Seagate Disk Drive Failures - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

Camera.Ken · 2009-01-17, 02:33 PM

Hi All:

New Seagate disk drives are failing, on boot up, due to faulty firmware. The number of failures is, apparently, quite large.

It is called "the boot of death".

Find out more at these two sites:

http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/cr...p?DocId=207931

http://forums.seagate.com/stx/board/...cending&page=1

[Edit] -- applies to several Seagate drive types, including Barracuda 7200.11

Jake · 2009-01-17, 05:30 PM

See this post too.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...&postcount=377

i hate tv · 2009-01-17, 06:55 PM

Thanks for the heads up!
It seems I was one of the lucky ones who bought this brand....
I'm on hold now, to get a new firmware upgrade ?
Hopefully I won't have a failure, as I backed up most of my old harddrive onto this one, because I was worried the old 500gb was going to fail....

Jake · 2009-01-17, 07:25 PM

Barracuda 7200.11
ST31000340AS
ST31000640AS
ST3750330AS
ST3750630AS
ST3640330AS
ST3640630AS
ST3500320AS
ST3500620AS
ST3500820AS
ST31500341AS
ST31000333AS
ST3640323AS
ST3640623AS
ST3320613AS
ST3320813AS
ST3160813AS

Basically 1.5TB, 1TB, 750GB, 640GB, 500GB, 320GB and 160GB drives! Then they also list these models.

Barracuda ES.2 SATA
ST31000340NS
ST3750330NS
ST3500320NS
ST3250310NS

DiamondMax 22
STM31000340AS
STM31000640AS
STM3750330AS
STM3750630AS
STM3500320AS
STM3500620AS
STM3500820AS
STM31000334AS
STM3320614AS
STM3160813AS

congo · 2009-01-17, 07:29 PM

Thank you...I guess

I have 2 500 GB drives in my NAS that are affected. I've sent an email to Seagate and hope they will tell me where to get the firmware update. It's apparently due out next week.

Congo

i hate tv · 2009-01-17, 07:39 PM

New firmware is expected on Wednesday, or so I was told via web chat...
My drive is only 1 month old, so I'm not too worried, but still, a tiny piece of me wants to get another, different brand to back up, the REALLY important files to.
I was wondering why the NEW 500gb drive was only $57...
I'm sure it was only coincidence

JohnnyCanuck · 2009-01-17, 07:50 PM

Count me with a failed 500GB 7200.11 ... hand't bothered to look into doing something about it until now ... thanks for the post.

Camera.Ken · 2009-01-18, 12:33 AM

Hi All:

I think I'll leave my PC "On" until the firmware has been released and I can find few or no complaints about it.

tbusa · 2009-01-18, 01:20 AM

I have a few 1tb drives on the list and about 30+ 500g drives on the list that are from a few of my clients workstations.

Dam.... so I think I'll take a wait and see approach if flashing the new firmware is safe enough. Backing all those drives will keep me busy.

BGY11 · 2009-01-18, 01:25 AM

I have the 1TB and 1.5TB drives... wonder if the firmware update will also fix the random "freezes" I get with the 1.5TB drive (basically, it's as if the drive stalls for a bit and then restarts itself -- freezing my computer in the process).

cyclo · 2009-01-18, 08:38 AM

For the "freezing" issue on 1.5 TB drives, check out this item on Tech Report:
The Tech Report: 1.5TB Barracuda freezes: Seagate speaks out

For the "bricking" issue on on 1.5 TB and down (7200.11 drives), there is also more info here:
The Tech Report: Seagate offers fix, free data recovery for bricked Barracudas

For a discussion of performance related issues as a result of questionable firmware on 7200.10, here is a 2007 discussion on Slashdot:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.../08/28/2031234

I myself have a 100 GB Seagate drive on my year old Lenovo Laptop and Vista has started giving me warnings to backup my files and replace the drive. I ran HDTune and sure enough I got a warning on the Spin Retry Count parameter. Oddly enough, Seagate's own Seatools Diagnostics gives the drive a clean bill of health.

i hate tv · 2009-01-18, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyclo

I ran HDTune and sure enough I got a warning on the Spin Retry Count parameter. Oddly enough, Seagate's own Seatools Diagnostics gives the drive a clean bill of health.

And I was feeling all warm and fuzzy after running Seatools...

rsambuca · 2009-01-18, 12:39 PM

I just purchased a couple 500GB drives in December for my new rig. Thankfully, I just checked the serial numbers and mine are not affected.

BGY11 · 2009-01-18, 04:22 PM

My two Seagate drives aren't affected by the boot of death bug, but my 1.5TB was affected by the freezing issue.

Seagate is going to be e-mailing me instructions on how to update that drive's firmware.

rsambuca · 2009-01-19, 11:08 AM

The new firmware has been released. Instructions are on this page.

