Local firm suggests Seagate fix

daveza

daveza

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http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/hardware/2009/0903201038.asp?O=FPTOP&S=Innovations&A=INV

Local firm suggests Seagate fix

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By Paul Vecchiatto Posted: 20th March 2009
Local company Computer Storage Services (CSS) has developed a non-invasive method of recovering data from failed Seagate hard drives, particularly the wonky Barracuda 7200.11 range that has a high failure rate.

International media reports since January have cited numerous examples of the Seagate products locking down without any ability to recover data.

Seagate has issued a firmware update, but if the drives have failed already, then it is impossible to install it. The international hard drive manufacturer has said it will not issue a general recall of the product because the failure rate is below its threshold to do so.

A major problem with the hard drive failures is that once the disk is inoperative, it is all but impossible to either load the firmware and continue normal operations, or recover data that organisations need. This means Seagate`s firmware upgrade has to be installed before the hard drive fails, which for many is too little and far too late.

The solution
CSS MD James Grcic says his company has developed a method that is non-invasive, meaning the drive does not have to be physically opened, allows it to start up again, gets the firmware loaded and then recovers the data.

The solution, which was developed with the help of a former Fujitsu engineer from the Philippines, requires an electrical pulse to be sent to the hard drives chipset, at a specific frequency, at a specific time during the start up phase. This unlocks the drive to allow the firmware update to be loaded and then the data is recovered.

“The solution was worked out this Monday and so far we have had a near 100% success rate,” Grcic says.

CSS customers include call centres, stock brokerages and other organisations that have to record telephone conversations and other media for regulatory purposes, to recover data.

“In some cases, there were three out of five drives in an array failing and we have had reports of up to 40% of drives in an installation going down,” he says.

Grcic notes his Johannesburg office has almost 1 000 locked down drives from customers awaiting data recovery. He believes this is the worst case of such failure for at least seven years.

“The last time I saw such a shambles was when there was mass failure with the Fujitsu 3.5-inch drives in 2002,” he says.

Market heavyweight
Seagate has about 60% of the South African hard drive market, with about 160 000 units being sold into the local market every quarter.

Its two biggest distributors are Rectron and Ingram Micro. Both companies say they have not seen any significant uptick in hard drive failures either being reported or returned for warranty replacements.

Rectron marketing director Sebastian Isaac says the return rate has been minimal. The affected drives appear to come from batches manufactured in the October/November period and very few of these were imported into the country, he explains.

Ingram Micro product manager Tyrone Gruner says about 1% of Seagate drives have some kind of problem and the recent failure rate with the 7200.11 range was not significant enough to issue a general recall.

“If the failure rate had reached 2%, then there would be a real problem,” he adds.
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And the cost is.... ?
 
I can support this! My 500GB Seagate gave in last Saturday. They are absolutely excellent! I went there on Wednesday and after 3 hours they sorted me out!

They are the company with the best service I've EVER seen, really really good! James himself assisted me.

If you guys have a dead Seagate drive (or any other business) go to these guys!

*edit* I paid R800 for the fix and data recovery. My drive was very unstable and the heads almost gave in , but they could revive it! I said I wanted a WD drive, so they copied everything (sector for sector) to the new drive. Total cost R 1500 incl. vat for the fix and the new hdd.
 
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I have read several articles regarding the 7200.11 bug and its all the drives manufactured in Thailand. So if you have a 7200.11 drive made in thailand better go online to Seagate and check out the serial number. Easy to patch firmware and looks like it resolves the issue [ for now ] .
 
Well, if you want to try that, you really need to know what you're doing. And I don't think that it's even guaranteed to work, but hey,you might as well give it a shot.

Still, if your HDD failed , or even if it didn't, I highly recommend doing business with these guys (CSS) ! They had a HDD sale on Friday where 1TB externals went for +/- R1000!

Anyhow, strongs for anyone who's struggling with this problem!
 
FuNkEr said:
Well, if you want to try that, you really need to know what you're doing.
Click to expand...
not really, a bit of soldering and a terminal program..that hardly even counts as difficult. but nowdays even deleting a cookie counts as advanced hacking, so i can understand people not wanting to help themselves.

And I don't think that it's even guaranteed to work, but hey,you might as well give it a shot.
Click to expand...
eerily similar, as per the article, neither is their fix guaranteed to work.

Still, if your HDD failed , or even if it didn't, I highly recommend doing business with these guys (CSS) ! They had a HDD sale on Friday where 1TB externals went for +/- R1000!
Click to expand...
thats a pretty good price. not bad at all everything considered.
 
werner said:
not really, a bit of soldering and a terminal program..that hardly even counts as difficult. but nowdays even deleting a cookie counts as advanced hacking, so i can understand people not wanting to help themselves.
Click to expand...

