Hitachi Travelstar HTC426060G9AT00 (with photos)

[gcgm]

I'm currently working on the above mentioned drive. The drive is
connected to the Adapter PC-2 as shown in the photo. In the photo,
HDD SEL was OFF, +5V was ON. The drive was password locked
and needed to do a reset of the password. However, when the "Reset
password" button was pressed, an error message:

"COM Port is not connected or wrong PC-2 adapter configuration."

The configuration was correct as shown in the photo. The drive is
connected to ATA0 (COM1).





If I clicked on "Utility Start" button, this is what I got:

Com identification...................... : Error
COM Port is not connected or wrong PC-2 adapter configuration
SmOn.................................... : Error
Tech On Error. Device Error Detected 51/04 (ABR) Vendor specified error : Wrong vendor unique signature
Sm+..................................... : Error
Tech On+ Error. Device Error Detected 51/04 (ABR) Vendor specified error : Invalid command
Zone table.............................. : Ok


Can anyone advise what the cause of the error message is?

Thank you and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

[dmarques]

First of all you should connect the PC USB Terminal cable where it says PC-KALOK and then try again.

[AJ2008]

Yes I agree. From picture it seems as though disk is not connected to terminal so this should be ammended first. Re-connect and post results here.

[gcgm]

Thanks for the heads-up. I redone up the connections as suggested and as shown in the photo. I hope they are correct.


On Adapter PC-2": +5V ON; HDD SEL OFF
On PC USB Ter: +5V ON; RxD ON (orange); TxD OFF
The driver program for the PC-USB-TERMINAL adapter was installed without problem.

I ran the utility as before. However, the same error message still showed up when I pressed the "Reset password":

"COM Port is not connected or wrong PC-2 adapter configuration."

Pressing "Utility Start" also gave the same error as before message:

Com identification...................... : Error
COM Port is not connected or wrong PC-2 adapter configuration
SmOn.................................... : Error
Tech On Error. Device Error Detected 51/04 (ABR) Vendor specified error : Wrong vendor unique signature
Sm+..................................... : Error
Tech On+ Error. Device Error Detected 51/04 (ABR) Vendor specified error : Invalid command
Zone table.............................. : Ok

The COM Port settings are: 9600/NOPARITY/ONESTOPBIT/8

Despite the error the Hitachi Utility can read the Drive ID:

HDD parameters

CONFIGURATION GENERAL INFORMATION:
ATA device
Fixed device and/or controller

Logical cylinders count..................................... 16383
Logical sectors per track................................... 63
Logical heads count......................................... 16
Model....................................................... HTC426060G9AT00
Serial number............................................... EJWV?????
Firmware.................................................... 00P3A0B4

Maximal block size for READ/WRITE MULTIPLE commands......... 16

Features
Stop Timer Value
IORDY............................................. Supported
LBA Mode.......................................... Supported
DMA Mode.......................................... Supported

Current Logical Parameters
Cylinders......................................... 16 383
Heads............................................. 16
Sectors........................................... 63
Capacity.......................................... 16 514 064 Sectors (8 063.5 Mb)
Capacity available in LBA Mode.................... 117 210 240 Sectors (57 231.6 Mb)
Capacity available in LBA 48 Mode................. 117 210 240 Sectors (57 231.6 Mb)

Available DMA Mode
Multiword DMA Mode 0
Multiword DMA Mode 1
Multiword DMA Mode 2
Active DMA Mode............................................. Multiword DMA Mode 2

Active UDMA/33 modes
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 0
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 1
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 2
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 3
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 4
Ultra DMA/33 Mode 5
Current UDMA/33 mode........................................ [none]

Current PIO mode
Supported Enhanced PIO Modes
PIO MODE 3
PIO MODE 4

Minimal multiword DMA cycle time............................ 120 ns
Recommended multiword DMA cycle time........................ 120 ns
Minimal multiword PIO cycle time w/o stream control......... 240 ns
Minimal multiword PIO cycle time with IORDY................. 120 ns

Supported standards
ATA - 3
ATA - 4
ATA - 5
ATA - 6

Supported Command Sets
S.M.A.R.T functions
Security control

Security system............................................. Supported
condition flags :
password set...................................... YES
HDD Locked........................................ YES
HDD Frozen........................................ NO
wrong password count exceeded..................... NO
security erase support............................ YES
security level.................................... MAXIMUM
Master code................................................. 0000


I'm still puzzled; what could be the problem?

[AJ2008]

Looks like ATA password

[gcgm]

Looks like ATA password

Thanks, and how do I use the ATA Commander to unlock the drive? It's an interesting challenge. And what about the error message "COM Port is not connected or wrong PC-2 adapter configuration." I read that for the Hitachi C4K60 drives, the ide cable that connects to it should not be more than 18", so have used the shorter cable to connect ATA0 of the PC3KUDMA card to the Adapter PC-2. However, there's no change in the result.

Has anyone worked with this a Hitachi C3K60 drive before and encountered a similar problem as mine? Thanks for the help.

[Pepe]

Hi,

are U sure u are using the correct utility? I think this is not native Hitachi family, rather an IBM/Hitachi (from model number).
If so, U don't need terminal connection... but other things.

pepe

[gcgm]

Hi Pepe,

I'm positive the utility used is correct and the drive a Hitachi native (C4K60). In the PC3K-UDMA, only when you select Hitachi-Native will you be presented with C4K60 to choose under Supported families. See screen shot below:

[Pepe]

Hi,

yes, it is native Hitachi, sorry, I missed the 'C' in the model number

pepe

[AJ2008]

I have not needed to work with SA on this model, so not sure I can offer much help. Maybe Acelab can point you in the right direction?

Alternatively you could use different password removal method, such as A-FF? (Am I allowed to say that here???)

[gcgm]

Hi AJ2008,

I've already contacted Acelab and awaiting a reply. My PC3K-UDMA reads other hdds connected to it OK, except this one, thru the Adapter PC-2. I've no other 2.5" IDE drive to test out this Adapter PC-2 card so the most I can do is wait. I tried ATA1, changed the port to COM1, but the result was still the same.

The A-FF unlock software doesn't support Hitachi drives according to their website.

If anyone of you have a similar 2.5" IDE drive (preferably Hitachi), why not test out your card to see if the same problem is replicated here.

Thanks.

[AJ2008]

I will do right now. Will update this thread in a hour or so

[gcgm]

I just tried using a 2.5"-3.5" ide converter to connect the Hitachi hdd to the PC3k tester board, without setting the jumpers (ie. they were left open). The results were status quo, no change as before. That generally means the PC-2 Adapter is OK. So I'm suspecting the utility or some settings might be the cause of the error message:COM Port is not connected or wrong PC-2 adapter configuration..

[AJ2008]

Sorry, closest I have is HTC424040F9AT00

Connecting this I have no erorrs but disk is from DK23FA family and not C4K60. But Terminal access is possible.

Sorry if this does not help

[Mike_Montgomery]

I have not tried any of these drives, but what happens when you try to read the modules anyway? Do you get ABORT errors? (if so the drive is probably blocking the commands because of PW.)
Failing, that See if you can get copy of firmware from an identical drive and see if you can view the password module to get the master password - the PW module may be encrypted, but you are running out of things to try with this drive.

Mike