2009-01-17, 02:33 PM	#1
Camera.Ken Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 331	Seagate Disk Drive Failures Hi All: New Seagate disk drives are failing, on boot up, due to faulty firmware. The number of failures is, apparently, quite large. It is called "the boot of death". Find out more at these two sites: http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/cr...p?DocId=207931 http://forums.seagate.com/stx/board/...cending&page=1 [Edit] -- applies to several Seagate drive types, including Barracuda 7200.11

2009-01-17, 05:30 PM	#2
Jake Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Gatineau and Ottawa Posts: 10,171	See this post too. http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...&postcount=377 __________________ Tip: See an offending post? Don't reply, report it by clicking on the 'Report Post' icon.

2009-01-17, 07:25 PM	#4
Jake Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Gatineau and Ottawa Posts: 10,171	Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS ST31000640AS ST3750330AS ST3750630AS ST3640330AS ST3640630AS ST3500320AS ST3500620AS ST3500820AS ST31500341AS ST31000333AS ST3640323AS ST3640623AS ST3320613AS ST3320813AS ST3160813AS Basically 1.5TB, 1TB, 750GB, 640GB, 500GB, 320GB and 160GB drives! Then they also list these models. Barracuda ES.2 SATA ST31000340NS ST3750330NS ST3500320NS ST3250310NS DiamondMax 22 STM31000340AS STM31000640AS STM3750330AS STM3750630AS STM3500320AS STM3500620AS STM3500820AS STM31000334AS STM3320614AS STM3160813AS __________________ Tip: See an offending post? Don't reply, report it by clicking on the 'Report Post' icon.

2009-01-17, 07:29 PM	#5
congo Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 804	Thank you...I guess I have 2 500 GB drives in my NAS that are affected. I've sent an email to Seagate and hope they will tell me where to get the firmware update. It's apparently due out next week. Congo __________________ Panny TC-P60GT50, Bell 9242, Yamaha RX-V730, Paradigm Cinema 70, Harmony One, HTPC

2009-01-18, 12:33 AM	#8
Camera.Ken Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 331	My Computer Stays On Hi All: I think I'll leave my PC "On" until the firmware has been released and I can find few or no complaints about it.

2009-01-17, 06:55 PM	#3
i hate tv Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,317	Thanks for the heads up! It seems I was one of the lucky ones who bought this brand.... I'm on hold now, to get a new firmware upgrade ? Hopefully I won't have a failure, as I backed up most of my old harddrive onto this one, because I was worried the old 500gb was going to fail....

2009-01-17, 07:39 PM	#6
i hate tv Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,317	New firmware is expected on Wednesday, or so I was told via web chat... My drive is only 1 month old, so I'm not too worried, but still, a tiny piece of me wants to get another, different brand to back up, the REALLY important files to. I was wondering why the NEW 500gb drive was only $57... I'm sure it was only coincidence

2009-01-17, 07:50 PM	#7
JohnnyCanuck Moderator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 4,645	Count me with a failed 500GB 7200.11 ... hand't bothered to look into doing something about it until now ... thanks for the post.

2009-01-18, 01:20 AM	#9
tbusa Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Oshawa Posts: 175	I have a few 1tb drives on the list and about 30+ 500g drives on the list that are from a few of my clients workstations. Dam.... so I think I'll take a wait and see approach if flashing the new firmware is safe enough. Backing all those drives will keep me busy.

2009-01-18, 01:25 AM	#10
BGY11 Veteran Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Calgary AB Posts: 3,163	I have the 1TB and 1.5TB drives... wonder if the firmware update will also fix the random "freezes" I get with the 1.5TB drive (basically, it's as if the drive stalls for a bit and then restarts itself -- freezing my computer in the process).

2009-01-18, 08:38 AM	#11
cyclo Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Toronto Posts: 662	For the "freezing" issue on 1.5 TB drives, check out this item on Tech Report: The Tech Report: 1.5TB Barracuda freezes: Seagate speaks out For the "bricking" issue on on 1.5 TB and down (7200.11 drives), there is also more info here: The Tech Report: Seagate offers fix, free data recovery for bricked Barracudas For a discussion of performance related issues as a result of questionable firmware on 7200.10, here is a 2007 discussion on Slashdot: http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.../08/28/2031234 I myself have a 100 GB Seagate drive on my year old Lenovo Laptop and Vista has started giving me warnings to backup my files and replace the drive. I ran HDTune and sure enough I got a warning on the Spin Retry Count parameter. Oddly enough, Seagate's own Seatools Diagnostics gives the drive a clean bill of health.

2009-01-18, 12:39 PM	#13
rsambuca Veteran Join Date: May 2006 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,632	I just purchased a couple 500GB drives in December for my new rig. Thankfully, I just checked the serial numbers and mine are not affected.

2009-01-18, 04:22 PM	#14
BGY11 Veteran Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Calgary AB Posts: 3,163	My two Seagate drives aren't affected by the boot of death bug, but my 1.5TB was affected by the freezing issue. Seagate is going to be e-mailing me instructions on how to update that drive's firmware.

2009-01-19, 11:08 AM	#15
rsambuca Veteran Join Date: May 2006 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,632	The new firmware has been released. Instructions are on this page.

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