Hi friends!

I’m new here. I know some thing of hardware and in the last days, I’m learning about the science of the HDDs. For this reason, I come to search the help of more experienced friends.

Before any thing, I would like to leave clearly that is very difficult to find material organized about HDDs. First because it exists much commercial interest (who works with this knows that the rendering of services if worry more in restoring given of what with the supervened one of the equipment - the profits are bigger…) on this. In according to place, each manufacturer adopts a different strategy in the manufacture of its equipment. For these reasons, I was made an impression with the amount of information that I found here.

My problem is the following one:

I bought a HDD, model WD800BB-00JHC0, S/N: WMAM9DN77812. It has some days, I had a problem of fall of energy in my house and some Chips of the logical board had simply fried.

I looked a specialized company and the same one answered me that only it obtained to recover my data, but for an incredible cost. I asked for that they substituted the logical board, substituting firmware of the new plate for the old one.

When binding the equipment, I observed that the engine and heads are functioning perfectly, however the HDD is recognized in the BIOS with other characteristics:

WD ROM MODEL-SABRE

I said identified, therefore it simply doesn’t go “up”. I tried to use diverse programs, in DOS and the Windows, but none of them gave hopes to me in the restoration of this HDD. In my experiments, also I used HDat 2 v 4.5.2 and I received the following messages:

FIRMWARE: CORRUPTED
SETMAX: HPA_IS_ACTIVE
DCO: FROZEN

For this reason, I believe that the problem with my HDD is firmware corrupted. On the basis of these information now I need to give a destination to the this HDD. One of the solutions would be to find identical a logical board it to the one my model, but for being about a relatively new model, this hypothesis is difficult and I would have to discard it.

I believe then that to rewrite firmware of the HDD it is the more adjusted solution. But as I must make this?

I would obtain to make this HDD to function as WD800BB again, or if it to function will be as SABRE?

I already read some thing about PC3000. I know that it is expensive and depends on the specific hardware for functioning, therefore is a short while remote hypothesis.

I found the WDC_WD800BB-00JHC0-05.01C05-WD-WMAM9JK24897.rar archive, that contains diverse data on HDDS of this family, however the S/N doesn’t confer with mine. This archive can help me? How?

I would like to know if somebody already had similar problem to mine, or if somebody can help, give to tips, also supplying indication of practical material reading and solution me of the problem.

I’m in Brazil and also I appreciate the help of countrymen.

Thanks.

With this drive you need to transfer the ROM from the patient burned PCB onto a good donor board.

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

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Hello PCIMAGE!

Thank you for your reply.

The ROM that you say is the chip of eight bolts of the logical board?

Yes, eight bolts

This chip already was substituted and the HDD came back to function for this reason, only that as SABRE.

Some idea?

Look for your original ROM. Without it it's impossible for you if you don't have PC3000 and a good database of ROMs.

Hi friends. I was in the company in these last days, and I recoup my original board. For what I can perceive, the ROM chip functioning as SABRE is the original. I don't know what I can make. Somebody can help me?

I have the same problem. Same drive. No burning of chips on this one. One day it id'd as a "sabre". Pc3000 shows all service modules ok, heads ok, service area no defects...Apparently should be a functioning drive. I transferred rom to an identical doner pcb. Still comes up as Sabre.

This is the second 00JHXX drive in 2 weeks with this problem. There must be some error in SA that is not showing in PC3000.

Anybody know what's going on here?

Thanks,
Gordon

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Thanks,
GB

do you hear a normal recalibration from the drive or a strange sound before the drive comes ready ?

Everthing appears normal. Spins up and id's as Sabre. Autodetects normally as Sabre (of course). I can then test all heads, modules and tracks - all good - One slight error SA track testing showed track -40 head 1 as bad. head 0 ok. Subsequent test showed all tracks good. Is PC3K missing something or am I? My last drive with the identical problem (3 weeks ago) I finally sent to Ontrack who recovered the data instantly!

No funny noises on startup.

Any suggestions?

Thx
Gordon

_________________
Thanks,
GB

Sounds very like not original ROM.

Does the calibration sound normal, or quieter than normal?

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

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

On comparison to an identical drive, there is a slight difference in startup sound. It is pretty subtle but the good drive seems to have 3 different phases ... spin up, head move then track seek. The patient has similar noise with a weaker third stage.

When you try to regenerate the translator you get the error message:

Translator regeneration
Regeneration method..................... : Use P-List only
Translator regeneration error - Device Error Detected: "VSCE PERM OVL NOT LOADED"


This is the error message seen as the drive id's itself:

Techno mode key
Techno mode key......................... : Ok

RAM:
Zone allocation table................... : HDDs RAM reading error - Device Error Detected: "VSCE PERM OVL NOT LOADED"
SA SPT.................................. : 533

Head number reading..................... : Ok
Heads number............................ : 2

ROM:
ROM reading............................. : Ok
ROM Data size........................... : 128 Kb
ROM version............................. : 08.8FC
ROM generation.......................... : 08.8FC
Link table version...................... : 01.B0.
Heads configuration..................... : by map
Heads number............................ : 2
Heads number in use..................... : 2
Switched off heads...................... : No
Head map................................ : 0,1

Service area:
SA dir reading.......................... : Ok (Copy 0)
Configuration reading................... : Ok
Master Password......................... : has not been set
User Password........................... : has not been set

Thanks
Gordon

_________________
Thanks,
GB

I'm sure this is the original ROM. Customer confirms that.