ROTFLMAO. So true though.

Real men know how to use soldering irons and hack stuff :D
 
jirm said:
I have read several articles regarding the 7200.11 bug and its all the drives manufactured in Thailand. So if you have a 7200.11 drive made in thailand better go online to Seagate and check out the serial number. Easy to patch firmware and looks like it resolves the issue [ for now ] .
Click to expand...

Ok, but what firmware is the "correct" firware for the drives? I got the ST3500320AS 7200.11 bought last month with the SD1A firmware. The iso you download from Seagate.com looks like it wants to update to the same SD1A firmware. Is this a newer revision of the firmware or the same? Don't want to flash it not needed :D
 
The faulty firmware is the SD15. The SD1A apparently is the correct firmware. But if you check you S/N on their website and it clears you, you will fine (I think) ;)
 
FuNkEr said:
The faulty firmware is the SD15. The SD1A apparently is the correct firmware. But if you check you S/N on their website and it clears you, you will fine (I think) ;)
Click to expand...

I have a 500GB with SD15 firmware, bought from Rectron. The Seagate serial number checker said I did not need the firmware update. I really hope I don't!
 
I had the 1 TB with the similar issue, sent it to CSS, after two weeks, without getting any feedback, I called them and then they told me that they going to have to open the drive up, and after much hesitation, I gave the go ahead, and guess what, no data and no warranty.
 
Well, maybe you were just unlucky. I went there, got the best service EVER, they sorted me out in 3 hours time. Was it at their JHB branch though?
Sorry to hear man, it's always a bummer when your data is lost :(
 
Claymore said:
I have a 500GB with SD15 firmware, bought from Rectron. The Seagate serial number checker said I did not need the firmware update. I really hope I don't!
Click to expand...


Well, it's also not ALL the SD15 firmware drives. Only the ones manufactured in Thailand between Oct. and Dec. 2008 (I think). But if the S/N checker clears you, you'll be fine (I think :) )
 
Beware, the s/n checker on the site is not accurate. My 500gig with SD15 firmware made in Thailand crashed. The checker on the site said my drive was not affected but I logged a support case with Seagate and they told me my drive is affected.

I don't know where to get that serial converter for that DIY procedure but I've read a CA-42 Nokia cable works as well. I see there is a CSS branch in Cape Town as well. I'll give them a ring tomorrow and get a quote.
 
Ya, I strongly recommend CSS. I went to their JHB branch, and they know what they're doing! Strongs man!
 
Funker, I phoned their Cape Town branch and they said it would be minimum R1800 ex vat to repair. I also told them about you who went to their Midrand branch and was charged only R800. The technician said I should give him the invoice number and he will then take it up with his manager and he wil see if he can help me at the same price. Can you be so kind and PM your invoice number if you still have it. thx
 
Penquin said:
Beware, the s/n checker on the site is not accurate. My 500gig with SD15 firmware made in Thailand crashed. The checker on the site said my drive was not affected but I logged a support case with Seagate and they told me my drive is affected.

I don't know where to get that serial converter for that DIY procedure but I've read a CA-42 Nokia cable works as well. I see there is a CSS branch in Cape Town as well. I'll give them a ring tomorrow and get a quote.
Click to expand...

What happened when you drive crashed?

Were you not able to access it at all?

Did it spin up?
 
It stills spins up, but it doesn't detect in the bios anymore. I've tried the DIY procedure this weekend but didn't get very far. I stripped one of the torx screws while trying to remove the pcb. Then I tried to drill it out but failed horribly as the drill bit broke. Sigh, back to the drawing board...
 
DAMN FARKING SEAGATE!!!

My 500GB 7200.11 just spins up and is no longer detected in BIOS. I checked the drive 3 months ago on their lying F@rking website and it stated mine was not affected!

Yeah, right!

Spins up then goes to sleep.
Will replace it they say... but kiss the data bye bye!

I HATE THEM SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! AAAAArrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh.
 
kilobitsperyear said:
DAMN FARKING SEAGATE!!!

My 500GB 7200.11 just spins up and is no longer detected in BIOS. I checked the drive 3 months ago on their lying F@rking website and it stated mine was not affected!

Yeah, right!

Spins up then goes to sleep.
Will replace it they say... but kiss the data bye bye!

I HATE THEM SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! AAAAArrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh.
Click to expand...

Damn... Think you need a chill pill. If the data was so important, from what I can see, them you should kept a backup. If you were in doubt for so long, you should have sent the thing in for an RMA three months ago...
 
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