Heads do not calibrate

romulluss · 01-25-2009, 06:51 AM

Hello to everyone :)

I would like to ask, what can be done to a hard drive, which spins, motor seems to be OK as well, but heads do not calibrate?
Does anyone know how to fix it?

Thank you.

**raptor_pa** · 01-25-2009, 08:00 AM

There are multiple causes for these errors. What is the make and model of the drive first of all - might help to pin down more specific causes based on known issues for that model. Probably causes are SA area of the drive is corrupted or damaged. Head stack is damaged, preamp has failed, firmware corruption, PCB failure. The last two are the least likely unfortunately. The good news is all are fixable, the bad news is, they are not fixable by the end user. These issues are not something that can be addressed by software on a PC, they all require physical repair in a clean room, or special hardware/software combos to repair ( quite expensive tools ). I assume you are hearing the heads clicking a they try to init at start up? What is known as the click of death?

romulluss · 01-25-2009, 08:46 AM

Thank you for your reply.

The model is Maxtor 200GB, was used as external HDD for data.
Drive spins OK, heads are trying to calibrate once, but after a while I guess, they are going back to parking area, and there is no other movement.

There is no heads stack issue.
PCB seems to be ok as well.
There is no clicking noise. Heads are calibrating once, and then nothing. I can hear motor only, which is OK too.

Do you think moving platters into a new case would help?

I am a data recovery technician, have also access to clean room, so that's not an issue. It is a first time, when I am not sure of what to do / fix to get data off.

Martin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by raptor_pa

There are multiple causes for these errors. What is the make and model of the drive first of all - might help to pin down more specific causes based on known issues for that model. Probably causes are SA area of the drive is corrupted or damaged. Head stack is damaged, preamp has failed, firmware corruption, PCB failure. The last two are the least likely unfortunately. The good news is all are fixable, the bad news is, they are not fixable by the end user. These issues are not something that can be addressed by software on a PC, they all require physical repair in a clean room, or special hardware/software combos to repair ( quite expensive tools ). I assume you are hearing the heads clicking a they try to init at start up? What is known as the click of death?

**raptor_pa** · 01-25-2009, 09:03 AM

If you have access to a PC3k or Salvation Disk Doctor I would check the SA modules for corruption. How can you be sure there is not a head stack issue? If the heads are calibrating, then they should not return to the parking area. I suppose it could also be a slight bend in the spindle throwing the servo reads out, but I still think there is an issue with reading the SA.

romulluss · 01-25-2009, 12:57 PM

It can't be heads stack, because I opened the drive in a clean room.
There is no scratch as well.
So really cannot tell what's wrong, and how to fixe it :(

**raptor_pa** · 01-25-2009, 01:42 PM

It could still be the preamp or a loder out of alignment, doesn't have to have a scratch or even contact the surface. Do you have access to a PC3K to check the preamp?, or could be a scratch on track 0 which you wouldn't be able to see from the underside. I've done lot's of head swaps that had no visible platter damage - PCB could also be an issue could be firmware. Again, in probably more than half the drives I've done head swaps in, there was no visible sign of head failure, even when viewed through a loupe

romulluss · 01-25-2009, 04:45 PM

Yes, I do have access to PC3k. Will try this, but also I will try to change heads.. .

PCB is OK.. I've already tried at least 12 different PCBs and same result, so I reckon it's not PCB.

Thank you.

**raptor_pa** · 01-25-2009, 05:28 PM

What model of Maxtor? The Yars all use a standard PCB, but other models have drive adaptives on teh chip as well as the SA - if you have access to a PC3K I would see what the SA modules look like, and copy the firmware rom so you can load it to another board, just in case. Sounding a lot like the preamp, PC3K I thought would show condition of preamp?

**blah789** · 01-26-2009, 06:29 PM

I wish I could do your line of work! You guys are lucky. I live by Ontrack (about 5 miles from Reston) and I applied 3 times but they never answered

01-25-2009, 06:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
romulluss Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 9 OS: Win XP SP3	Heads do not calibrate Hello to everyone :) I would like to ask, what can be done to a hard drive, which spins, motor seems to be OK as well, but heads do not calibrate? Does anyone know how to fix it? Thank you.

01-25-2009, 08:00 AM	#2 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,821 OS: XP	Re: Heads do not calibrate There are multiple causes for these errors. What is the make and model of the drive first of all - might help to pin down more specific causes based on known issues for that model. Probably causes are SA area of the drive is corrupted or damaged. Head stack is damaged, preamp has failed, firmware corruption, PCB failure. The last two are the least likely unfortunately. The good news is all are fixable, the bad news is, they are not fixable by the end user. These issues are not something that can be addressed by software on a PC, they all require physical repair in a clean room, or special hardware/software combos to repair ( quite expensive tools ). I assume you are hearing the heads clicking a they try to init at start up? What is known as the click of death? __________________

01-25-2009, 09:03 AM	#4 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,821 OS: XP	Re: Heads do not calibrate If you have access to a PC3k or Salvation Disk Doctor I would check the SA modules for corruption. How can you be sure there is not a head stack issue? If the heads are calibrating, then they should not return to the parking area. I suppose it could also be a slight bend in the spindle throwing the servo reads out, but I still think there is an issue with reading the SA. __________________

01-25-2009, 12:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
romulluss Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 9 OS: Win XP SP3	Re: Heads do not calibrate It can't be heads stack, because I opened the drive in a clean room. There is no scratch as well. So really cannot tell what's wrong, and how to fixe it :(

01-25-2009, 01:42 PM	#6 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,821 OS: XP	Re: Heads do not calibrate It could still be the preamp or a loder out of alignment, doesn't have to have a scratch or even contact the surface. Do you have access to a PC3K to check the preamp?, or could be a scratch on track 0 which you wouldn't be able to see from the underside. I've done lot's of head swaps that had no visible platter damage - PCB could also be an issue could be firmware. Again, in probably more than half the drives I've done head swaps in, there was no visible sign of head failure, even when viewed through a loupe __________________

01-25-2009, 04:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
romulluss Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 9 OS: Win XP SP3	Re: Heads do not calibrate Yes, I do have access to PC3k. Will try this, but also I will try to change heads.. . PCB is OK.. I've already tried at least 12 different PCBs and same result, so I reckon it's not PCB. Thank you.

01-25-2009, 05:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,821 OS: XP	Re: Heads do not calibrate What model of Maxtor? The Yars all use a standard PCB, but other models have drive adaptives on teh chip as well as the SA - if you have access to a PC3K I would see what the SA modules look like, and copy the firmware rom so you can load it to another board, just in case. Sounding a lot like the preamp, PC3K I thought would show condition of preamp? __________________

01-26-2009, 06:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
blah789 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 2,294 OS: Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP3	Re: Heads do not calibrate I wish I could do your line of work! You guys are lucky. I live by Ontrack (about 5 miles from Reston) and I applied 3 times but they never answered