Basic principles of operation
 |
|
Click on the thumbnail to see full sized picture
|
The PC-3000 software package is a menu-driven set of utilities where every available HDD operation is presented as a menu item, resulting either in some specific actions or acquiring some status information. Primary HDD diagnostics are completed by using the universal utility "PC-3000 ??". Diagnostic results are displayed on the screen and can either be saved as a file or printed. The recovery procedure itself is performed by using utilities that are specific to each HDD family. The entire recovery/repair process can be divided into the following optional steps:
- HDD controller board & interface diagnostics;
- Flash memory / NV-RAM firmware review/reload;
- Forced HDD boot up procedure by using an external loader from PC (in cases where the HDD cannot boot up by itself);
- Disk system area (maintenance track) read/write test;
- Disk system area (maintenance track) firmware modules integrity test;
- Fixing/reloading damaged firmware modules (RAM or disk);
- G-List & P-List defects tables and S.M.A.R.T. attributes review/clear;
- Replacement of defective sectors or tracks by assign, reallocation or skipping defects;
- Restoration/editing of the disk ID module (disk logical parameters, model, S/N, etc.);
- Servo test and concealment of tracks with damaged servos;
- Translator regeneration (Physical Head/Cylinder/Sector into LBA translation recovery);
- HDD reconfiguration by skipping defective areas of disk surface or turning off defective heads;
- Low-level formatting;
- Media scan - search for defective sectors and their concealment by assign, reallocation or skipping defects. The concealment is achieved by using the drive's reserved area which is specifically assigned for this purpose.
- Security sub-system operations.
- Launch and monitoring of the HDD self-test procedure;
- and more.
Universal utilities allow quite fast HDD diagnostics facilitating a decision about possible methods for its subsequent recovery. The utilities support operations with ANY 3.5" or 2.5" HDD that complies with the ATA-3 to ATA-7 specifications.
Specialized utilities allow diagnostics and firmware recovery in specialized vendor specific mode of hard drive operation by accessing firmware on PCB and HDD's system area (maintanance track). That mode cannot be universal; it is unique for each drive family. That is why the complex includes individual vendor specific utilities for each HDD family. Specialized utilities allow deeper diagnostics of drive malfunctions and subsequent recovery of its functionality. Alternatively, if a HDD cannot be repaired, these utilities in some cases provide an opportunity to access user data.
The complex includes a kit of specialized connectors and adapters for working with the HDD in vendor specific mode.
Adapter PC-USB-TERMINAL is intended for accessing Seagate, Toshiba, Hitachi, Samsung HDDs in vendor specific mode through USB socket of host PC.
Adapters PC-SEAGATE, PC-SEAG.SATA – support
Seagate ATA and SATA HDDs through adapter PC-USB-TERMINAL.
The complex also includes a database of HDD firmware resources: contents of HDD FLASH ROM, system area modules and tracks, etc. All the resources are grouped by families, models, and firmware versions. You can search for them throughout the database and add new objects from latest HDD models.
 |
|
Click on the thumbnail to see full sized picture
|
Which problems can be solved using PC-3000 for Windows?
Someone may face minor drive malfunctions, such as BIOS inability to identify HDD parameters or impossibility to view partitions containing user data; others may experience difficulties with corrupted modules in HDD system area or damaged subsystem of LBA translation into PCHS.
We often receive a question: "Will PC-3000 help if a HDD makes clicking sounds?" The question has no simple answer without preliminary analysis of malfunction causes, which result in the clicking sound. Therefore the answer may be both YES or NO depending upon the situation. However, let us consider some guidelines…
The features provided by PC-3000 for Windows can be conventionally subdivided into two parts according to their purpose:
- HDD repair;
- Recovery of user data.
Please note that very frequently the second goal cannot be reached without the first one. That is why PC-3000 includes tools for both those purposes and it is up to users to decide which modes of complex functionality may be necessary in a specific situation.
