Samsung SP1614C With weak head 0

[N.C.]

Hello,

I have one SP1614C drive, with clicking sound, but can init and read!
I only want to recover one dir with photos.
The drive can (long) init with clicking sound, and can read the mbr, but cant step in the neccessary document dir.
If i try to fill up an image copy to another drive, i can see, only the head 0 is weak, but can read fast on some areas ( >1-2 GB continous).
Inside an bad area, i can hear, the head cant find the servo tracks, clicking, and sometimes give up.
(Sata hdd, and need to reboot in linux.
The sata-ide converter losts the drive too.)

I try to replace the headstack, but no change. (i have clean room, and some special tool to successfully do that.)

On the up platter, inside the landig zone i can see one hit by the head.

The original heads looks clean and fine, but only clicking in the donor hdd.

Somebody have an idea or suggestion?

(currently no pc3k)

Thanks!

[beto]

Send it to "peter" an hddguru from many years here he is from Hungary too ,

Best Regards

[N.C.]

Hello, thanks!

Anybody, any other solution or idea?

Thanks,

[hddlab]

Hello, thanks!

Anybody, any other solution or idea?

Thanks,

Go to buy PC3000!

[N.C.]

Go to buy PC3000!

Thanks, thats what i want.
Thats why i am here, in this forum....
To buy...

I know, the pc3000 is a good program, and can help a lot, but can't fix the hardware problems!
Am i right?

(To buy the pc3000 is already planned, but unfortunately not now. I want another solution, if somebody can help me a little. )

I already know, the firmware is good, because the drive can init, and can read from any area on the plate, but gives a lot of errors.
I can hear (and see) the problem is around the head 0, because the drive cant find the servo tracks some times.
The sound is really clicking, and not just a single retry noise.

Thanks a lot, if somebody really can help....

[beto]

The solution its not pc3000, its not salvation data, or any product even its not got a " clean room" they are only tools, and equipment etc, the solution its the "experience" and the knowledgment, this item u cant bought on any place, , what does need to check this?, u did a head exchage, well if u dont have experience u surely damaged one of the MR Sensor´s, or u need to check the Terminal Log, to know what´s happening, thats why u need to send to an expert

best Regards

[N.C.]

Thank you for this long reply,

The solution its not pc3000, its not salvation data, or any product even its not got a " clean room" they are only tools, and equipment etc, the solution its the "experience" and the knowledgment, this item u cant bought on any place,

Thats right!

u did a head exchage, well if u dont have experience u surely damaged one of the MR Sensor´s, or u need to check the Terminal Log, to know what´s happening, thats why u need to send to an expert

best Regards

I do a lot of head exchanges before, i know, how to do it successfully.
I read this forum from years before too, but this is my first problem, what i try to discuse here.
After i do the head exchange, everithing is the same!
Same clicking, same read speed on good area, (almost) same errors on bad area, etc...

I only want to ask somebody who seen this or similar issue before, and can say something about this.

(Yes, i know, if is buy pc3k or etc sw i can "look" into the drive, and can be smarter easily but i can't buy it at this time and don't want to send it to an expert, and pay a lot of money, i try to learn and find a solution!)

I found one 'footprint' of the head on the parking area, but my customer told me he never hit that drive, but used it about 2 years!

Thanks,

[beto]

well tried sending a soft reset, if reach DRDY DSC, u get some , if no check terminal log

best regards

[hddlab]

Go to buy PC3000!

Thanks, thats what i want.
Thats why i am here, in this forum....
To buy...

I know, the pc3000 is a good program, and can help a lot, but can't fix the hardware problems!
Am i right?

(To buy the pc3000 is already planned, but unfortunately not now. I want another solution, if somebody can help me a little. )

I already know, the firmware is good, because the drive can init, and can read from any area on the plate, but gives a lot of errors.
I can hear (and see) the problem is around the head 0, because the drive cant find the servo tracks some times.
The sound is really clicking, and not just a single retry noise.

Thanks a lot, if somebody really can help....

PC3000 is one of something to help you access and diagnostic service area of HDD. You can buy PC3000 or what you want to recovery data from dead HDD and that why I told you.

You said "I do a lot of head exchanges before, i know, how to do it successfully."...bla bla bla...When you do a head exchange, you need to do manything with SA before you can get data back, if you don't have tool for access SA what you can do? Can you access SA with only your hands, your eyes or your believe?

Do not tell me that you want to build the tool like PC3000!

[N.C.]

PC3000 is one of something to help you access and diagnostic service area of HDD. You can buy PC3000 or what you want to recovery data from dead HDD and that why I told you.

You said "I do a lot of head exchanges before, i know, how to do it successfully."...bla bla bla...When you do a head exchange, you need to do manything with SA before you can get data back, if you don't have tool for access SA what you can do? Can you access SA with only your hands, your eyes or your believe?

Do not tell me that you want to build the tool like PC3000!

Well, in hungary we have one phrase for this.
If i try to translate to english, looks like this:
"Poor people cooks with water."

I only try to do my best, to recover some data with my possibilitis.
I know, the pc3000 can help me a lot, and i have some old projects in stock waiting for that.
But at this time i can not buy it.
If somebody like beto have an idea or suggestion, i will welcome.
I can do anything, like head exchange, programming, fs repair, fix the pcb or build new from some another pcbs...
The only problem is with time and money.

best regards

[hddlab]

Well, in hungary we have one phrase for this.
If i try to translate to english, looks like this:
"Poor people cooks with water." I only try to do my best, to recover some data with my possibilitis.
I know, the pc3000 can help me a lot, and i have some old projects in stock waiting for that.
But at this time i can not buy it.

