Here's what I got for a few bucks... Let's see what happens next...

1 - Imma try to read my own ROM
2 - Then I'll be uploading its content here and you guys tell me what to do... hehehe

Ok. All hope is lost at this point.

ROM is dead.

not all is lost, coz there is a chance i can recover it. It's not cheap though.
pepe

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Adatmentés - Data recovery

Yes, I've read about you and some other people... and the liver I've to pay to get a ROM regenerated.

I'll keep investigating. Will pm you anyway.

Ok... I need some explanation about this.

My Programmer was reading zeros all the time, so I guessed it was dead. But after like... more than 100 readings, it got some data.

I know it's not a complete dump data, it has more like some chunks of it.

If anyone could lend me a hand...

I compared some "good" rom bins and most of them have more or less the same structure, but if u read this and compare like I did, you can clearly see some blank chunks of info.

Is it really dead? Can it be restored even if it takes hours and days?

Maybe he chip was overheated, and crucial data has vaporized

Yeah, probably.

But what makes no sense is why the first 99 times it gave me zero and the 100th time it gave me "some" information?

Maybe you changed some settings
Maybe it was not getting a good connection
I don't know, I wasn't there

might be bad contact...

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Adatmentés - Data recovery

How can i be sure 100% that it's not a bad contact? I mean, I have soldered the rom into a mini pcb that programmer seller provided me with. It should either read or not read. And I've tested many many many times... and now I can't reproduce it, haha.

I mean, it has all zeroes for like 99 times, then 1 reading was the one i posted above and now all zeroes again.

Looks like ROM is damaged and or corrupted. I'm still trying to figure out what could it be.

you have checked:

- that you are configuring the programmer properly for your exact part number (chip)?
-voltages are correct/supported properly by the programmer
-that this programmer and the software for it is latest firmware/software if applicable
-that the programmer definitely supports your chip?
-tried a different programmer
-does the programmer have any logging capability?

you don't really mention many details of what you have tried and how.

Hello HaQue! Thanks for your reply, I apreciate it, really.

Most of your questions are answered by this:
I've got HDD1 (Not working) and HDD2 (Working). They are the same model.
So what I did was READ the ROM from the HDD2 and cloned it into a third PCB (+ROM) I ordered.
Then I put that into HDD2 and it worked flawlessly.

So ya, the Programmer is able to read and write ROMS.



BTW, Any good free Hex Editor you using, guys?

I wanna edit those readings and see if I can compose my rom.

https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/

HxD been using it for years. It is excellent and not bloated

How did you read the ROM?

- Linux or windows
- AsProgrammer or other
- what configuration, or what chip did software detect

- Windows.
- Tried Ch341A and AsProgrammer
- I choosen 25 SPI FLASH - NEXFLASH - NX25P40 and also WINBOND 25Q40BV

Thanks for the Hex Editor, it's really easy to use!

There are 3 adaptive sections -- CAP, RAP and SAP. These are vital. The rest of the data can be reconstructed from firmware dumps.

The ROM is divided into two halves, so you have two chances per dump.

The important offsets are 0x1B0C8 - 0x296FF and 0x5B0C8 - 0x696FF.

I have attached the CAP.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Fzabkar, is there any trouble if I try the rom I generated? I mean, can it damage my HDD? Or I can try and re-try till it works or I die trying?

What you said is very useful to me, bad thing is that I've no clue what CAP RAP SAP or whatever you said are, haha

Ya know what? I've been sitting on my computer for about 24 hours by now...

Edit: Hrmmmm you telling me I don't need to rewrite all 512KB? Coz I've got more than a half right now... With one half is all enough?

Thanks thanks, really thanks Fzabkar, you were the one I really wanted because I have seen you giving tips about ROM codes



BTW: I HOPE THERE IS NO MECHANIC FAILURE ON MY HDD........ How common is to have 2 problems on same HDD?

Since it is likely there was an overvoltage on the 5V supply line, there is a chance that the preamp is gone as well.
You can try to measure it if you are confident in such measurements, trace down the +5V and -5V supplies on the pcb, find the mating contacts on the preamp connector and measure them with a multimeter in diode mode against the chassis (GND) by connecting black(-) to the GND and red(+) to +5V and -5V first.
at +5 you should get a reading of about 1.500 or more, at -5V get a value of around 0.200.
then measure them with red and black leads reversed and you should get about the opposite values.
Reading of 0 or infinity values are signs of preamp damage.

A damaged preamp can damage the data on the surfaces beyond recovery, so don't connect a good pcb before ruling preamp out.

pepe

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Adatmentés - Data recovery

Thanks so much, pepe!

Still trying to figure out how to compose this ROM. I guessed I finished but I tried this new rom on the other HDD and it doesn't even spin so I think I messed up something... I'm copying thousand sof numbers from a lo tof diferent files...

Another theory I got now is that since ROM is probably corrupted it is giving me wrong numbers too

So far I got this:

can you post the rom you read out ?

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Adatmentés - Data recovery