Seagate Hard Drive Firmware issue

Steve · Jan 19, 2009, 19:25:08

I have 3 affected SD15 firmware drives on my desktop 2 in raid O non of the Seagate software could identify the raid drives however the intel matrix storage manager I use for the Raid O was able to identify the model No.s and firmware.

I wonder whether I may be able to update the raid O by using a linux live CD? obviously I'll have to "unraid" them in bios first,may be worth a shot and save a complete restore, not that's any hassle using the WHS

Edit: that wont work as its Windows or Mac based firmware update software.

Bart PE???

Steve · Jan 19, 2009, 20:42:53

As Ray said earlier what a farce,

This is one of the Seagate forum posts

"Well let me tell you my story.I have 5 500GB drives which have the affected SD15 firmware. Like many of you i got the crash during firmware udpate The Seagate has made an iso in which all important programs are hided inside the bootsector of the cdrom. THANKS VERY MUCH SEAGATE!! FOR MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT)

anyway, with a tiny program called bbie i was able to substract this bootsector and there are a few files you can see then

oneo of them is SD1AMOOS.zip. This zip contains the actual flash program called FDL462A exe and the firmware itself

I stripped everything because i thought there was a bad script made by seagate.

But the flash program FDL462A just simply crashes!

I read somewhere else that you can use the older FDL457 version. So i did.. And... it did flash the drive to the

new firmware. oh yes.. but now the pc does not reconizes the drive anymore! I flashed 5 pc's with it and

all drives are not recognized anymore. The seagate tool still sees the disk fortunately with the new firmware. but

they are not recognized by the system bios anymore...

called seagate and heard a tape they have a national holiday!! yeah right!

thanks a lot Seagate"

O'dear

Ray · Jan 19, 2009, 21:10:21

Quote from: stevethegas on Jan 19, 2009, 19:25:08
Edit: that wont work as its Windows or Mac based firmware update software. Bart PE???

The firmware update is DOS based, Steve, and runs from a CD and you are also supposed to disconnect any other drives except the one you are updating.

Steve · Jan 19, 2009, 22:39:44

Thanks Ray, I eventually I cottoned on after reading the Seagate forums posts, I suppose everybody will have to wait for a version which works.

Lance · Jan 19, 2009, 23:07:18

I bet you didn't expect all this when you posted about it Steve!

Ray · Jan 20, 2009, 09:15:47

Gets more bizarre they've removed the updated firmware from the site now.

Steve · Jan 20, 2009, 11:03:53

Quote from: Lance on Jan 19, 2009, 23:07:18
I bet you didn't expect all this when you posted about it Steve!

Well the PC with 3 "afflicted" drives has never given any trouble,it seems some of the firmware updates turns them into bricks so seems sensible to not panic and wait,its well backed up.

Ray · Jan 20, 2009, 11:23:02

Quote from: stevethegas on Jan 20, 2009, 11:03:53
Well the PC with 3 "afflicted" drives has never given any trouble,it seems some of the firmware updates turns them into bricks so seems sensible to not panic and wait,its well backed up.

I agree, Steve, I'm going to wait until they sort the mess out and issue a reliable fix, I'm tempted to get a Samsung Spinpoint 1Tb to go in my Home server though as 1 of the affected drives is still in there and one of the others in on it's way back to Seagate for replacement. I'm not too worried about the one in my main PC at least if the Server is reliable it's a simple job to restore the PC.

Steve · Jan 20, 2009, 18:03:28

Out of interest can you recall Ray whether the drive that "failed was on the list of affected firmwares?

Ray · Jan 20, 2009, 19:09:33

Quote from: stevethegas on Jan 20, 2009, 18:03:28
Out of interest can you recall Ray whether the drive that "failed was on the list of affected firmwares?

Yes I'm fairly sure it was, Steve, it was an ST3500320AS and the firmware was SD15.

Steve · Jan 21, 2009, 12:26:58

Nothing new here but a useful summary of the situation. I am glad I was at work when this blew up otherwise I'd have created some bricks myself that afternoon.

Ray · Jan 21, 2009, 12:41:20

Quote from: stevethegas on Jan 21, 2009, 12:26:58
Nothing new here but a useful summary of the situation. I am glad I was at work when this blew up otherwise I'd have created some bricks myself that afternoon.

Yes that's a bit puzzling, Steve, Because I ran the firmware download twice on one of my HDs and it just came up with an error both times claiming it couldn't find the right model disk, didn't harm the disk though, it still works ok.

Steve · Jan 21, 2009, 12:53:02

Sounds like it was a good job it didn't find the correct disk!

Ray · Jan 21, 2009, 12:58:51

Quote from: stevethegas on Jan 21, 2009, 12:53:02
Sounds like it was a good job it didn't find the correct disk!

It does indeed, Steve, lucky escape I think. $:-\$

Sebby · Jan 21, 2009, 19:39:33

You saved having to fix it again by not applying the fix.

Ray · Jan 22, 2009, 08:38:15

The new firmware is now on the Seagate site they've also added another disk to the list the ST3500620AS which means I've got another one to update now. Edit: Checked this one and my ST3500620AS hasn't got any of the affected firmwares.

Reading through the forums it seems to work but I'm not risking it yet.

Steve · Jan 22, 2009, 08:51:51

I was going to be gentlemanly and suggest you go first Ray

I do have one ST3500320As that not used for much, I think I will try that first if the forum comments are o.k at some stage,its seems o.k for the bricks but I am waiting for a few idiots like myself with perfectly functioning drives to try it.

Ray · Jan 22, 2009, 08:59:37

Quote from: stevethegas on Jan 22, 2009, 08:51:51
I was going to be gentlemanly and suggest you go first Ray

I do have one ST3500320As that not used for much, I think I will try that first if the forum comments are o.k at some stage,its seems o.k for the bricks but I am waiting for a few idiots like myself with perfectly functioning drives to try it.

Sensible, Steve, I was going to do the same and wait.

Steve · Jan 22, 2009, 09:15:45

I need somebody with a success with raid 0 , my gut feeling is it should be o.k if they're flashed separately one at a time with only one drive attached. Someone has posed the question on the forum I await a response. I just wish it wasn't in my nature to fiddle with things that are working perfectly o.k

Steve · Jan 22, 2009, 10:31:14

Temptation was too great for a born fiddler.

Just flashed 3x ST3500320AS SD15 firmware with the new updated fix. Glad to say it went flawlessly apart from a CHKDSK on rebuilding the RAID 0

Below is the result from Seatools on the non raid drive as the software will not identify the raid drives

Model: ST3500320AS, Serial: 9QM11RZM, Firmware: SD1A

Windows device manager for that drive IDE\DiskST3500320AS_____________________________SD1A____

Rik · Jan 22, 2009, 10:33:04

Were you sweating, Steve?

Steve · Jan 22, 2009, 10:36:43

I was worried when I did the first drive which I didn't mind losing for a while.I went to make a coffee whilst it was flashing and came back to a dead machine. It had completed the process and shut down.

Ray · Jan 22, 2009, 10:41:13

Glad to hear you were successful and all went well, Steve, I might pluck up courage and try one of mine now.

Rik · Jan 22, 2009, 10:46:01

Quote from: stevethegas on Jan 22, 2009, 10:36:43
I was worried when I did the first drive which I didn't mind losing for a while.I went to make a coffee whilst it was flashing and came back to a dead machine. It had completed the process and shut down.

It's at that point I usually start to panic.

Ray · Jan 22, 2009, 11:05:02

That's one of mine now successfully updated.