We shall not go into detail analyzing possible HDD malfunctions (such analysis may take several pages) discussing instead just the features of PC-3000 complex applicable for detection of malfunctions and restoration of HDD functionality:
PCB:
Scanning of firmware microcode in ROM; verification of configuration data in ROM; verification of firmware version in ROM; buffer RAM test; execution of HDD self-diagnostics.
Reading and recording of flash ROM containing firmware microcode and configuration data. The flash ROM image file can be copied from the resource database of PC-3000 complex.
SA:
Testing of system area for bad sectors; scanning of SA modules to detect possible corrupted areas.
Reformatting of system area; restoration of damaged SA modules or their overwriting with standard reference data from the resource database of PC-3000.
User Data (LBAs):
Surface testing and detection of bad sectors; executing the internal low-level Format procedure.
Relocation of revealed surface defects updating the HDD's defect tables; executing the Selfscan procedure.
Heads:
Head testing (for some drive families only).
Isolation of malfunctioning heads (HDD capacity decreases in such cases but the drive may become fully functional).
Universal:
Resetting SMART parameters of a HDD.
Ccorrecting drive ID.
Unlocking USER and MASTER passwords.
Wiping user data.
New function implemented for use with Data Extractor:
Functionality to read user data from a HDD, which cannot operate in accordance with its logical parameters (LBA). The reading routine in that case uses physical parameters (PCHS) taking into account actual drive translation tables or, if they are damaged, their virtually reconstructed copies.
Main differences between PC-3000 ISA (DOS) and PC-3000 for Windows
 |
|
Click on the thumbnail to see full sized picture
|
One basic difference is in the PC-3000 tester board:
DOS version uses PC-3000 PRO board for ISA bus while Windows version is working with PC-3000 PCI board.
PC-3000 ISA (DOS) complex allows operations with a single connected drive. PC-3000 for Windows (together with the PC-3000 PCI board) allows simultaneous work with two HDDs.
DOS version functions in LCHS or LBA28 mode and the capacity of HDDs it can test is limited to 120 GB. PC-3000 for Windows, on the contrary, supports LBA28 and LBA48 and it can test hard drives greater than 120 GB, but it does not work with HDDs in the LCHS mode. Therefore the lists of specialized utilities used for HDD support in those two versions are different.
Furthermore, software core of PC-3000 ISA (DOS) was built in 1993 on the basis of graphical environment available in DOS and designed for 640 Kb of RAM. Contemporary tasks, such as operations with HDD firmware images, fast search of HDD resources in database require completely different tools, that is why all those requirements were taken into account during development of software core in PC-3000 for Windows.
Why do you use PC-3000?
 |
|
Click on the thumbnail to see full sized picture
|
What else could we use? HDD manufacturers do not offer specialized software for HDD repair or data recovery. All known software products distributed by HDD manufacturers (available from the technical support sections of their respective web sites) allow just general drive diagnostics, and surface testing for bad sectors. These utilities do not repair the drive and do not care about user data.
Testing and repairing software used at the manufacturing factories is generally very complex. It is designed for hard drive developers and not intended for HDD restoration being able instead to identify the causes of defects in the technological process or to control the whole HDD assembly cycle.
owever, versions of such software with limited functionality are sometimes available from HDD resellers. Here belong such well-known programs as DDD/DFT of IBM and Vtool for Samsung drives. The main problem of work with such software is not its complexity but rather lack of accompanying manuals and methods for HDD restoration, absence of resources (HDD ROM contents, various loaders, burn tests and scan test files). All those aspects make its purchase useless.
There is also free software, e. g. MHDD, LHDD, etc. It is available from the Internet and it can be downloaded at no charge. Being free is its only advantage, but there is a serious drawback, too. Developers of such software design it just for personal pleasure when they have time for it. Thus we cannot speak about technical support, scheduled releases of new versions or any serious research in the sphere of HDD repair and data recovery.
 |
|
Click on the thumbnail to see full sized picture
|
Can users add new custom modes on their own?