GB

_________________
Thanks,
GB

Below is the drive id listing. There are differences in the "logical cylider count" and "current logical parameters" between the bad drive and an identical good drive.

HDD parameters-BAD DRIVE

CONFIGURATION GENERAL INFORMATION:
ATA device
Fixed device and/or controller

Logical cylinders count..................................... 24071
Logical sectors per track................................... 63
Logical heads count......................................... 16
Model............................................. .......... WDC ROM MODEL--SABRE--
Serial number............................................ ... WDC-ROM SN# XYZ----
Firmware.......................................... .......... 05.01C05

Maximal block size for READ/WRITE MULTIPLE commands......... 16

Features
Stop Timer Value
IORDY............................................. Supported
LBA Mode.......................................... Supported
DMA Mode.......................................... Supported

Current Logical Parameters
Cylinders......................................... 24 071
Heads............................................. 16
Sectors........................................... 63
Capacity.......................................... 24 263 568 Sectors (11 847.4 Mb)
Capacity available in LBA Mode.................... 156 383 137 Sectors (76 359 Mb)
Capacity available in LBA 48 Mode................. 156 383 137 Sectors (76 359 Mb)

Available DMA Mode
Multiword DMA Mode 0
Multiword DMA Mode 1
Multiword DMA Mode 2
Active DMA Mode............................................. Multiword DMA Mode 2

Active UDMA/33 modes
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 0
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 1
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 2
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 3
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 4
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 5
Current UDMA/33 mode........................................ [none]

Current PIO mode
Supported Enhanced PIO Modes
PIO MODE 3
PIO MODE 4

Minimal multiword DMA cycle time............................ 120 ns
Recommended multiword DMA cycle time........................ 120 ns
Minimal multiword PIO cycle time w/o stream control......... 120 ns
Minimal multiword PIO cycle time with IORDY................. 120 ns

Supported standards
ATA - 3
ATA - 4
ATA - 5
ATA - 6

Supported Command Sets
S.M.A.R.T functions

Security system............................................ . Not supported
condition flags :
password set...................................... NO
HDD Locked........................................ NO
HDD Frozen........................................ NO
wrong password count exceeded..................... NO
security erase support............................ NO
security level.................................... HIGH
Master code.............................................. ... 0000

















HDD parameters- GOOD (DONER) DRIVE

CONFIGURATION GENERAL INFORMATION:
ATA device
Fixed device and/or controller

Logical cylinders count..................................... 16383
Logical sectors per track................................... 63
Logical heads count......................................... 16
Model............................................. .......... WDC WD800BB-00JHC0
Serial number............................................ ... WD-WMAM97734248
Firmware.......................................... .......... 05.01C05

Maximal block size for READ/WRITE MULTIPLE commands......... 16

Features
Stop Timer Value
IORDY............................................. Supported
LBA Mode.......................................... Supported
DMA Mode.......................................... Supported

Current Logical Parameters
Cylinders......................................... 16 383
Heads............................................. 16
Sectors........................................... 63
Capacity.......................................... 16 514 064 Sectors (8 063.5 Mb)
Capacity available in LBA Mode.................... 156 301 488 Sectors (76 319.1 Mb)
Capacity available in LBA 48 Mode................. 156 301 488 Sectors (76 319.1 Mb)

Available DMA Mode
Multiword DMA Mode 0
Multiword DMA Mode 1
Multiword DMA Mode 2
Active DMA Mode............................................. Multiword DMA Mode 2

Active UDMA/33 modes
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 0
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 1
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 2
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 3
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 4
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 5
Current UDMA/33 mode........................................ [none]

Current PIO mode
Supported Enhanced PIO Modes
PIO MODE 3
PIO MODE 4

Minimal multiword DMA cycle time............................ 120 ns
Recommended multiword DMA cycle time........................ 120 ns
Minimal multiword PIO cycle time w/o stream control......... 120 ns
Minimal multiword PIO cycle time with IORDY................. 120 ns

Supported standards
ATA - 3
ATA - 4
ATA - 5
ATA - 6

Supported Command Sets
S.M.A.R.T functions
Security control

Security system............................................ . Supported
condition flags :
password set...................................... NO
HDD Locked........................................ NO
HDD Frozen........................................ NO
wrong password count exceeded..................... NO
security erase support............................ NO
security level.................................... HIGH
Master code.............................................. ... FFFE

GB
__________________

_________________
Thanks,
GB