Blog Posts Data Recovery – The System Area

Data Recovery – The System Area

OK we have got our hard drive with all it’s parts working properly what else can go wrong?

Well as explained previously the data is contained on the magnetic surface of the drive and this surface can fail. In addition the data written to it can be corrupted and this may occur from power failure
Before we even begin to use a hard drive there are a number of critical areas on the disk which are essential to it’s operation.

The first of these is the system area which contains essential data necessary for the operation of the hard drive. This area of the hard drive must be readable when the drive powers up.

Smart Data
System Logs
Serial Number
Model Numbers
P-List (Primary Defects List – i.e.: manufacture defect info that does not change)
G-List (Grown Defects Lists – sector relocation table)
Program Overlays – Firmware, Executable Code, or updates
Specific Tables like RRO – (recalibrate repeatable run-out and head offsets)
Zone Tables
Servo Parameters
Test Routines
Factory Defaults Tables
Recalibration Code Routines
Translator Data

When a hard drive powers on it performs a check similar to that which a computer performs when it powers on.

1. The first check is to ensure all of the electronics components on the PCB are functioning.
2. If 1 is successful it then starts the spindle and the drive starts to spin.
3. It then unmounts the heads from it’s PARK rack.
4. Next it will try and read data from the System Area such as Servo Data.

Certain data contained in the System Area is essential for the operation of the hard drive and if this data is corrupt or damaged we can often see strange behaviour.

With Seagate drives this may mean the drive is not recognised or returns an incorrect size. With Western Digital drives a corrupt system area may result in head clicking.

Specialised tools are necessary to access these areas on a hard drive and repair the corrupt areas. It is also possible these areas have become permanently damaged an in this case we may need to perform a hot swap with and identical drive.

Address

126 Whatley Crescent

We do not charge to quote

No fee if your data is not recovered. This is true even if we have to attempt swapping heads on the problem drive.

Free appraisal

Stop using the drive and call before it gets worse.

(08) 6180 6959

7 days a week, 8:00am – 10:00pm
126 Whatley Crescent, Maylands

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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Nearly binned a 2 Tb external dive , I thought had a fried the PCB board and my data was unrecoverable .Held onto it for nearly 10 years and thought i would check if any one could retrive all my images before i threw it out. Digby retrieved the whole 2 TB ,great to see the images I thought I had lost forever ,great memories . Thanks Digby , great service :)
  
 
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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I took my hard drive to be fixed by Digby, and he did a great job. I was concerned I was going to lose the data, but he was able to fix and transfer my data onto a new one, after ordering some parts in. Digby regularly kept me informed on the progress and got the job done. Very happy!