Seagate ST6000DM003 Barracuda Compute Data Recovery

In the world of data storage, Seagate is a name that's synonymous with reliability and high-capacity drives. However, no matter how robust a hard drive may be, accidents can happen, and data can become inaccessible. This is precisely the situation one Seagate ST6000DM003 Barracuda Compute drive found itself in when it was accidentally dropped, causing it to emit a dreaded clicking sound. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending, thanks to the expertise of Zero Alpha Data Recovery, who not only replaced the master head assembly but also successfully recovered valuable photos from the drive.

The Seagate ST6000DM003 Barracuda Compute Drive

The Seagate ST6000DM003 Barracuda Compute is part of Seagate's popular Barracuda series, known for its high capacity and performance. With a massive 6TB of storage space, it's often used for storing large amounts of data, including photos, videos, and important documents. Despite its reputation for durability, it's not impervious to physical damage, especially when subjected to accidental drops or shocks.

The Click of Despair

ST6000DM003 seagate data recovery

When a hard drive starts making a clicking noise, it's often a sign of a serious problem. In this case, the Seagate Barracuda drive began emitting this ominous sound after being dropped. Clicking noises typically indicate that the drive's read/write heads are malfunctioning or stuck. This can be caused by physical damage to the heads or platters, making data recovery a daunting task.

The Role of Zero Alpha Data Recovery

Zero Alpha Data Recovery is a professional data recovery service with a reputation for rescuing data from seemingly hopeless situations. When the owner of the damaged Seagate ST6000DM003 Barracuda Compute drive approached them, they knew they had a challenging task ahead.

The Recovery Process

Initial Assessment: The first step was a thorough assessment of the drive's condition. It was confirmed that the clicking noise was due to a damaged head assembly.
Master Head Assembly Replacement: In this case, the master head assembly needed to be replaced. This is a delicate and precise operation that requires expertise and specialized tools. The damaged head assembly was carefully removed and replaced with a working one to ensure that the drive could read data again.
Platter Inspection: After replacing the head assembly, the platters were inspected for any damage. Fortunately, they were in good condition, which increased the chances of a successful recovery.
Data Extraction: With the new head assembly in place and the platters intact, the data recovery process began. Zero Alpha Data Recovery used advanced software tools and techniques to extract the photos and other valuable data from the drive.
Quality Assurance: Once the data was successfully extracted, it was meticulously checked to ensure its integrity and completeness.

The Happy Ending

The story of this Seagate ST6000DM003 Barracuda Compute drive had a happy ending. Thanks to the skill and expertise of Zero Alpha Data Recovery, the photos and memories stored on the drive were safely recovered. The owner was overjoyed to have their precious data back, demonstrating the importance of professional data recovery services in such situations.

Conclusion

Accidents can happen to even the most reliable hard drives, and when data becomes inaccessible due to physical damage, it can be a heart-wrenching experience. The Seagate ST6000DM003 Barracuda Compute drive's journey from being dropped and clicking to a successful data recovery serves as a testament to the skill and dedication of data recovery professionals like Zero Alpha Data Recovery. It also emphasizes the importance of regular data backups to prevent such incidents from becoming data disasters.

Data Recovery Case Log

25Oct23: Clicking. MHA Swap. 9B,V11. No FW access. Full data access. Recovered some data. Techmode patch. Built Heads map. MRB. Heads 1,3,5,6,7 were weak.

27Oct23: Drive performs significantly better after altering the HDD ID config:

Terminal output:

Boot 0x0100MAF11300001
SpinUp
RECOV Servo Op=0100 Resp=0005
ResponseFrame 19C0 0000 0000 2F40 0000 0000 0000 0000 115B 0000 CE00 0000 CE00 0000 0000 0000 0000 0DA6 0005 4957 0005 F28C 0008 0001 0000 1459 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0004
TCC:0022

RECOV Servo Op=0195 Resp=0005[LBA=0x000271C8]N
RECOV Servo Op=0095 Resp=0005[LBA=0x000013A1]N
Trans
Tech Unlock Handshake: 0x0CC64857
Reply:
Rst 0x0100MAF11300001
(P) SATA Reset

NVCScram Saved HB Size:020A
LD: MD_Alloc:00000090 HB_Alloc:0000 MD_Alloc:80380000 HB_Alloc:8032 FlashRestorePowerDevReg 7E: 7001 PowerDevReg 7D: 0044 MD_Saved:00000090 HB_Saved:00000000 MD_CRC:5A8D
PP: MD_Alloc:00016800 HB_Alloc:0000 FlashRestore
PVTSize: 00082188 CompSize: 00001068 DeCompSize: 00082188 MD_Saved:00001068 HB_Saved:00000000 MD_CRC:CE10
MC: MD_Alloc:00003000 HB_Alloc:0000 FlashRestore
DataLength: 00000310 MD_Saved:00000310 HB_Saved:00000000 MD_CRC:4C0E DataLength: 00001068
RECOV Servo Op=01A5 Resp=0005
DSP0163
2Sync:0 4
NECS: CorruptedSectorsRecon - Head:00002D14 Tail:00002D14
LastWrittenDiscLBA : FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
MCMainPOR: MediaCacheDiscStateFlags 0000002A MCStateFlags 00405141
RECOV Servo Op=00A5 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=01A5 Resp=0005
6Gb Max Speed lowered to 3Gb for Intel bug
Send Status: COMRESET seen
FIS34
RECOV Servo Op=00A5 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=01A5 Resp=0005
ENP0163
2Sync:1 C
RECOV Servo Op=00A5 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=01A5 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=0095 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=01A5 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=00A5 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=0195 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=0295 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=0395 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=0495 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=0595 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=0695 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=01A5 Resp=0005
RECOV Servo Op=00A5 Resp=0005IDLE1IDLE1

22Apr24: ST6000DM003 SN: WCT3DTBB. Customer opened drive himself. Bad heads.

After MHA swap:

Terminal Output:

Boot 0x0100MAF11250001
SpinUp
FAIL Servo Op=0100 Resp=0007
0100 9000 0000 0001 0000 9000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
ResponseFrame 1580 0000 0000 44C0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0D25 0000 CE00 0000 CE00 0000 0000 0130 4AF0 FFFF 2000 0002 0000 0203 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0020 2247 001A 0009 0004 Loop=2247
0300 9000 0000 0001 0000 9000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0F00 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0501 0016 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0001 DFFE 0000 0010 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000

FAIL Servo Op=0400 Resp=0003
0400 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
ResponseFrame DDB8 0010 0001 FFFD 0000 D434 013D FF82 0000 0001 8D68 0000 CE00 0000 0000 0130 4AF0 FFFF 2000 0002 0000 FFFF 0000 0007 000A 0000 0001 0000 0000 0032 001B 0000 0007
0300 9000 0000 0001 0000 9000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0F00 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0001 4342 0000 0011 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0201 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000Bad Head ITA:07

FindBadHeads 00F8