Recovering Data from Hard Drives with Firmware & Microprogram Faults

Hard drives that fail with firmware related problems are frequently recoverable as often the user data on the hard drive is completely intact. Firmware and microprogram faults prevent the drive from functioning correctly and restrict access to user data areas. The cause of firmware corruption can be due to a variety of reasons such as vertical platter vibration, which in turn damages various data modules that the drive uses at during start up.

In order to recover the data, the drive firmware needs to be re-programmed.

This is a complex task that often requires that hard drive to be started in factory mode & configured in a particular manner before access to the firmware zone is available. Correct diagnosis is essential as incorrect application firmware drive recovery procedures will often damage beyond repair a recoverable drive.


GCubic Fault Diagnosis & Repair Equipment

In addition to our in-house capabilities, GCubic are currently developing marketable hardware and software tools to assist in the recovery of hard drives suffering from firmware / POST faults:

  • Hardware Tool (expected Winter 2006)
    • Inbuilt diagnostic utilities that auto-analyse hard drive POST routine and firmware structures
    • Firmware modules configurator / editor (manipulation of P / G lists, SMART, translator etc)
    • Bit level cloning to 2nd hard disk
    • Write blocking
    • For use with desktop and laptop hard drives
    • For use with IDE / SATA hard drives
    • For use with Maxtor, Western Digital, IBM / Hitachi, Toshiba, Seagate and Fujitsu hard drives
    • Windows compatible
  • Software Tools (expected Autumn 2006)
    • Downloadable firmware recovery tools for most familiy models of hard drive
    • Diagnosis only mode, Diagnosis and Recovery mode
    • Windows compatible

 

GCubic Training Course - Firmware diagnosis and reprogramming

A practical course involving the diagnosis and reprogramming of firmware on some of the most common hard disks in use today including Maxtor DiamondMax drives and the IBM / Hitachi Travelstar series.


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