Seagate ST2000DM001-9YN164 Data Recovery

The client approached us with a Seagate ST2000DM001-9YN164 hard drive that had started making a distinctive clicking noise. This sound is often a harbinger of serious mechanical issues within the drive. The clicking noise typically indicates that the drive's read/write heads are unable to locate the data on the platters, a situation that can arise from various mechanical failures or firmware corruption.

Recognizing the urgency, as the client had crucial, irreplaceable photos stored on the drive, we immediately began our diagnostic process.

Diagnostic and Initial Assessment

Our first step was to perform a detailed assessment to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem. Upon inspection, it was clear that the read/write heads had failed, a common issue in the Seagate ST2000DM001-9YN164 model due to its high susceptibility to head crashes and mechanical wear over time.

The Recovery Process

1. Controlled Environment: The recovery process began in our ISO 5 Class 100 cleanroom to prevent any airborne particles from causing further damage during the repair.

2. Donor Parts: We sourced a compatible donor drive to replace the malfunctioning read/write heads. This step is critical as mismatched parts can result in permanent data loss.

3. Head Replacement: Our skilled technicians carefully transplanted the new read/write heads into the client’s drive. This delicate procedure requires precision and expertise to ensure no additional damage occurs to the drive’s platters.

4. Imaging the Drive: Once the heads were successfully replaced, we created a sector-by-sector image of the drive. This step is crucial because it allows us to work on the data without risking further mechanical failure.

5. Data Extraction: With the drive imaged, our team used specialized software to extract the photos. Given the severity of the initial failure, some sectors were difficult to read, but our advanced error recovery techniques enabled us to retrieve all the photos.

The Result: Successful Recovery

After meticulous work and attention to detail, we were able to recover 100% of the client's photos from the failing Seagate ST2000DM001-9YN164 drive. The client was ecstatic, having feared that years of memories captured in those photos might have been lost forever.

Data Recovery Case Log

15May24 - clicks and whisteling, spins down. MHA swap. Sounds ok but throwing errors in the terminal: LED 00000047 FAddr:FFFFFFE.Grenada.you do not need to techmode patch this drive. pcb# 100664987. 

Terminal Output:

Boot 0x40M
 Spin Up
 RECOV Servo Op=0100 Resp=0005
TCC-0018[0x000065B4][0x00006A20][0x00006E8C]
 Trans.

Rst 0x40M
 MC Internal LPC Process
 Spin Up
TCC-0018
 RECOV Servo Op=0900 Resp=0005
 RECOV Servo Op=0600 Resp=0005
 RECOV Servo Op=0055 Resp=0005
(P) SATA Reset

 MCMainPOR: Start: 
 Check MCMT Version: Current
 MCMainPOR: Non-Init Case
 MCMainPOR: EXCEPTION: MCMT PRI copy corrupt
 MCMainPOR:  MCMT SEC copy valid
Reconstruction: MCMT Reconstruction Start 
  Max number of MC segments 0A61
 Nonvolatile MCMT sequence number 000E8DA5
 [RSRS] 098A
Starting LBA of RW Request=000000000007B696  Length=00000747
ProcessRWError -Read-   at LBA 000000000007B9D2  Sense Code=43110081
InitiateMarkPendingReallocateRequest for disc_lba: 000000000007B9D2!

Reconstruction: Completed 1: 
[MCMTWS]
Rst 0x40M
 MC Internal LPC Process
 Spin Up
TCC-0018
 RECOV Servo Op=0900 Resp=0005
 RECOV Servo Op=0600 Resp=0005
 RECOV Servo Op=0055 Resp=0005
LED:00000047 FAddr:FFFFFFFE
LED:00000047 FAddr:FFFFFFFE
LED:00000047 FAddr:FFFFFFFE
LED:00000047 FAddr:FFFFFFFE

Tried to short pcb yellow and red channels, but almost no luck:

F3 T>
 RECOV Servo Op=0900 Resp=0005
 RECOV Servo Op=0600 Resp=0005
 RECOV Servo Op=0055 Resp=0005
(P) SATA Reset