WD Marvell Dir module editing

[ACE_Admin]

Dear forum users

Greetings.

Last version of PC-3000 UDMA WDC Marvell utility has a useful function that let you relocate modules within hard drive Service area. That could be useful, when important modules turned bad and its impossible to rewrite them.

Here is the sample situation for this feature. For example we have WDC Marvell drive with all modules healthy and both copies of its translator module damaged:

Code: Select all

0031: 0  :    Ad     :   707: 176:No   :     :     :         :        :Translator                                   
0031: 1  :    Ad     :   707: 176:No   :     :     :         :        :Translator           


It is not possible to regenerate translator since it shows you an error. In this case it worth to take some uniportant module with big size, I took Selfscan log module with its size greater than translator module size.

So for the first step I make unimportant self-test log module size to 1 sector and copy its sector value.
After ok button is pressed, new parameters for "Self-test log" module was written, now it occupies 2 sectors instead of its previous value.

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For the second step I go to translator module and set its sector value equal to "self-test module" value+2 sectors(just in case). Then I write changes to surface, restart drive and regenerate translator. After I restarted I could image the data.

[hassan]

why we use the unused Cyl
in the example used Hawk family the last used Cyl is -42
So we can change Translator Cyl from -3 to -43 for example

[ACE_Admin]

Yes, I can, but when I'm using some unimportant module sectors, I'm sure these sectors are good because I can see this module in SA Structure test report.

[dataLAB]

can this technique be used in the case of damaged module 0001 Modules Directory?

[AJ2008]

I guess so, but you would need to make offline start if dir mod is bad.

[ACE_Admin]

Hello.

As you may already know, Dir module contains all modules addresses and it also has B level of importance.

For drives with with MWD-CHS and MWD-ROYL-CHS families it is not. Dir module is located on a fixed location, and if this zone turn damaged its not possible to move it to another location.

For MWD-ROYL-ABA , Dir module is located in the beginning of region and its possible to move whole SA from bad head to good head. For doing this, you have to use Tools->Hdd resourses view and edit->ABA range window dialog. There are some conditions that could made the drive stop working. I Will create a step-by-step manual for this method later.

Thank you for this question.

[AJ2008]

I try this method but no changes can be saved. I can make change to dir module manually in hex editor and this way I can reach data so I know process is good, but is there reason my PC3000 will not allow this automatically through dir editor in utility?

[Continuum]

I have the same issue.

Did anyone find a solution to this?

[Vikas]

I tried this method on few drive's and was successfully able to recover the data.


Vikas

[Amarbir[CDR-Labs]]

I tried this method on few drive's and was successfully able to recover the data.


Vikas

Well,
What Modules Were bad in your cases

[pcrecovery]

A very powerful and useful feature. Helped me to solve several cases. However, in one case, Translator module was too large and could not find suitable location to relocate it (other large modules of unimportance were ALSO BAD ) Luckily, Copy 1 was able to be used for smart hot swap donor and data was recoverable that way.

[AJ2008]

The translator often contains data only at start, you can 'cut' its size using dir editor in this case.

[drmilos]

How can we edit Dir module for WD Caviar Cyl32 (Pioneer) - both copies of module 22 hsdt Translator are damaged and can't be written to original location (cyl 9)?

[AJ2008]

How can we edit Dir module for WD Caviar Cyl32 (Pioneer) - both copies of module 22 hsdt Translator are damaged and can't be written to original location (cyl 9)?

Can you read it good with composite? If yes, get a good copy of it and other adaptive modules you need and make hotswap.

[drmilos]

How can we edit Dir module for WD Caviar Cyl32 (Pioneer) - both copies of module 22 hsdt Translator are damaged and can't be written to original location (cyl 9)?

Can you read it good with composite? If yes, get a good copy of it and other adaptive modules you need and make hotswap.

Thank you AJ2008, client did not want to proceed so I will try this next time. In the meantime I have used Dir editing on a Marvell drive, very useful and it helped me to recover the data.