I have a WD 500 GB Harddisc .. two weeks ago this harddisc has become very slow .. Then I discovered that it's shift from UDMA mode to PIO mode and I tried to return it but i couldn't , now I can't even see the harddisc in windows but it shows in boot but it take a while to show in the boot ..

Then I tested the harddisc by WD lifegurad it's showed me 'Servo/Seek Element Failure'..

I don't know what's the exact problem!! is it from head read/write or the board ??

yesterday , i test my hard drive in friend's computer it's work and i saw it in Windows but it was very slow but i can see the files and after one minute it's gone !!
if i go to "My Computer" i can't see it anymore !!


please , help me

Hi,

your drive is probably having one or more of the following problems:
-bad sectors,
-weak/damaged head,
-firmware problem.

For the proper diagnosis I would advise to see a doctor, that is take it to a pro. This is the most wise and safe thing u can do.
Without basic knowledge u may end up with an unrecoverable drive easily.

However if u want to experiment with it, U can always plug the drive into MHDD and make some basic diagnostics.
But u will have to know what to check and how...

good luck,
pepe

_________________
Adatmentés - Data recovery

i think it's firmware corruption ...

how can i fix it ?

if it's the firmware issues and if you don't know how to fix it right now, take it to a pro near you. You have to have the hardware+software solution.

If your data is important, take it to a pro while the drive is functioning some what... Longer you wait, more expensive it may become.

And how exactly did you come to this conclusion?

I bet it's because it "sounds" like something easy you can fix for free yourself, well you can't, sorry.

If you don't value your data enough to warrant taking to a pro (which at this stage shouldn't be expensive), then I suggest (at entirely YOUR RISK) imaging the drive with non-windows based software (such as Media Tools Pro, CopyR or dd_rescue) to a known good drive. Then use regular data recovery software to extract the data from the image.

DO NOT, repeat DO NOT attempt running any software directly on the failing drive as it WILL fail, it won't miraculously get better by fiddling with it.

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

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

I have contacted more than four companies .. They all say that the problem is either firmware corruption or bootsector problem ..

i don't have any pros in my country ..

just i want to ask if i change the board with another one with the same version then it will work or not !!

If there is a probability of success of up to 50% ,, I will do it ..

I hope if you can help me if there are any useful software ,i can use it ....

Firstly the firmware is not on the PCB, it's on the platters in the Service Area.

Secondly you can't just "change the board" there's specific ROM info on the PCB.

Thirdly, it still doesn't sound like a firmware problem to me. Much more like bad sectors or weak head(s)

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

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

i am having some cases off this like weak heads.

_________________
ZeBong
" что случилось в России - останется в России "
" Россия еще раз"

today , i use "NTFS 4 DOS" program that came with "Hiren's BootCD 9.9" and i see the partitions and the files but i can't write in the harddisc ..
it's confusing !!

NTFS4DOS provides READ ONLY access to the file system.
Anyway, why would u write onto the damaged drive?

_________________
Adatmentés - Data recovery

Get a pro help.

_________________
www.datarecoveryne.com

i don't want to write .. but i try and it's failed !!

today, the program sometimes show the files , and sometimes doesn't!!

In case you didn't hear the first time...

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

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

now , i can access the drive throw dos .. and i can copy the files from the second partition ...
but the first partition i can see the folders but the main folders only .. and i can't copy anything from the partition !!

how this is come ??!!

if we said it's weak head then how the harddisc read the boot sector and the partition table and the names of the folders !!

i try using some program to fix the bad sector but they can't access the first partition !!

and if it's a weak head .. how much it will cost me if i send it to fix in US or UK ?!

Somewhere around $1200-$4000.00

_________________
www.datarecoveryne.com

So which companies did u contact, and they all came to the same conclusion even though they r not pros.
How about contacting this guy Ahmed_Samy across the Dead Sea he might be able to help U.
He is a member of this forum and has the services u need- cleanroom, expertise .....

i email the comapnies that WD support gives me ..

I have sent a private message to him and I am waiting for reply ...