Poor you, N.C

If somebody like beto have an idea or suggestion, i will welcome.

This is public forum but you can create the post with title like: "I like somebody same same Mr. beto" and I think, you'll be happy.

I can do anything, like head exchange, programming, fs repair, fix the pcb or build new from some another pcbs...
The only problem is with time and money.
best regards

So sorry about that

[N.C.]

beto, here is the terminal log:

Read SATA Register 0000=0000:0000
Write SATA Register 001D with 86EA:C8
C0 Return <0030>
Write SATA Register 000C with 00C1:75E7 Return <0030>
Write SATA Register 000E with 0000:0001 Return <0030>
Serial ATA Mode
Read SATA
Register
0000=0000:0000
Read SATA Register 0001=0000:0000

SpnOk
DAC:-00021
H: +00000

SK C: 0000F655

ENG>
SRV>

SvoTbl Loaded

BD

ENG>

[beto]

So its mean u get DRDY DSC because its not showing DBG , this hdd u can check on MHDD and check if shows DRDY DSC , should be, because not show any error while recalibration process, so u can tried to clone using Hardware retried, by this way u need ace lab products for example to start the cloning, using head maps, "if its some damaged over media" hardware retries, soft reset, etc, jumping sectors, or try with winhex not has that feature, but u can use it to clone,

Best Regards

[N.C.]

Thank you beto,

The drive is clicking during recalibration, but yes, do it successfully. (gets more longer and longer clicking...)
After init, i can read, but not too much.
Starts to clicking crazy after some MByte.
I have no ace labs product, but have my own patched linux kernel (retry removed) and my own script, for do the really safe and automated cloning.

In the beginning, with readahead set to zero, i can step into needed directory, but at this time have bad sector on this area too.
Unfortunately the drive is too unstable to do the automated cloning, and sometimes losts the connection with linux kernel. (need to reboot, no soft reset helps)

Thats why i am here for any good idea....

Thanks,

[beto]

well without hardware control really its difficult, to do this task u maybe need build a head map, and get sectors from head 0, then head 1 etc and that its only support until i know ace lab, and BVG products support that, i dont know if support this model BVG

Thats the problem

[N.C.]

My script do 3 passes:

1. read forward
2. read backward
3. read the holes with force retry

In step 1-2 at bb, without any retry jumping up or down x MB. (x predefined)
This is close to the head map-solution. (i think).
It is almost the same if i read the good heads from one by one or read the entire drive mixed, and skipping the bad areas.
I have done recovery before on 1 head complettely dead hdd, and the dead head's map is the final result.

What do you think?

Ace labs solution can read, and save the ecc unrecoverable 4K blocks?
(i think only loosing some bits, instead of 4k block)

Back in my case:
If i know right, the servo positioning system reads only the head 0.
If the drive have a weak head 0 or medium error on this side, we still can not using ace labs-head map backup.
Is this correct?

[pepe]

Hello,

I think the problem is not with H0, in that case the drive would not init at all.
Apart from that u can make prog to read from the good heads, but this has some disadvantage:
if the process takes a long time, there's some chance of the bad head and that platter side get really ruined, then within minutes all the other surfaces will be ruined also.
So u have to make the decision between the 'szegeny ember vizzel foz' method and the correct safer method of replacing the heads (this is a bit more expensive)...
If the first one fails there's no second chance.

regards,
pepe

[N.C.]

Hi,

I think the problem is not with H0, in that case the drive would not init at all.

I don't think so, my drive can read from everywhere, but can't keep the correct position.
This head is not dead, but when i start this topic, thinked its weak.

Apart from that u can make prog to read from the good heads, but this has some disadvantage:
if the process takes a long time, there's some chance of the bad head and that platter side get really ruined, then within minutes all the other surfaces will be ruined also.

I agree, but i have a clean room and some good optical solutions to check this case.
Secondly my script is really automated, but _never_ runs alone!
I always keeping my eyes on them.
The automatic functions is only for fast reaction, for reduce the chance of media or heads getting ruined.

So u have to make the decision between the 'szegeny ember vizzel foz' method and the correct safer method of replacing the heads (this is a bit more expensive)...
If the first one fails there's no second chance.

Yes, i can agree this too, but i really know what i am doing.
Additionally really funny reading this from you!
I will never forget the WD 120GB notebook drive with missing h0 about 2007 nov....


regards,
Janos

[pepe]

Hello Janos,

I tried to give the best advice based on what U wrote in the first post, without hearing the drive or doing any diagnostics myself of course, and without knowing who you are.
However I haven't got disappointed by U in any way, as U didn't welcome me in any way (like people usually do when they first meet) we met in your shop, U did not say a single hello here on this forum either.

regards,
pepe

[N.C.]

Hello Janos,

I tried to give the best advice based on what U wrote in the first post, without hearing the drive or doing any diagnostics myself of course, and without knowing who you are.
However I haven't got disappointed by U in any way, as U didn't welcome me in any way (like people usually do when they first meet) we met in your shop, U did not say a single hello here on this forum either.

regards,
pepe

Hello pepe,

Yes, you have right.
The decorous is not my strength, as not the english are either...
But this is a technical forum, i suggest, we can be a friend if we can approve the another.
Also we first meet was a little sticky situation, and this looked on you and maybe on me too.

Now i do welcome to you!
Sorry about this again...

regards,
Janos