ROM rebuildable from the drive.

It is completely different in this case, it is not a firmware "bug" as such and neither is it an embedded ROM re-creatable from SA. Its an entirely different kind of fault. Why will you not listen??

If you're so sure you're right and everyone else is wrong, then get the guy to send it in to donordrives and YOU offer to pay for proper recovery once we are proved right and the ROM cannot be recreated from SA or the ROM successfully transferred to make the drive work. Put YOUR money where your mouth is, rather than someone else's for a change!

I am not doubting donordrives for one minute, they are good guys and know what they are doing, but this sort of repair would NOT be covered under free ROM transfer or recreation, which I wouldn't expect it to be.

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PC Image Data Recovery
http://www.pcimage.co.uk

New!! HDD-PCB.COM for all your PCB and donor HDD requirements!

I am not doubting donordrives either, but I wasn't aware that their FAQ is the DR bible.

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OK, so it's not possible to rebuild the ROM. You didn't say that previously.

BTW, I've been reading about ROM corruption in IBM DeskStars. One web site claims that there was a soldering problem that affected the NVRAM (aka "ROM"). You appear to be saying that the OP's case isn't as simple as that. Is the root cause a bad batch of chips? If so, I haven't seen any recalls.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

To me is no problem, didn't I say I want to send me the drives without PCB ? Must be the diet...