Prevent possible Seagate hard drive crashes!

[I2JJR]

Hi, I've bought an m9280.it Pavilion that is equipped with two Seagate ST3500630A , firmware 3.CHN. The previous user updatet it non HP to Win7ultimate. The non system HD gives SMART alerts, and get worse with SMART tests. I have reformatted it , 0s wrotten, many times and tested with many disks tools: always OK no bad sectors etc, it seems perfect. But the SMART Alerts remain. I've read about the firmware update file, but among the Seagate HD it's not listed the ST3500630AS . Is it nonetheless applicable? May I do it with the non original Win7u ? I've just ordered an original restore CD to HP for his Vista SO, anyway. Lately I have had many issues with seagate SARA2 HD, non OEM, and those in Warranty are now back to Seagate to check. All data has been recovered, though; their issue was SMART worst case, and no boot anymore for System disks. Is it safe to definitely change maker, or is it only a model issue? Thanks for any advice about the firmware update for this HD model too, having original firmweare 3.CHN 73 de Augusto HB9TZA / I2JJR

[Shadowrak]

I think it might be related to this but I am not sure. My desktop has the 500gb Seagate in question and after 5 minutes of not using it crashes and hangs while doing what I think is trying to restart. Also when I run the diagnostic during start up it says that it can't find a bootable drive, but if I don't run the diagnostic it actually boots up. Why I am not sure if my problem is related to this or not is that when I tried to use the firmware upgrade it said my system does not meet the minimum requirements.

Any help would be appreciated.

[I2JJR]

Hi Shadowrak , do you have the same Seagate HD ( i.e., Barracuda 7200.10 , 500Gb , ST3500630AS, firmware 3.CHN ) as I have?

I have not yet made a test with the SP40966 firmware update.

As I wrote, I did not because that HD model is not listed on the firmware update SP40966 on the HP forum page http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=pv-68339-3&lc=en&dlc=it&cc=it&...

Did you test this same firmware update on your HD and it's of the same model?

Thanks, 73 de Augusto HB9TZA/I2JJR

[Shadowrak]

Yes I have the ST3500630AS and I thought it might have been possible this was related to my problem

[I2JJR]

Thanks shadowrak, so we have the same HD model. It happens here only on the non system disk, though both are the same make and model, not very different serial numbers. I do not understand what is intended with "...the system does not have the minimum requirements ..."

I still do not know if the firmware update is possible with the Win7Ultimate non original HP update, and to avoid problems I do not try it , anyway as soon I'll get the restore CDs I ordered from HP to get back to the original HP settings and SO, I'll do a restore and try to update the hard disk firmware with the suggested package, and will let you know.

Regards, Augusto

HB9TZA  I2JJR

[cmz22]

Hey folks, I have the same issue, BIOHD-2

as my touchsmart is still under warranty I didn't open it to check the cables because I'm afraid if something goes wrong and I lose my warranty because of that.

I read all topics on this issue, also found several sites on google. this problem really confuses me.

harddisk is not listed in the bios, error biohd-2. what to do know? will a firmware update help to solve the problem? if yes how shall I do this?

I don't really want to lose all my data on the harddisk. my father told me he'd bring the touchsmart pc to the retailer's service. what would they do? send it to HP? what would happen then?

would appreciate any help!

thanks

[I2JJR]

Hi shadowrak , et all ;

I have received the original HP restore CD disks for the m9280.it

I have tested the firmware upgrade for Seagate hard disks, with the SP40966it.exe package, at first with Window7ultimate: message said no good with that operating system, as I suspected.

So I installed windows Vista with the HP disks (after cloning the Win7u system harddisk to a new one, a Western Digital 500GB HD)  having placed both Seagate HDs ( Barracuda 7200.10 , 500Gb , ST3500630AS, firmware 3.CHN ) as in original HP m9280.it  configuration.

All restored OK, at abt 50 Euro costs, plus the cost of a new WD (no seagate, hi) HD .

Now that I had the original HP Pavilion m9280.it  Vista OS, I tried oncemore the SP40966it.exe to fix the issue with the non system Seagate HD : it runs and this time the message was " ... system does not meet the minimum requirements" .

Exactly as it did to you shadowrak and many other friends having this issue.

I do not have an idea what this message should mean; do someone know it?

But in fact, the Seagate HD still has the same issue, and always it requires the F2 stroke at boot. Vy vy boring. Again , testing it with DiskDoctor etc reveals nothing wrong, except with SMART tests, that declares it is near to a crash.

Anybody here has some comment or may explain what is going on, and how -if possible - to fix it? The SMART control may not be excluded from this BIOS, otherwise I'll have done it .

Thanks to all that may help with this unendly story !!

73 de Augusto

HB9TZA     I2JJR

[I2JJR]

Hi, furter reading and searching around has given me this other Infos:

1) It seems that SP40966 update only works with system disks . Both my PC m9280.it HardDisks are identical , both are seagate Barracuda 7200.10 , 500Gb , ST3500630AS, firmware 3.CHN , differs only on SN a few units. The system disk seems ok and the other have the smart alert issue. But the firmware update did not work either on boot disc, nor on the other hd.

2) on seagate sites , looking for warranty by serial numbers, etc, I got answer tha this are OEM harddisks, to go on HP siteopages.

3) on seagate sites, knowledge database, with model number, I got the answer that there are no firmware update, or not required. Also that when a SMART eror occurs, then the HD is faulty and nothing else than replacement cure it.

4) always on seagate sitepages, I got indications to use their disktools, I downloaded both for windows and for DOS , and I will check the hard disks oncemore with them. After that I will report here.

What I have read about HP custom service is very shocking. I have only HP here, and from years was HP customer, years ago for instruments and hardware, then later for PCs. I was shocked when they became Compaq; and more when also Digital Equipment, my other favourite, went that way. There were also rumors about a class action againt the sale of PC with known issues ( seagate drivers firmware etc) 

Hope all the best. 73 de Augusto

HB9TZA     I2JJR

[responsibleit]

It sounds like it could be a hardware problem!i had something similar happening to me for months and I couldnt get any headway on why it was happening. I got in contact with this IT engineering company who sorted it out. http://www.lucidica.com/ Just an option but they sorted it right out. Sorry if im late and you've already solved it .

[Oleem]

Hi, before my post my "v" button is broken and copy and paste without it is annoying to say the least. So i will not be using that button.

Anyways, my Seagate Barricuda 7200.11 recently crashed. I did howeer use the firmware. HP sent me an update package through one of thier default new user programs when i bought the computer. Two years hae passed and my hard drie finally crashed. I hae read that if i go to a computer technician I can pay to hae it restored. But will it still hae the same issues it did before the crash and will hae to pay it restored again? I also read that HP does not gie back the hard drie if you send it to them and they do not restore your information. My question is. Can i get my hard drie restored through a technician at lets say Best Buy a.k.a. geek squad and then copy all the software on it oer to a new hard drie (non seagate) and be good to go? Want to know my next step seeing as how most people on this forum hae had issues by trying to get HP to deal with the problem.