Weird HDD fault - data recovery

[DoOm86]

Hello, today I worked on something weird.
Hard disk segate barracuda 3tb 3,5'' shows just around 4gb partition (no allocated and not working).
Tried on Linux besides windows as an external hard drive and it's the same result. With disk manager or other software the same.
Programs to test the HD often don't start or show bad status (included the segate test).
Somewhere online it says it can happen due a corrupt firmware of the hdd (and segate has no firmware for this HD).
Client is asking for data. At the moment I have don't have a same board to tried a chip/board swap.
Suggestions?

[stormanimal83]

Re: Weird HDD fault - data recovery

customer has to be thankful this is not an hardware or even software encryptet SSD. there would be not a chance then...
please do not change something like partitions partition table or do alike changes by any partiton managing software! not even in windows disk utility...

if data is important and u are sure the fault has got something to do with firmware u can buy same drive in used condition and try to measure for a fault on the board...

its very important to not change anything. i u already tried data ist lost and there is no chance...
in case its something wrong with the partition table there is good (no freeware) software to buy for it. i used something in the past it recovered all the files but i cant remeber the name...

[DoOm86]

Re: Weird HDD fault - data recovery

Yeah I think the only thing to try is the swap of the pcb, but I'm not convinced at all the board could be the problem since the HD has been recognized and I didn't find any problem on it (at least no shorts and the main components besides the chips are fine)

[CapLeaker]

Re: Weird HDD fault - data recovery

I don’t think a PCB swap would work here either. I guess all you can do is to ask Seagate what your options are.

[stormanimal83]

Re: Weird HDD fault - data recovery

I don’t think a PCB swap would work here either. I guess all you can do is to ask Seagate what your options are.

a complete swap wouldt work i think so too... because the partiton table isnt stored on hard disk itself... trhe newer the drive is the harder it is to repair. i got a toshiba 16 TB drive here bought for cheap from ebay (no spin)... the mainboard is paired to the mechanical part as there is another board inside. there are even two bios chips on the mainboard.... i´m waiting for solutions as its not that old yet.... i think in future there could be solutions for this....

in your case it should´nt be that hard...

[DoOm86]

Re: Weird HDD fault - data recovery

Since the client didn't give me much time to work on it and honestly I tried everything I could but being sure to not make things worse, i gave the customers the price for the HD to be sent to a company I work with for data recovery where they can open up the faulty HD. I'll update you all with the diagnostic if the client will accept the job.
For segate, I try to talk with them but they regardless few useless advice and the basic stuff to try, they could not help me to understand the fault better even though they assure me that HD has no "well known" problem. On internet I found others having the exact same fault on the exact same HD, but no one seems to know precisely the cause, unfortunately.