I have a MAXTOR Plus 8.
Bios doesn't detect drive.
In PC3K drive is identified correctly as N40P.
I select the correct drive and load PCMX_PKR.
I have all modules (ROM and LDR) for this drive and load them successfully but right after I get "Roadmap loading error" and the "ERR" in the state register shows and ABRT shows at the error register.
When I go in standard mode I can't write modules because of the above error.
What would be the correct procedure from this point on in order to repair the firmware?

Maxtor N40P is not correctly. Correctly would be 6L040L0.

You need to put the drive into Safe mode first with jumpers - see manual for jumpers position.
Then load loader, enter the utility, test writing into SA, check modules and repair if you have any of them corrupted.

Hi Starling

Thanks for your reply!

I am still having troubles fixing the firmware:

1) I set the drive's jumper to SAFE MODE.

2) When I enter pcmx_pkr, my HDD identifies itself as Maxtor N40P NAR6159Z.
When I load the LDR + modules (successfully) I re-read the drive ID and the NAR6159Z changes to NAR61590.

3) I do a "SA write test" and I get the error: Error uploading adaptives! Displacement not calculated!

When I do a firmware reading - after ca. 1minute the menu returns to the "Select Mode" menu.

4) Defects:
P-list = SA defects Block 1 UBA $15F8
G-list = Size 0019 (RD:-,ID:-,Chksum:-)

5) I am currently running Firmware reading of all modules and that seems to take quite some time. By tomorrow I hope to have some more data.

Do you have similar experience and could suggest next proper actions to take?

I have the same problem thats driving me crazy even i check the modules it shows many modules error like DMCS , PLIST , GLIST when i rewrite it rewrites successfully then i chek again same error there are also errors in Module gruoups wht could be the problem rewriting it with good modules doesnot fix these kinds of drive .
What should i do ?

Alternate service area
The manufacturer uses the alternate service area (ALT-SA) in N40P, CALYPSO and SABRE drive families.
Still, not all the N40P drives have an alternative service area. For convenience, the utility at the start logs for supporting
models a message informing the user that "HDD has an alternate service area". The presence of an alternate SA can be
identified by the PN=95h module in the module table; if module 95h is present, the drive has no alternate SA. This rule
has exceptions in N40P family because a drive with an alternate SA can be used to start a loader created from another
drive without alternate SA. In that case the module table will contain a record of module 95h; however, an attempt to
read it will demonstrate that it is empty.
¡¡¡¡The alternate service area is used during drive manufacturing for creation of the main SA and hiding of its
defects; it contains the same collection of modules, but their content differs.
The alternative program version is NCRxxxx0 in N40P or YCRxxxx0 in Calypso family; its brief representation
is "Program C". The program from the main SA is called "Program A", respectively.
¡¡¡¡In a HDD with an alternate SA, drive boot ROM after motor start reads the modules containing program code
and the translator from the main SA checking their structure. If the structure turns out to be invalid of a module cannot
be read, then loading switches to the alternate SA (see Fig. 1). A drive in that case initializes on its own using the
alternate SA. It means that switching the drive back to operation with the main SA requires recovery of its translator
and program modules. The opportunity for recording the main SA from another drive to an alternate SA is not
thoroughly studied yet. We can only make assumptions about possible results. The program in the main SA is set up to
work with its physical location despite its launch from the alternate SA. Boot ROM will run the code of program A
from the alternate SA, but the data modules will still be read from the main SA. If you start a loader with program §¡,
then the main SA will be linked to the UBA space; if you start it with program C, then the alternate SA will be linked
instead. There is one more difference between the A and C programs: the overlays of program A are modified during
Self Test while the overlays of program C remain the same for an identical checksum.
Microprogram §³ is unable to run the translator of the user zone and its adaptive modules are not suitable for
reading that zone. As a result, such drive will not be visible in LBA.
In section 4.1 we introduced the notions of: «program 1» and «program 2». It is essential to understand the
difference between an alternate SA and program 2. It follows from the mechanism implemented in a drive for switching
between HDD start with program 1 or program 2 using the PN=95h module. However, in case of an alternate SA there
is no such switch. A drive switches in case of problems with the main SA.
Is there a way to switch between service areas on a functional drive? There are two methods for switching a
functional drive to the alternate SA:
1. Start an alternative loader created from the drive, when it initialized using its ALT-SA.
2. You can also switch a drive from the main to its alternate SA by enabling the «Write all module copies»
option in the «Utility status» dialog (Fig. 2), then modify a byte of the PN=18h module header in the module
viewing mode (Ctrl-Alt-2) and save the module.
In some drives the «program 2» in the alternate (4.1) SA contains program A in its state prior to modification by
Self Test; it has the same ROM version as the main one, which may be useful. To start a drive using that program:
• enable the ¡°safe mode¡± jumper
• start an alternative loader
• perform a «Restart using internal HDD SA», having selected «program 2».

Is the above posting a response to devplan or rameez??

... And HOWTO perform a «Restart using internal HDD SA», having selected «program 2??

Does anybody know the meaning of "Error uploading adaptives! Displacement not calculated!" and what is the PRACTICAL remedy for it??:!:

DevPlan,

If you still have a roadmap loading error in safe mode try with different loaders if its still giving you this error it means your head are gone. The a "Error uploading adaptives! Displacement not calculated!" mean that the adaptive code and firmware code doesn't match witch can also mean that the head are gone the good message would be "displacement: 0" mean it's able to write correctly.

The module you are able to view on the report are the one loaded in ram by the loader (it doesn<t mean anything).

Hope it help.

Regards

_________________
--
Francis Parent-Valiquette
http://www.tux-tech.ca/

Utility can't read adaptives from SA. Try other loaders.
If nothing helps then the head is probably bad.
I would also try hot swap before trying new heads.


Pirated PC3000?

To devplan

Which version of the pcm_pkr are u using is it cracked or with hardware ?
because in crack it shows this problem . are u working in safe mode or normal mode ?

and the above article from valy1965 is a protion of the mator manual of pc3k pci its for me there is nothing in isa for the above article .