Yes, if the user is quite proficient and familiar with programming basics! PC-3000 complex for Windows has a built-in script machine, which allows independent extension of utility features. Of course, the task may be daunting for newbies, but after some experience someone who has mastered the complex perfectly may attempt to enhance its functionality. Open interface of the PC-3000 for Windows provides a wide range of opportunities for that purpose. Besides, users of PC-3000 for Windows can exchange the resources and ready scripts for new vendor specific modes.
Does PC-3000 for Windows support 2.5" HDDs?
Yes, the package of PC-3000 for Windows includes a special PC-2" adapter for connection of 2.5" HDDs to the PC-3000 PCI board. The software portion of the complex includes specialized utilities for 2.5" drives manufactured by Hitachi, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Seagate. On-going development of specialized utilities for IBM and Samsung 2.5" HDDs is under way.
Examples of application
Case 1.
A Western Digital WD1200PB-00FBA0 drive cannot be identified in computer BIOS, we need to recover user data.
In the first place it is necessary to power-up the HDD and listen carefully to check whether the spindle motor spins up and the drive produces recalibration sounds (PC-3000 is not necessary during that stage). If the spindle motor spins up, check the settings of configuration jumpers, they should set the drive to be Master Only (in WD drives the mode is on when all jumpers are disabled), then you can connect the drive to the PC-3000 PCI tester board.
That can be accomplished using a flat IDE cable connected to port 0 or 1 and a power cable. Then it is time to run the software (PC-3000 for Windows), power-up the HDD and launch the PC-3000 universal utility.
If the universal utility is unable to read ID from that HDD and reports error 04h (ABRT), then you should launch a specialized utility for Western Digital HDDs. It will switch the drive to factory mode and attempt to read firmware header in ROM and the configuration sector in service area on disk.
If the utility succeeds and outputs drive information to a report on display, then it starts service area structure test taking several minutes. Then the test results will be displayed. They will likely inform about damaged firmware modules 20h, 21h and 25h. The cause of HDD malfunction becomes evident. Using the "service modules" wizard one can tell that the modules belong to translator; modules 20h and 25h at that will be able to recover without assistance when the "regenerate translator" procedure is performed, but module 21h has to be overwritten. To do so, you will have to select from the database of the PC-3000 complex for Windows module 21h, having specified model WD1200PB-00FBA0 and firmware version 15.05R15 as search criteria. Use the list of suggestions to pick any module 21h and select the "write to drive" option. Then you will have to select the "regenerate translator" option and the default menu item; the program will also display the "recommended for data recovery" tip. Then switch the drive's power supply off and on again to make it initialize itself with new parameters and ensure than the drive is functional and user data can be accessed. Now you can connect that HDD to a computer normally and copy necessary data from it.
Case 2.
A Fujitsu MHS2020AT is identified normally in computer BIOS, but during the startup procedure you receive a message about HDD malfunction. We need to recover user data from it.
To connect that 2.5" HDD to the PC-3000 complex for Windows, you will have to use the PC-2" adapter included into the package. Then power-up the HDD and listen carefully to check whether the spindle motor spins up and the drive produces recalibration sounds (PC-3000 is not necessary during that stage). If the spindle motor spins up, then you can connect the drive to the PC-3000 PCI tester board and launch the PC-3000 universal utility. At the start the latter will attempt to read identification parameters of the HDD and display the information in its report. In that case the utility would read drive description, but it would also output the following message: "WARNING! Security locked drive". The cause of HDD "malfunction" becomes evident.
You may not know the password defined for that HDD, so you should start a specialized utility for 2.5" Fujitsu drives. Then select the "Security disable password" mode from the "Security subsystem" menu of the utility. The operation will take only a couple of seconds and the password will be disabled. Then switch the drive's power supply off and on again to make it initialize itself with new parameters. Make sure than the drive is functional and user data can be accessed. Now you can connect that HDD to a computer normally and copy necessary data from it.
|
© 2015 Unissense. All Rights Reserved.
