I am curious as to where i can find some detailed information on the various test levels within the selfscan...
I want to see if i can invoke a particular test to possibly regenerate the P-List and Zero Fill..

any ideas as to which tests these are?

i.e. T>Txx
?

or maybe a rough idea of what part of the whole process is done at.. i.e. what age..

I have the log from E4e so i do know the sequence just not what each test does...

any help will be very helpful...

is their a document that maps out these tests?

Ir's proprietary info.

Anyway to zero fill the drive you don't need a specific test : MHDD should do the work, or if you want the drive do it for you autonomously you can use the security subsystem and ask for a "erase unit" using known and previously set user password.
About the other thing, again, it's better to understand how defect allocation (either hard and soft) work on these drives - do some experiments, trust me it's easy.

Ok, for the P-List I was able to reset it... but i am not sure how to regenerate it.. i found out how to map the system area... but that requires me to reload the app code... I want to basically move ALL bad sectors to the PList...


hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

If you were able to dump it you are half way
To move a bad sector to P-list : can you move ONE ? If YES you can move ALL.

I think i found the correct command to add to the plist a sector/track manually... but i was hoping for a more automated method...

will the MRT Test do what i am shooting for?
and will it kill my firmware? i am really avoiding this as i dont have the hardware or skills(yet) needed to reload app codes and such..

I don't want to have problems :S Anyway some things can be said :

1) COMPLETE selfscan test will KILL (DC ERASE TRACK) the SA so you have to manually reload the modules. Hope you have saved everything including flash... just in case.
2) If you are searching for an automated method, buy a PC3000 : click and go. Obviously, it does it for you but everything has a cost... you said you can dump the lists, I said you are half way.... because....
3) ...You can obtain a list of the "bad" blocks with many other programs (MHDD is the first that comes to mind), then write "something" to ask the drive to add defect... (it takes 10 minutes... why people are getting so lazy nowadays? GRRRR!!!! )
4) final hint : selfscan is not always a good idea because the drive, especially if naturally worn, can not survive it (electrical and mechanical stress applied to drive parts) or won't pass it so the drive is in unusable state and you have to revert all the things SS changed during the process.

When I have to refurbish drives, SS is the last resort and must be started AFTER checking the rest of FW, head state and so on. IF there are only some bads and the rest including SA, servo and so on is OK, you have to check where do bads come from (THE CAUSE) and then take the appropriate decision(s).

Good Information... Thanks BlackST...

I am not too lazy.. just not much of a programmer.

The data isnt important at all and i have TONS! of seagate drives to tinker with...

Right now I am running the built in MRT test which supposedly slips hard and soft errors. we will see how it does.. not sure how long it will take..

That's a good 1 BlackST. Let him do the manual part now, then next time he takes the shorter route when he becomes acustomed to the procedure